CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
NETANE MUTI
HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE
6-foot-3
315 pounds
22 years old
BIG PICTURE
Hawaiian native Netane Muti out of Fresno State is a beast of a man with crazy strength and talent who just can’t seem to stay healthy. Had two seasons wiped out by Achilles injuries and another by a Lisfranc. Foot/ankle injuries can be potent for 300-pounders, which makes Muti a gamble. When healthy, he’s been a force at guard, primarily on the left side. May be the most talented interior lineman in the draft, assuming he stays on his feet.
COMBINE NOTABLES
44 bench reps (1st)
VIKINGS COMPATIBILITY RANKING
2 out of 5. Usually players with Muti’s type of injury profile fall to the late rounds and offer high-risk, high-reward potential, but in a weak interior line class, teams may be compelled to take Muti earlier than usual, which seems like an uncharacteristic risk for the Vikings to take.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Thick-boned guard prospect with heavy hands, booming upper body power and a limited amount of game reps due to a series of serious injuries. Muti plays a heavy, static brand of football that succeeds near his stance, but sees steeply diminishing returns when asked to venture from his home base. His hands and feet fail to cooperate, creating inconsistent balance and body control. He has adequate hands and feet for pass protection duties inside, but needs to upgrade his footwork. Muti has future starter potential for a downhill team, but his history of injuries could make buying in difficult on his draft slotting.”
Joe Marino, Draft Network: “When he’s on the field, Netane Muti showcases an exciting mixture of mobility, power and a tenacious mentality that produces plenty of highlight-reel blocks. He should be an asset for teams in search of lateral mobility to execute in a zone-heavy run scheme and hitting blocks on the move. While there are technical concerns for him to improve upon including bend, control, footwork and hand technique, the biggest concern with Muti is his injury history. He suffered significant season-ending injuries in 2016, 2018 and 2019, bringing into question a players most important ability – his availability. Muti has the makeup of a starter with improved technique but there is plenty to be mindful of when considering a high investment for his services.”
WHAT PFF SAYS
80.4 overall grade as true freshman left guard
14 career pressures allowed in 697 pass-blocking snaps
1 sack allowed in last three seasons
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:
TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF
