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Broncos | Hunt to be released
Tue, 29 Aug 2006 11:24:59 -0700

Jeff Legwold, of the Rocky Mountain News, reports Denver Broncos OL Robert Hunt will be released Tuesday, Aug. 29.

Position: Center
College: North Dakota State
Height: 6-4
Weight: 301
Hometown: Cavalier, N.D.

Analysis | Injury Report | Agility | High School | Personal


OVERVIEW
Hunt is a fun-loving and outgoing personality who holds a very special place in the hearts of the North Dakota State coaching staff. He came to the program as a defensive lineman, but not only made a successful switch to center in 2001, he thrived at his new position. He worked hard and long to master his craft and the results have been numerous postseason honors. He started 42 consecutive games for the Bison and did not allow a quarterback sack in his last two seasons, a remarkable feat considering that he played with a cast on his snapping hand for most of the 2003 campaign.
Hunt sat out the 2000 season at North Dakota State to adjust to playing center. He started every game the rest of his career. Hunt helped the Herd average 335 yards per game as a redshirt freshman. The offense improved slightly, averaging 338 yards during his sophomore year in 2002.

Despite playing with a cast on his snapping hand in 2003, he allowed no quarterback sacks and only one pressure while grading 93.5 percent for blocking consistency while making 32 knockdown blocks. He earned All-American, All-Great West Conference and Great West Offensive Lineman of the Year honors in 2004. In his final season, he again graded 93.5 percent for blocking consistency, but without the cast on his hand, he developed into a dominant drive blocker. He increased his knockdown block total to 72 and once again did not allow a sack or pressure for the entire campaign.


ANALYSIS
Positives: Has a solid overall muscular frame with room for additional growth … Has a very strong lower body, with excellent leg drive … Avid worker in the weight room, boasting some of the top lifting figures on the team … Shows a competitive and aggressive streak on the field and is the type who battles until the whistle … His dedication is unsurpassed. After suffering a thumb injury last year, the right-handed snapper taught himself to snap with his left hand and did not miss a beat … Can pull, run and seal off on the second level … Has good field vision and is alert to stunts and blitzes … Makes all the line calls and gets good explosion coming off the snap … Works well in combination with his guards on traps … Has a quick first step that allows him to gain advantage … Creates movement based on technique than sheer power, but strikes with good hand placement. In 2004, showed better ability to follow through behind his punch … Moves his feet and swings his hips to position and has the agility to move laterally … Fires to the second level and fits up quickly, moving his feet constantly in attempts to cut … Can wheel and change direction working in the second level and has enough speed to not only search out linebackers, but also seek out the safeties … While he might not always deliver power behind his punch, he shows good hand placement to control … Can slide his feet effortlessly to defeat counter moves in pass protection.

Negatives: Lacks natural knee bend and his stiffness causes him to get too high in his stance … When this happens, he loses his anchor and will get rocked back or thrown some … Can screen off, but is more of a push-shove type of drive blocker; he fails to sink his hips and drive the defender off the play … Will lose leverage and get pushed around by the bigger nose guards … Uses his hands more to control than punch, but needs to find a way to allow his weight-room strength to translate to the football field.
http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2005/hunt_robert

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