Pat Coogan, IOL, Notre Dame
Size:
Height: 6’5” (v) | Weight: 309 lbs (v)
Accomplishments:
Joe Moore Award Semifinalist (2023)
“Pat Coogan is a technical interior lineman who plays with excellent extension and has the athleticism to expand a playbook in the run game from the guard spot.”
Strengths:
Plays with good extension
Technique
Athleticism
Concerns:
Lower-half flexibility to play with depth
Balance
Hand counters
Film Analysis:
Pat Coogan is a technical interior lineman who plays with excellent extension and has the athleticism to expand a playbook in the run game from the guard spot. He aligned at left guard all of 2023.
As a run blocker, Coogan has experience working within a gap-heavy and zone-heavy run scheme. Has the requisite vertical explosiveness and hands to live on a vertical plane, as well as the footwork and athleticism to get out in space. He gets off the snap well and looks to establish his hands first, a sign of good coaching. Coogan showcases excellent extension to lock out and guide defenders out of gaps. His lower half does not contain a ton of coiled power to push defenders around, but he plays with a good center of gravity to slowly drive players away from alleys.
He’s fun to watch as a near-side or far-side puller, where Coogan showcases excellent footwork to get around the line of scrimmage. He can arrive at contact a little erratic at times, however, where defenders can often swipe their hands or dip their inside shoulder to maneuver around him. At times, it will lead to Coogan ending plays on the ground. While he shows good hand usage at the onset of contact in tight areas, he needs work in the following split seconds to maintain his grip and in his ability to counter opposing hand fighting.
In pass pro, Coogan can run into issues against more nuanced defensive linemen. Does well in attempting to establish his anchor early, but more nuanced pass rushers quickly will convert to speed and attack his outside shoulder. Coogan has shown the ability to ID stunts and twists quickly up front, but does not have the athleticism once engaged as the support man in duo to shuffle and stymie free rushers yards away. His ability to play with good extension is evident in pass pro as well, where Coogan does a nice job of hinging his upper half without getting too far over his toes.
Concerns remain about his flexibility in his lower half, where increased depth will help in establishing leverage against more powerful pass rushers. Balance is also worrisome the longer he is engaged, as defenders have shown the ability to rip and power through blocks due to his inability to maintain equilibrium at contact. This mostly occurs when climbing to the second level. Hand counters also need fine-tuning, but is a very coachable area of improvement.
Overall, Coogan touts a few of the traits teams will look for in a depth piece along a front five. His experience (and success) in both gap and zone run schemes, along with his comfortability as a puller, could intrigue teams in search of an experienced, well-coached interior presence out of the OL pipeline that is Notre Dame.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Role Specific Contributor
Written By: Ryan Fowler
