Cal Football Scouting Report: Francisco "Paco" Perez

Much like WCW in the mid-nineties, Cal is quickly becoming a place where the big boys play. The last three young men to commit to Cal in the past week or so are linemen, and they will be appreciated here. In Francisco "Paco" Perez, Cal has gained a 6'5" 300 lineman who could slot in at either tackle position. At Baldwin Park, he played left tackle, and he may stick in that role in Berkeley. He could also stick at one of the guard spots, being listed as a guard by some recruiting services.

I think Perez has the size of a D1 lineman already, and he already has the aggressiveness needed to start within his first two years in Berkeley. The coaching staff is recruiting offensive linemen that have size already, so they can plug in early and play. My guess is that the coaching staff is trying to find another lineman like Chris Borrayo. Perez could be that guy. He has the frame for it and he stays on his blocks well. Only time will tell.

• First thing that I see is that Perez has some great feet. When he gets squared up on his man, Perez will get his feet moving and gets the defender moving like a subpar blocking sled. At :19 and other points, the block ends in a pancake. I counted eight pancakes throughout the course of the film. Finishing the block is important to Perez, and I like how he keeps the defender on his heels throughout. He also keeps good leverage on the defender, using his height to keep the defender from planting his feet. Good fundamental block.
  
• At :30, Perez pulls from the tackle spot to take out a linebacker. Cal's blocking scheme feature some pulling in the run and pass games, so Perez's skills will be appreciated. The pull is picture perfect, timing it up to make the kick out right before the running back hits the hole. He makes another kick out block at 1:10, knowing that the running back will run off his inside hip, and pushing his man to the outside. Perez can do the little things like this well.
  
• Perez is a capable pass blocker, as you can see at :39 for a pass block at guard, and at 1:40 for one at tackle. He has some long arms, which are a hallmark of a good left tackle. He keeps his feet moving while sliding, mirroring the pass rusher. He's got some solid striking for as a part of his block. There's a chance Perez will play multiple positions on the offensive line in the coming years (a la Jordan Rigsbee), and judging by his footwork and balance, he can do it.
  
• At :54 in, Perez shows that he can get downfield quickly to make a block on a screen pass. He's not the fleetest of foot here, but he hauls down to make the last block to spring the receiver for a touchdown. The extra effort makes this play.
  
• Look at the jump Perez gets off the line at 1:36. It almost looks like a false start, but Perez gets to the second level very quickly. I like that he immediately tries to get under the linebacker. He eventually gets the LB to the ground, opening up space for his RB.
  
• The biggest concern I'd have for Perez is when his feet stop moving, and he blocks solely by getting in the way. Luckily for him, he was a big fish in a mid-sized pond, to the point where he could get away with being a particularly large road block. His size advantage will be mitigated by the general size of division I football players, but I think Perez can be excellent when he's consistent.