Edward Baker

Physical Profile

Baker carries 315-335 pounds on a 6-4 frame with the wide, naturally thick lower half and heavy hands you want in a power-scheme guard. His mass is his calling card — he plays with anchor strength that few high schoolers can match and is difficult to bull-rush or reset once he gets hands inside. The trade-off is the length and short-area quickness questions that come with that build: 6-4 with shorter arms is why every projection moves him off the edge and inside to guard, where his density and grip strength are amplified in a phone booth rather than exposed in space.

Play Style

Baker is a people-mover — a downhill, gap-scheme run blocker who finishes with a mean streak and looks to bury defenders rather than just wall them off. On film he wins early with low-pad first contact and heavy hands, generating movement on down blocks and combos. In pass pro he is a sit-and-anchor protector who is tougher to move than to beat with quickness; he's at his best when he can land his hands first and let his mass take over, and he's more vulnerable when forced to redirect or mirror in space.

Strengths

• Elite play strength and anchor — at 330-plus pounds he wins the leverage battle at the point of attack and is a natural fit to displace defensive tackles in the run game
• Battle-tested against premier competition — St. Frances plays a national schedule against blue-chip defensive linemen weekly, so his film is against legitimate future P5/NFL bodies rather than overmatched local opponents
• Position versatility and a defined NFL-style projection — primarily a right tackle in high school but with the frame to play guard and the ability to flex back out to tackle, giving a coaching staff multiple ways to use him

Areas to Improve

• Conditioning and weight management — at 330-plus pounds he must lean into a college strength program to keep his pad level low and sustain through four quarters without leaning/lunging late in reps
• Lateral agility and hand timing in pass protection — the move inside is partly to protect against speed-to-power and edge quickness; he needs to refine his kick-slide, foot speed, and initial punch timing to handle SEC interior twists and stunts

College Projection

Projects as a developmental-to-rotational interior offensive lineman who redshirts or sits behind the depth chart as a true freshman while reshaping his body and learning Tennessee's up-tempo scheme. Realistic timeline is a Year 2-3 contributor at guard with a path to a multi-year starter if the agility and conditioning develop. His high floor — elite size, power, and reps against top competition — makes him a safe bet to become a quality SEC interior lineman even if the ceiling is rotational.

Best Fit

A physical, gap/power-based run scheme that lets him fire off downhill and use his mass at guard — though his landing spot at Tennessee, an up-tempo spread, will test and ultimately develop his conditioning and lateral mobility. Ideal fit is a program with a strong strength-and-conditioning culture that can refine his body composition while leaning on his elite anchor at left or right guard.