A Closer Look at Green Bay Packers UDFA OL Cole Schneider
By Paul Bretl
Offensive lineman Cole Schneider, who played his college career at Central Florida, is up next in our Green Bay Packers UDFA deep dive.
In this series, I’ve been taking a closer look at each of the Packers’ 14 UDFA signings that followed the 2022 NFL Draft. I begin by discussing the outlook of the position that the specific player plays, what you should know about their college career, and lastly, we take a look at a pre-draft scouting report.
The Current State of the Green Bay Packers Offensive Line
Cole Schneider took most of his college snaps at left guard but did have 137 at center, which is what he is listed as on the Green Bay Packers website.
Prior to the draft, the backup center position with Lucas Patrick now in Chicago was up in the air. Behind Josh Myers on the depth chart were Jake Hanson and Michal Menet, two late-round draft picks with minimal to no NFL experience. When healthy, I suppose Elgton Jenkins is another option, but I can’t imagine that the Packers would move him away from right tackle to the center position.
Now with the draft behind us, the Packers did bolster their depth at center with the selection of Zach Tom, who had nearly 1,200 snaps at the position during his time at Wake Forest, and that is where many draft analysts believe he will be best suited in the NFL.
As I mentioned when we were taking a closer look at UDFA offensive tackle Caleb Jones, many of the roster spots along the offensive line already seem accounted for. If you include Jenkins — who may begin the season on the PUP list, which would create an opening on the 53-man — eight of the roster spots are likely locked up, and not included in that group are Cole Van Lanen and Rasheed Walker. I’ll also add that Green Bay kept nine offensive linemen on last year’s roster.
Not to say it can’t be done, but for any of the UDFA offensive linemen this summer, cracking the initial 53 is going to be an uphill battle as it typically is. But Schneider’s ability to play both guard and center is, of course, valuable in this offense, while the door is certainly open for him to unseat Hanson and Menet as the third option at center and earn a spot on the practice squad.
Cole Schneider’s college career at UCF
Schneider is going to be one of the more experienced players that you will find coming out of the draft. During his four-year playing career at UCF, Schneider totaled 2,783 snaps over 39 games, with most of them coming at the left guard position, as already mentioned.
During that span, he would allow only five sacks and never more than 12 pressures in a single season. His 2021 season was his best; however, with no sacks allowed, only three pressures given up, and he ranked third among all guards in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric ($$).
According to PFF, UCF utilized both zone and gap blocking schemes fairly regularly–of course, under Matt LaFleur, the Packers run a wide zone blocking scheme in the run game. Also, for what it’s worth, Schneider consistently graded out as a better pass-blocker than run-blocker, which fits the mold of other previous offensive linemen that the Green Bay Packers have added to this roster.
Schneider measures in at 6’3″ – 309 pounds and posted a RAS of 6.55 out of 10. He ran a 40-time of 5.24-seconds, but that included an impressive 1.7-second 10-yard split. His vertical and broad jump numbers were “good” on the RAS scale; however, he did struggle in the shuttle and 3-cone.
What the pre-draft report says about Schneider
Tony Pauline – Pro Football Network
"“Positives: Strong, small-area lineman who blocks with a nasty attitude,” said Pauline. “Displays a terrific head for the position, shows great awareness, and works well with linemates. Sets with a wide base, bends his knees, and fires off the snap into blocks. Strong, turns defenders off the line, and opens up holes for the running game. Better-than-average skill pulling across the line of scrimmage and blocking in motion.Negatives: Lacks agility and struggles to finish blocks. Possesses average size and speed.Analysis: Schneider is a hard-working offensive lineman who gets the most from his ability and displays a lot of strength. He lacks the agility necessary for a zone blocker and the sheer bulk to line up in a power-gap system. Still, Schneider does offer possibilities as an inexpensive backup.”"