"Technique sound lineman with length that chooses violence in the running game. Underrated guy that's got limitations but could grow into a steal of a starter."
Strengths:
Quick, technique sound tackle with length. Fires out and strikes with leverage. Sudden into the second level and hits his targets. Pile pusher when his leverage is working and a stand out run blocker. Flashes ability to sink in an anchor skillfully.
LT #76 Hayes can really fire out of his stance and move. Here his initial quickness has him reach the ILB to help in a long run.
He flashes the ability to bow up despite his near 6'7 length. PSU edges were rocking back most OT's in 22' but here Hayes just stonewalls the rusher.
He carries that requisite nasty as well and plays through the whistle.
Weaknesses:
Often gets on his heels, loses leverage and gets wrecked by power. Technique drops trying to recover from a false step.
Haye's isn't near as capable laterally and struggles to recover from false steps.
Overall:
Hayes is a technique reliant blocker that looks dominant when it's working and a liability when it's not. He's quick off the snap and can strike with leverage at the poa or slip easily into the second level. He's typically a dominant run blocker if he hits first.
That said, if he gets fooled at the point, or loses the leverage battle he's often destroyed. He's a hard nosed OT that ought to win more than he loses assuming he tightens up his technique consistency, with the potential to move to OG if he doesn't.