Youth Football Drills to Evaluate a Youth Football Offensive Tackle
Youth Football Drills to Evaluate a Youth Football Offensive Tackle is Part 2 of My Favorite Best Drills for Evaluating Youth Football Players Positions.
In this Position Drills Eval series we are reviewing the top best drills to help you evaluate youth football players for specific positions on your youth football team Ages 5u to 14u. This series will be slightly biased for players to fit into my Offensive systems. In this article we are using my best youth football drills to find and evaluate youth football offensive tackles.
I’ve also written another article on Thoughts on Choosing Youth Football Offensive Lineman Positions 7 back in 2012. And Youth Football Player Evaluations Finding Your Best 11 Starters in 2021.
Finding a Youth Football Offensive Tackle
There are two Offensive Tackles on the O-Line; 1) Playside / Strong / Power side tackle and 2) the Weak / Quick Tackle. They are very similar type players but you definitely want / need your Power Tackle to be a Stud.
Players that are just big for their age and very athletic that exceed the age division’s weight limit usually make great Power Tackles. These players will most likely play TE or H-Back in High School. They are skill players in big bodies. Many will play Select Basketball and these players are gold when you find them.
I like big oversized tackles with quick feet and hands. Many times these youth football players will wind up playing TE or DE in High School but due to youth football weight limit rules are usually required to play offensive line. We target these weight restricted players for our two starting Offensive Tackles for our youth football teams.
Your play side, strong side or power offensive tackle is usually one of your biggest lineman and your best blocker. We like them to be able to Drive block any Defensive Tackle they may take on.
Your power offensive tackle must be able to move one or two big defensive players out of the hole with support from your TE or OG. The Power OT must be good at double team blocks and holding their ground when they are over powered by the Defense. Your strong side OT must also be quick enough to deal with a stunting DE or OLB. I will give up some size for quickness for my play side OT. Your backside OT must be good size and able to fill block if you are pulling a OG.
The weak or backside OT must also have above average size and with good feet and hands but might be a tad slower than the Power OT. The Weak tackle might be heavier and bulkier than your Power tackle and very hard to move. In an overloaded o-line situation the weak Tackle is always the inside post up tackle for double team with the Power Tackle.
Remember to choose quickness over size when choosing offensive tackles. Quick hands and feet are better than an overweight monster that cannot tie their shoe or make a quick inside step to cut off a Defender.
Drills to find a Youth Football Offensive Tackle
For me, the Sled push below separates the men from the boys. If you are doing try outs in shorts and no pads this simple drill will help you determine who has the strength to push people off the line of scrimmage. If you do not have a sled then just use a coach with a bag and set the standard you’re looking for in your OTs.
After the Sled push the Blocking Box and or the Board drill in full pads will let you know who can move people. The Sumo Drill will also tell you who can move people and who is aggressive and will not quit. The Gap Attacker Drill on the Offensive side will tell you who can move their feet and also not quit on a block. The Texas Swing Drill will allow you to review quickness, blocking in traffic and if they can possibly pull.
More Offensive Tackle Drills
- Sled / Coach / Truck Push – Strength
- Blocking Box / Board Drill – Blocking Capabilities / Strength
- SUMO Circle – Toughness / GRIT or Quit
- Gap Attacker Aggressiveness Drill – Quickness / Aggressiveness
- Blocking Pod – Blocking Rules / Techniques / Pulling
- Half Line / 4×4 – Live action snapping / Teamwork
- Texas Swing Drill – Quickness / Blocking Downfield / Pulling
- Game Simulation Drill – Huddle / Communication / Alignments
- Live Full Scrimmage against another team – Game Time Pressure
- Pre-Practice Attendance – Attendance / Tardiness / Priorities / Focus
In the end, it comes down to 3 to 4 weeks of practice reviewing drills, scrimmage tape, attendance and do they have the aggressive mindset to be the Bull you need them to be at Offensive tackle.
Since we are a Power Football Team, we pride ourselves in finding and developing our Offensive Tackles. We want them big and quick. Oversized Fullbacks are really what we are looking for in them. If you are looking to get 2 that is awesome. If you get three, then we put the one with the best hands at our Power side Tight End and or Center.
What are your favorite best drills for evaluating youth football players? Did you find any new youth football drills
Let me know your favorite youth football drill. I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below or find me in my private youth football coaching group on Facebook.
Please leave me a comment below or contact me anytime. I love talking youth football and Youth Football Drills to Evaluate a Youth Football Offensive Tackle.
Remember to Play for Fun and Winning is Funner!
Coach Parker
Fort Worth, Texas
