Rams seek versatility in UDFA offensive linemen
View attachment 75735
The
Los Angeles Rams signed Austin Blaske of the North Carolina Tar Heels as an undrafted free agent (Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Venie Randy Soares
Thu, Apr 30, 2026·
7 min read
Even though the Los Angeles Rams have their starting five returning on the offensive line, there were many fans questioning the depth of the unit behind that solid quintet. Consensus thinking was that a swing tackle was needed and the
Rams braintrust, thinking along the same lines,
drafted Keegan Trost at #93 of Round 3. Trost has experience at both tackle spots and draftniks projected him to guard as a pro.
But L.A. wasn’t finished, they dipped into the undrafted ranks for three relatively unknown offensive linemen, all with good size, length, and considerable positional versatility. Let’s meet them.
C Chad Lindberg – North Carolina 6’7” 320 lb.
Was not only a 2025 North Carolina teammate, but also in the same 2020 Georgia recruiting class as Austin Blaske and he transferred out after the 2023 season as well. Lindberg moved on to Rice for a season as a starter before jumping to the Tar Heels. His play at center predicated Blaske’s move to tackle.
Prospect with NFL frame, good arm length at 34” and big 9 3/4” hands. Lindberg move skills are a bit heavy-footed, he didn’t test at his Pro Day in the forty and because he missed the the last five games of the season with an arm injury, passed on the bench press as well. He clocked a 4.90 in the shuttle and 7.91 in the 3cone. He measured 29” at the vertical and 8’5” in the broad jump.
Shows pretty good technique with both hand and foot work. Linear mover, can get off combo blocks to the second level and out front on screens, but struggles to get-off first and with lateral agility. Creates some power to drive with good strikes and low pads. Sometimes lunges for no reason in both run and pass blocking, losing balance. He doesn’t show the reactive quickness to recover or re-direct. Sets a solid, wide base and uses punches and long arms to scuttle rushers.
Was able to see film of Lindberg at guard and tackle, he looks the part and has capable film, but nothing really stands out about his game. His size, length, and positional versatility have got him to this point, now can he overcome his athletic short comings? Blocked for Rams UDFA running back Dean Conners at Rice in 2024.
OL Austin Blaske – North Carolina 6’5” 310 lb.
Originally signed with Georgia and spent four seasons there. The Bulldogs groomed him at tackle, guard, and center, but Blaske couldn’t break through and transferred after the 2023 season. North Carolina moved him inside and he was their starting center in 2024. In his final season, the Tar Heels moved him to left tackle and he played there until the final five games, when an injury forced him back to the pivot.
Fits the NFL athletic parameters for centers, guards, and tackles. RAS scored him at 8.59. To go along with his size, he has 33” arms and 9” hands. In speed over distance, Blaske timed a 5.20 forty with his initial quickness 1.73 over the first 10 yards. Good strength with 25 reps on the bench. Leapt 29” on the vertical and 8’8” for the broad. Flexibility, burst, and balance lagged a bit in a 4.75 shuttle, but a 7.39 3cone shows good agility and change of direction.
Good contact balance and core strength to set a strong anchor. Needs work to consistently strike first with his hands, but has an accurate punch and clamps on inside. Unhinges at the hips and arches his back to lock down on bullrushes. Looks for work and is aware of “A gap” blitzers. Although not an explosive drive blocker, he plays low, stays attached, and keeps his legs driving. Hustles on reach blocks and can turn and seal. Good on double teams and can get to second level. Like to see him work on getting off first.
Interested to see how Blaske pans out. Good size, length, and brings some positional versatility. Very good film as a center. He was a top wrestler in high school and highly-recruited Georgia signee. Under the radar at North Carolina, was the center next to last year’s Rams camp darling,
Willie Lampkin.
T Bryce Henderson – Vanderbilt 6’8” 330 lb.
Played five seasons with FCS South Dakota, where he logged 34 starts, 13 at right tackle and 11 at left guard. Transferred to Vanderbilt for his final college season and settled in to start 13 games. He rotated between left and right tackle, interestingly from snap to snap during games.
Hulking prospect, stellar length with nearly 35” arms and huge 10 5/8” hands. RAS scores him 6.41. Lumbering and stiff move skills and agility, 5.32 forty with 1.73 10-yard split, 4.80 in the shuttle and 8.18 in the 3cone. Needs both upper body strength, 23 reps on bench, and lower body, 25.5 vertical and 8’5” in the broad.
Played in a college RPO offense, Henderson didn’t get as many “true” pass blocking sets. Needs considerable work on leveraging his length, sustaining blocks, and play strength. He did show improvement as the season wore on, adjusting to better competition and getting his arms extended and latching on. Needs work on setting anchor, kind of clunky getting drops and plays too high, right now too much of a catcher rather than blow deliverer. His lumbering lateral move skills will likely limit him to the right side, although with his girth and length, he could create a long path to get around the outside. In run blocking, he plays too high to be a mauler, but does sustain pretty well and keeps his legs moving. Has enough linear movement to get up to the second level.
Henderson rates as a developmental prospect. He has the physical traits and there were glimpses of solid play in the second half of his only year vs, top competition. Vandy runs an offensive system that is college-centric, making it harder to project a prospect like Henderson, he’ll have to learn a new and totally different blocking system.
Roster chances?
All three are long shots. After the Rams starters, Keegan Trost is a likely roster lock on draft pedigree, so is
David Quessenberry, the only experienced tackle. If the Rams decide on rostering nine,
Beaux Limmer and
Justin Dedich would be the safest bets. That leaves a battle for practice squad spots between this year’s three UDFAs and bottom of the roster candidates from the Rams recent past, Wyatt Bowles,
AJ Arcuri, and
Dylan McMahon.
For a rooting interest, I really like Austin Blaske’s film as a center. He appears to have a higher floor than the others, more polished with an all-around game. Bryce Henderson is a monster and only one season at the FBS level, you could see his improvement later in the season. Tough to judge because of the Vandy offense, a lot of hat on hat quick hitting run blocking. Chad Lindberg has solid size/length/mass, he just appears too athletically challenged to press all the others.
Three signees also boast height, length, and mass
sports.yahoo.com
