Los Angeles Rams selects Steve Avila in second round of 2023 NFL Draft
Solid offensive line play can be hard to come by in the NFL. But the Los Angeles Rams might have just found some big-time talent and instant contributor in the interior of their offensive line at either guard or center with former TCU Horned Frog Estaban ‘Steve’ Avila.
The Rams selected Avila with the No. 36 overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Avila has been showing off his versatility since he first arrived in Fort Worth, TX. In his second year at TCU, in 2019, he played in 11 games throughout the offensive line but did not register a single start. The following season, Avila had nine starts: six at center, two at right tackle, and one at right guard. He followed that up by becoming TCU’s full-time center the following season, starting 11 games there.
In both seasons, he earned all-Big 12 honors; an honorable mention in 2020, and second-team all-Big 12 in 2021. Last season Avila moved to left guard after Alan Ali transferred to TCU from SMU. There he would start in all 15 games for the Horned Frogs, not allowing a single sack and his 515 pass-blocking attempts. That would be good enough to earn him second-team AP all-American honors and first-team all-Big 12 honors.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Avila
According to the draft analyst Lance Zierlein at NFL.com, Avila ranks as the second-best guard prospect in this year’s draft, with a grade of 6.30; just slightly behind (.08 points) O’Cyrus Torrence of the Florida Gators. That grade puts him in the category of ‘Candidate for bottom of roster or practice squad.’ Here’s how Zierlein views Avila heading into the 2023 NFL Draft.
“Three-year starter who offers versatility, power and athleticism. Playing at a lighter weight should not be a problem if teams want that from him. His girth makes him resistant to opposing power, and he’s light enough on his feet for pass protection duties and run blocks that extend beyond the box. He’s not a consistently nasty finisher and below average hand work has a clear impact on his ability to sustain blocks. Avila is likely to start right away as a Day 2 draft pick and should have a solid NFL career as either a guard or center,” according to Zierlein.
As far as Avila’s strengths go, Zierlein has them listed as follows: “Team captain; Full season of starting experience at both center and left guard; Frame is dense and capable of absorbing contact; Plays with good flexion and body control for a man his size; Able to snap hips into initial block fits; Seal blocks create sturdy wall for A-gap run tunnels; Pass sets tend to be balanced and firm throughout the rep; Lateral slides to mirror and defend his edges.”
As for the things he needs to work on: “Occasional delays in recognizing twist setups; Needs to steady his hands and improve his punch accuracy in pass pro; Could use better rhythm and control with settle steps into first strike; Has a tendency to play too tall at the point of attack; More of a banger than a sustainer on the second level; Inconsistent hand usage prevents steering and cinching up blocks.”