2019 NFL Draft: Blake Hance, OT, Northwestern

2018: Played in 13 games and made 12 starts at left tackle in his senior season … Recorded a season-high one tackle at No. 20 Michigan State (10/6) … Contributed in protecting quarterback Clayton Thorson as he threw for 3,183 yards, the third-highest mark in the Big Ten … Helped pave the way for first-year running back Isaiah Bowser, who averaged 108 rushing yards per game over the last eight games of the season … Made his 47th career start against No. 17 Utah in the Holiday Bowl (12/31) … Academic All-Big Ten.

2017: Started all 13 games on the left side … Made four starts at left guard and started the final nine games of the season at left tackle … Has started 35 consecutive games … Was key to paving the way for senior running back Justin Jackson to rush for 1,000 yards for the fourth-straight season … Protected the blind side of All-Big Ten quarterback Clayton Thorson, who ranked fourth in the Big Ten in passing yards … Academic All-Big Ten.

2016: Second-year starter … Started all 13 games for the Wildcats at left tackle, protecting the blind side of quarterback Clayton Thorson … Helped pave the way for junior running back Justin Jackson, who became the first player in program history to rush for over 1,000 yards in three-straight seasons and finished with a career-high 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns … Part of a starting unit that totaled over 400 yards of offense in six games, including a season-high 605 yards in the Wildcats’ 45-17 win at Purdue … Contributed in a passing attack that ranked third in the Big Ten and saw Thorson set a new NU single-season record with 22 touchdown passes.

2015: Named to the  All-Freshman Team … Started eight games at left tackle … Part of an offensive line unit that lifted running back Justin Jackson to his second straight 1,000-yard season.

2014: Redshirted his true freshman season.

High School: Rated a three-star prospect, the No. 13 overall recruit in Illinois and the No. 31 offensive line prospect in the country by Scout … Earned four varsity letters as a tight end, defensive end and long snapper for Jacksonville … Named first-team All-State as a senior by the IFCA and was All-State Special Mention by the Chicago Tribune… Two-time first-team All-Central State Eight Conference … First-Team Jacksonville JournalCourier All-Area honoree in 2013 … Recorded 113 catches for 1,459 yards and seven touchdowns during his varsity career, as well as 104 tackles and 9.0 sacks on defense … Helped team reach state playoffs in three out of four years … Also played four years of varsity basketball — scoring 827 points and earning team’s Offensive MVP honor as a sophomore — and was 11-2 as a starting pitcher in two years of varsity baseball … Four-year Honor Roll student and a member of the National Honor Society … Illinois State Scholar and Academic All-State honoree.

Personal: Born Blake Andrew Hance … Son of Ron and Theresa Hance … Uncle (Jason Hance) played baseball at the United States Military Academy … Attended same high school as boxing great Ken Norton … Chose Northwestern over several other Big Ten offers as well as Vanderbilt, Missouri, Mississippi State and North Carolina State … Undergraduate major was economics … Enrolled in Kellogg Master’s of Management Studies program.

Hance is working on his MBA at Northwestern after already graduating. He was an Academic All-Big Ten selection the past two years for the Wildcats, leaving little concern on high football IQ.

Hance puts both smarts and athleticism into his offensive line position. It stems from being a tight end in high school weighing nearly 270-pounds. He recorded 113 catches for 1,459 yards and seven touchdowns during his high school career. When he wasn’t catching passes, he was chasing the quarterback from his defensive end position. College recruiters witnessed enough from his tight end work to know that his play moving forward would be along the line of scrimmage playing guard and tackle.

Possessing terrific size, Hance is a good short-are player who gets positioning. He has the playing strength to control defenders once he gets his hands on them. He was as durable as they come in his collegiate career appearing in the last 39 games for the Wildcats.

Has made strides every season. A finesse tackle with the potential to progress into a more than a backup at the next level.