International Prospect: OL Hector Zepeda Hernandez

Background

Originally from Baja California, Hector Zepeda Hernandez started his time on the gridiron at 14 years old at Águilas del Instituto Mexicano de Tijuana. He impressed many here, eventually being recruited by Tecnológico de Monterrey to play for the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey. This is one of the most successful football programs in Mexico, winning 15 National Titles.

Here, not only did he refine his skills, but he won a title with Isaac Alarcón and Alfredo Gutiérrez, two current NFL players, both recruited through the IPP program. This speaks volumes for his tutelage.

Measurements

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 290 lbs

Wingspan: Unknown

Strengths

+ Stays with his man: Zepeda has shown his ability to stay with him defender. He can maintain contact for some period, greatly improving the ground game and creating those much-needed gaps. Singletary would have a lot of fun with the space Hector can create.

+ Very physical: Hector is a huge guy and shows it on the field. He isn’t afraid to use his strength to his advantage and is frequently shown to physically overpower his opponents. This coupled with his quick footwork and impressive length is a deadly combination.

+ Impressive length: His big size lends to very long reach. He makes it difficult for guys to get around him, someone like this will give Allen all the time he needs to send it way downfield.

Weaknesses

– Tackles too high: His height makes it so that at first contact he tackles at the shoulders. He’s able to quickly readjust and lower his hands, however the NFL is much more different than his regular opponents. This habit may cause him to be knocked off balance.

– Slow: Quick footwork, but slow on the run. With the way Allen plays if he tries to scramble out to his side, Zepeda won’t be able to keep up, leaving the QB open to contact almost immediately.

– Plays exclusively at RG: Zepeda only has experience at one position on the offensive line. This is a big problem considering the multitude of injuries that have befallen the Bills in this last season. A lot of the players had to quickly learn another position and fill in where they could, in many instances they’ve had experience playing across the line. Hector doesn’t have this advantage so if he were needed to fill in, it might cause an issue.

Should he be an “International Bill”?

Zepeda has the fortune of playing this game since his early teens so his fundamentals are more refined than most. This gives him an advantage in terms of development where he wouldn’t need to spend too much time on the PS. I like Hector and can see him making the active roster pretty quickly, providing a lot help where Ford would be.