Jason Pinkston, OT/OG, Pittsburgh
6’4 305 lbs #77 Senior

Scouting: 9/23/2010 – Miami at Pittsburgh
Pinkston is an impressive player that does a nice job of keeping his hips down and maintaining leverage throughout his block. I’ll tell you something, the pop that he generates from his punch is tremendous. He has a great base and he can really jar a defender with his powerful punch. On a 3rd and 5 play in the middle of the 1st quarter he shows off his impressive power. sophomore, DE, Olivier Vernon tried to use a swim move to get past Pinkston, but he wasn’t having it. As Vernon attempted to swim by him, Pinkston delivered a great punch to Vernon’s rib-cage turning him sideways. That punch neutralized him and completely took him out of the play. He really finishes his blocks. Pinkston struggles moving laterally. He’s a powerful north-south blocker that can get upfield, but when asked to pull he lacks the athleticism to get out in front of blockers. Midway through the 2nd quarter Pittsburgh tried to run a toss sweep because they were having no success up the middle. The play was a toss to the left leaving Pinkston as the pulling lead blocker. He struggled to get outside and while he managed to cut down a defender, he didn’t give sophomore, RB, Ray Graham enough space to get going. Even though he struggles to move laterally he does show the ability to reach the 2nd level. However, when he does reach the 2nd level he seems to miss too many blocks. Better athletes give him trouble. When it comes to picking up the blitz and when it comes to blocking downfield you can see that athletic defenders can get away from him. He is certainly a very good college LT, however he looks like he will need to move over to RT or OG in the NFL. It was a tough game for Pittsburgh’s offense. Miami played 9 in the box most of the game to neutralize Dion Lewis and Ray Graham, and they did just that. Pittsburgh struggled to find any momentum, but Pinkston certainly proved that he has the talent to make a difference at the next level.

Pros:
- Phone-booth strength
- Good balance
- Versatile, could play RT or OG
- Great run-blocker

Cons:
- Struggles to move laterally
- Athletes give him trouble
- Rough injury history

Summary:
Jason Pinkston came to Pittsburgh initially as a DT and as a senior in high school he was considered one of the best DL prospects to ever come out of Western Pennsylvania. He actually practiced as a DT throughout fall camps as a freshman, but he was eventually transitioned to OT. He started out at RT, but with Jeff Otah off to the NFL in 2008 the LT position was suddenly up for grabs and Jason Pinkston took advantage. He earned the starting LT position in 2008 and he has been playing there ever since. In 2007 and 2008 shoulder injuries (left shoulder injury in 2007, right shoulder injury in 2008) shortened both seasons, but he finally started to prove his worth as a blocker in 2009. He had a fantastic season last year which earned him All Big-East honors. He was also named a 2nd team All-American by Rivals and Sports Illustrated. He is certainly Pittsburgh’s best offensive lineman and he has a future in the NFL. His power is fantastic. In short areas he exhibits tremendous strength. His punch is jarring. He also does a very nice job of kick sliding and keeping his hips down, maintaining his leverage. He doesn’t get over-extended which allows him to keep his balance. He is capable of playing multiple positions in the NFL as well. He can flip over to RT and he should be able to kick down inside to OG as well. As a run blocker he shines. He finishes his blocks and he is a great in-line blocker. However, he struggles moving laterally. In space he has issues. He lacks the range and athleticism to play LT in the NFL. Speaking of athleticism, athletes really give him trouble. When it comes to picking up the blitz or blocking downfield, better athletes can get around him. His injury history also has to be a concern. Having 2 seasons cut short with shoulder injuries has to be worrisome. That being said he has intriguing potential. He has the ability to play RT, but I think he is better suited to kick inside to OG. He is one of the better OG prospects in the nation.