NFL Draft Profile: Lorenz Metz, Offensive Lineman, Cincinnati Bearcats

Lorenz Metz
Cincinnati Bearcats

#51
Pos: OT
Ht: 6080
Wt: 320
Hand: 1068
Arm: 3468
Wing: 8468
40: 5.30
DOB: 3/7/1997
Hometown: Neuötting, GER
High School: Kirchdorf
Eligibility: 2023

One Liner:

Metz has unique playing experience and ideal arm length, upper body strength, and punch power for a guard, but his lean lower half and struggles with leverage limit his projection to the NFL.

Evaluation:

Metz played along the defensive line in Germany, but he switched to the offensive side of the ball with Cincinnati. He started the majority of Cincinnati’s games at right tackle in 2019, took some snaps at left tackle in 2020, and started at right guard in 2021. Unfortunately, the All-Conference guard missed six of his team’s first seven games in 2022 as he worked back from offseason ankle surgery. Metz has ideal upper body strength and good pop in his hands. There was a play early in the third quarter against Alabama (2021) where he climbed to the second level and gave Henry To'oTo'o a halfhearted one-armed shove that sent the linebacker tumbling three yards backward. In pass protection, Metz’s punches have the power to deaden rushers. This makes him an asset when he oscillates between rushers on his left and right as he’s sometimes able to hit both in the course of a play. Metz activates his hands early in the down and engulfs smaller pass rushers who struggle with his arm length and upper body power. Penalties are a significant concern with Metz. He drew five flags in 2021, four in roughly 130 offensive and special teams snaps in 2020, and 18 in 2019 when he played tackle. Sometimes Metz’s internal GPS leads him astray. There are moments when it’s not obvious who he’s supposed to block in pass protection and he either ends up left alone blocking air, or he doubles back and ends up compressing the pocket. So far, Metz only has two seasons with over 100 offensive snaps, but that could change depending on when he returns to the lineup in 2022. He has the frame of a tackle, but he’s not skilled enough to play that role in the NFL. His height sticks out at guard and raises concerns about his ability to maintain leverage. Metz’s height causes several problems. His pad level rises too high, his chest frequently gets out over his knees, and he struggles to drop his anchor because of his high stance. Metz tends to lean on defenders in pass protection, which causes him to lose his balance. He lacks the twitch and agility to recover when beaten. Despite his listed playing weight, Metz has a surprisingly lean lower half. He doesn’t generate much movement in the run game and doesn’t consistently latch and sustain blocks. The former three-star recruit is still developing an awareness for stunts and games and how to handle them. He looks heavy-footed in space. In pass protection, he exposes his hands by carrying them away from his frame, and his hand placement is erratic. Inconsistencies dot Metz’s tape, but he’s also produced some promising performances against upper-level competition. The German didn’t allow a pressure in his starts against Alabama and Notre Dame in 2021.

Grade:

UDFA

Quotes:

“Very attentive, really wants to be good, takes the coaching. He’s always open to different ways we do things, different styles. We’re looking for great things out of him and think he’s going to progress this year, just because he works so hard at his game.” -- Cincinnati OL coach Mike Cummings on OL Lorenz Metz

Background:

Metz was a three-star recruit from Neuötting, Germany in the class of 2018. He was the No. 952 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,440 for On3.com. Metz was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 77 grade out of 100. Metz also received offers from Central Michigan, Connecticut, Georgia Tech, and UMass. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial management in December of 2021 and was named Outstanding Undergraduate Industrial Management Student of the Year by Lindner’s Department of Operations, Business Analytics and Information Systems. Metz began playing football when he was 18 and a chemical technician in Germany. He played defensive tackle for the Kirchdorf Wildcats in the German Football League in Germany and saw action in 12 games in 2017, recording 48 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and a sack. Metz transitioned from defensive tackle to offensive lineman as a freshman at Cincinnati. He earned 2021 First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors as a right guard.