We talked about a lot flash with a tremendous wide receiver class last week and then while not as stacked with top-end talent, an incredibly deep cornerback group. Now, let’s transition to the trenches and start with the guys asked to block, so the quarterback can even get the ball out in the first place.

Although I don’t want to hype up all these positions, this is a strong stretch we’ve arrived at, because I would argue while we can discuss the order the two groups we just talked about plus offensive tackle are the top three classes overall. I have six names with legit first-round grades, about ten more who should go day two and then there are some very interesting developmental to take on shot rounds four through seven.

Three players who played tackle in college but will be part of my interior O-line rankings next week – Duke’s Graham Barton, Kansas’ Dominick Puni and TCU’s Brandon Coleman.

Here’s the list and I think we start off with a slight surprise for many people:

 

1. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

6’6”, 315 pounds; RS JR

 

A top-500 overall recruit in 2020, Fashanu redshirted his first year on campus, before seeing action in nine and starting one game the following season. In 2022 he took over as a full-time starter at left tackle, where he immediately earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades, despite getting injured eight games into the season. This past season he was in the lineup for all 13 contests and ended up being a first-team All-American.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Shows impressive explosion off the ball, to get to his landmarks in the run game

+ Effectively reach-blocks five- or pins inside 4/4i-techniques on off-tackle runs the other way

+ Rapidly closes the gap to the hip of his guard on the backside of zone concepts, in order to overtake and allow his teammate to peel off combos early

+ Covers up B-gap defenders in concert with his left guard and creates vertical movement fairly effortlessly, while being able to knock them off balance when catching them on an angle, along with a kick-out block to his side

+ He’s so light on his feet, to flawlessly transitioning to linebackers after stepping down on the D-tackle and having to adjust his angle on the fly

+ Has eye-popping reps directly working up to the second level and engulfing linebackers, particularly allowing the ball-carrier to get out to the edge

+ Quickly recognizes when there’s no angle to attach on combos and to flick his hips in order to cut somebody from the backside

+ Becomes a rolling train as a puller out to the corner on crack-toss plays, Watching him hustle out to blocking a defensive back in the screen game and actually landing blows is pretty fun

 

Pass-protection:

+ Has the quick feet to gain ground in his pass-sets, but will adjust his approach depending on who’s in front of him

+ His hands seem to really catch rushers and control reps once he lands them inside the frame of his man, whilst being quickly to re-fit his inside hand into their chest and the elbow in tight if those do get wide momentarily

+ Possesses a strong base and stays wide with it, to swallow stabs and handle power rushers – The way he can absorb and negate bull-rush attempts as he sees edge rushers take a more direct path is excellent

+ Even if the defender is the lower man initially, he can re-anchor as that space closes towards his quarterback, to not take away that guy’s throwing platform

+ Yet he’s also loose enough to flip his hips around and adjust as guys try to work across his face and seem to have an angle on him initially – Rarely oversteps and is quick to put his foot back down to spin moves either way

+ Already showcases independent hand-usage to bait the hands of rushers, square up rushers leaning to the inside or punching at the near-shoulder, to ride his man past the quarterback when they take a steep angle upfield

+ The way he can cover ground against defenders rushing from extra wide alignments or blitzing off the slot, to negate their angle or push them to overshoot the arc is certainly uncommon for tackles

+ Improved his alertness for twists up front, being pro-active with erasing space to the guard and  using his hands to take over delayed loopers

+ Didn’t allow a single sack in his career with the Nittany Lions and just 17 other pressures (733 total pass-blocking snaps) – I would’ve charged with half a sack

 

Weaknesses:

– Needs to be more urgent establishing that inside foot when the action is going away from him and he should force edge defenders to take a wide path around him

– PFF handed him an underwhelming run-blocking grade of 59.4 in 2022 and barely cracked the 70-mark last season, where he lacks consistent temperament (only one career game where he hit 75+)

– Has to improve his footwork or how he aligns himself once contact is initiated to stay latched onto blocks – measuring in with the smallest hands for an offensive tackle since 1999 (8-and-½ inches) certainly doesn’t help with that

– Gets a little antsy at times when he tries to overextend his reach, rather than letting rushers close that space on pass plays

 

Other than maybe North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, I’m not sure if there’s a player people have started to overthink as badly as Fashanu during this draft process. He literally had a couple of poor reps against Ohio State edge defender J.T. Tuimoloau, where he got caught off balance, which is one game I hear being brought up with him in a negative sense – as if the other 49 pass-blocking snaps that way weren’t clean for him. The one concern I do understand when it comes to his profile is the lack of growth he’s shown, particularly in the run game, after he was looked at as the potential OT1 a year ago already. With his small hands, there may be some limitations at sustaining blocks in that regard, but his future O-line coach can absolutely raise his urgency and work on a couple of footwork nuances to make him effective in that regard. More importantly, this guy could be an elite pass-protector from day one – and he won’t turn 22 years old until December. If he drops out of the top-ten, I think he’s a steal.

 

 

 

2. Joe Alt, Notre Dame

6‘9“, 320 pounds; JR

 

One of the top-500 overall recruits in 2021, the son of former NFL Pro Bowl tackle John Alt, Joe played in all 13 and started the latter eight games at left tackle for Notre Dame as a true freshman. Each of the last two years, he was a first-team All-American (unanimous in 2023), being in the lineup for all 25 contests he’s been available for. He helped pave the way for an offense that rushed for just under 5000 yards over the past two seasons combined and averaged 39.1 points in 2023.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Nimble athlete for his 6’8”+ stature, running a 5.05 in the 40 and finishing with the top marks among tackles in both the agility drills

+ Presents a long reach, which allows him steer defenders trying to work around or dip underneath him

+ Uses the momentum of edge defenders against them in the run game regularly, as he gets his hands underneath their arm pit and takes them off track if they try to get upfield with their first couple of steps

+ Does a great job of attaching to the hip of his guard and providing vertical movement on combo-blocks with him thanks to strong leg-drive

+ You regularly see Alt get underneath the chest-plate or arm-pit of three-techniques and catch them off balance when they pull someone behind him

+ Shows the reactionary ability to secure the B-gap and then peel back on the edge defender on the backside of certain run calls where he’s assigned hinge-blocks, to push that guy up the field

+ Frequently takes linebackers way off their landmarks by getting his hands on them and keeping those legs churning

+ Notre Dame regularly would pull him from the backside on power and counter concepts, where he’d take a narrow path behind the butts of his fellow linemen before bending up the front-side gap

+ Has some impressive reps on tape, where they pin down the end-man and pull him out to the corner, in order to take a defensive back for a ride on toss plays

 

Pass-protection:

+ Has the athletic feet to cut off the angle for edge rushers and lands his hands inside their chest very effectively

+ Just trying to speed around the arc isn’t a recipe for success against this guy, because you will not have the optimal path with his kind of length

+ Capable of getting his hands at the arm-pits of rushers to slow down their charge but have his weight shifted onto his base that he keeps behind himself, so guys can’t get around him even if they do slide off

+ Alt’s eyes immediately transition inside and his hands are ready at his mid-section to take over the B-gap rusher, as he sees his man on the edge stick his outside foot in the ground for T-E twists

+ When his man is doing the set-up, Alt makes sense to hand off the spiker before peeling off to the guy trying to get around the edge

+ Appears under control if the picture is muddy and they have to sort out games, comfortable delivering the first punch on the man in range before picking up his ultimate assignment

+ Had a great showing against Clemson first-round pick Myles Murphy on the edge in 2022, not allowing a single pressure that day

+ Only was charged with one sack and 12 additional pressures surrendered across 776 pass-blocking snaps these last two years combined, as PFF’s highest-ranked tackle in the FBS each of the past two seasons as a true sophomore and junior (91.4 and 90.7 respectively)

 

Weaknesses:

– I don’t see an overpowering run-blocker, who gets the job done with angles and hand-placement over raw force to displace guys actually trying to set a firm edge

– Not the most naturally fluid athlete, which shows up when defenders try to back-door him or he has to redirect against slanting D-linemen post-snap

– Already has that tall build and then is a little late to brace against power at times

– His hands in protection when he doesn’t battle early in pass-pro reps look more like he’s ready to catch the ball than deliver impact, as he rarely is the one to set the tone that way

 

While Alt will make his way inside my personal top-ten, I believe he’s not quite the slam-dunk prospect consensus rankings would make you believe he is. His tape at Notre Dame – in particular last season – is very clean and he was only charged with four penalties on 2214 total snaps in his career. However, whether it’s transferring force from the ground up and sustaining blocks on challenging angles or naturally absorbing force in pass-protection by sinking his hands, I believe he’ll be challenged in new ways against NFL athletes. Not saying at all that he wasn’t coached very well with the Fighting Irish, looking at the way they’ve shown to be able to develop offensive linemen, but with more quick-twitch movements to erase connecting points on run plays and pro pass-rushers who understand how to effective convert speed-to-power, he won’t be able to make it look as easy as he did in college. I’d still have no problem with him being the first tackle off the board, but I think there are five guys at the top of the class with very similar grades and no medical concerns to speak of.

 

 

 

3. J.C. Latham, Alabama

6’6”, 340 pounds; JR

 

The number one offensive tackle recruit in 2021, Latham was a backup as a true freshman thanks to insanely strong book-ends for the Crimson Tide, before taking over the right tackle gig the following season for all 13 contests the next season. He did the same this past season when ascending to a first-team All-SEC performer and a second-team All-American.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Offers the density and pure mass of an NFL guard, but pairs that with 35-inch arms and shocking movement skills in relation to his measurements

+ Has a massive amount of raw force in those 11-inch hands to displace defenders in the run game

+ On the front-side of inside-oriented concepts, the torque he can create with the inside hand and get edge defenders towards the opposite hip, to open up the B-gap definitely stands out

+ Routinely is able to get underneath the shoulder or arm-pit of interior linemen and ride them down the line

+ Is able to unlock his lower half to dig guys out of the lane on combos – you see him and his guard legitimately move guys like 330-pound brickhouse Nazir Stackhouse from Georgia five yards backwards

+ Does a great job of stepping vertically and dropping the back-side shoulder into a down-linemen the tight-end is trying to seal away from the action without limiting his ability to secure blocks on the second level

+ Even if he can’t latch his hands perfectly onto targets in the defensive backfield, he’s regularly able to still move them off their landmarks

+ Earned a career-best PFF run-blocking grade of 79.6 in 2023

 

Pass-protection:

+ Urgent out of his stance and is a pretty smooth mover around 340+ pounds to counter different types of approaches in pass-protection

+ Tremendous feet and ability to frame rushers, in order to mirror twitchy defenders

+ Can soften the charge of rushers and cut off angles for them with his hands in effective fashion, along with regularly baiting guys with fake-stabs with the outside hand, forcing them to commit

+ When he gets his hands inside the chest of rushers and his elbow in tight, guys just aren’t getting away from him anymore – he puts them in a cage

+ Along with that ability to lock people up, he’s really quick to stab with the outside hand and then latch the other one

+ Gets into a wide base in order to slow down bull-rush attempts and you’re not going to be able to flatten at the top of the rush against him if you have to go through him

+ Offers good eye-balance and feel for timing, as he makes sure to pass off slanting D-ends to his guard and peel off late with a wide step to guide slot blitzers past the quarterback

+ If defenders he’s engaged with lose their balance or lean too far into him, Latham will snatch-trap them to the turf a couple of times per game

+ Was responsible for just two total sacks (both in 2023) and 12 other pressures in each of the past two seasons – 960 combined pass-blocking snaps)

 

Weaknesses:

– Because he can rely in the natural strength in his upper body so much, Latham doesn’t always perfectly center his blocks and get his feet aligned all the time in the run game – backside cut-offs have been an issue at times

– Tends to go too flat down the line of scrimmage and overstride a little bit at times on the front-side of run concepts and allows edge defenders to work around him, in order to throw off the timing

– Edge rushers who can threaten the corner with speed end up crossing his face quite a bit, as he opens his hips too far towards the sideline

– Occasionally will get caught up with wanting to get a piece of both guys when the defenses rushes someone to either side of him with the guard sliding the other way, instead of just taking care of the inner-most threat

– Was penalized a massive 18 times since the start of 2022

 

Similarly to Penn State’s Olu Fashanu, I believe Latham too often is judged based on one play without looking at the big picture. He didn’t seal a defender on the backside urgently enough on the final play of the Rose Bowl vs. Michigan, but let’s not ignore that he legitimately had one bad snap the entire time of regulation that day. Because he’s so big, there are some things to clean up in terms of his footwork and hand-placement in order to maximize what he can be as a run-blocker, but considering the bright moments of moving big men against their will, he could be truly dominant in that regard. And then in pass-protection, he has one key flaw, opening the door for inside counters. Yet, I don’t believe he lacks the foot quickness to gain enough depth to avoid getting in that position or to mirror even if he allows those opportunities. He already uses his outside hand exceptionally well to throw off guys coming off the edge, keeping them guessing with whether he’ll initiate contact or not and when he’s in tight quarters with him, it’s a wrap. Latham has the potential to be the top tackle from this class by year three as a pro.

 

 

 

4. Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

6‘6“, 325 pounds; RS JR

 

A three-star recruit in 2020, Fuaga saw action in four games as a true freshman (retaining his redshirting) and then ten the following season as a backup. In 2022 he took over the right tackle gig (started all 13 contests) and earned second-team All-Pac-12 accolades. This past season he improved to first-team all-conference and was a second-team All-American as a 12-game starter for the Beavers. He started all 12 contests he was available for this past year and repeated those honors.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Absolute mauler in the run-game, who erases space quickly, latches into defenders and takes them for a ride with regularity

+ Capable of blowing the B-gap wide open on the front-side by driving edge defenders towards the sideline

+ Has such an insanely strong inside hand when being engaged with edge defenders on the front-side of zone concepts and they’re trying to stay square, yet he delivers force and pushes them towards his outside hip

+ You regularly see Fuaga ride somebody from the backside past the center and five yards down the field, which creates massive cutback lanes

+ Helps provide plenty of vertical displacement with his guard on “duo” concepts, whilst staying ready to get a piece of the linebacker trying to circle around them

+ With this mountain of a man, it looks like he’s tossing around some kids at times when he gets his hands on bodies at the second level

+ Routinely adds in a shove at the end of reps to put defenders on the ground

+ For as massive as this guy is, his ability to cover ground on perimeter-oriented plays and screens, along with the body-control to put himself in position to wall off bodies in space stands out

+ Received the highest PFF run-blocking grade among all FBS tackles in 2023 (90.9)

 

Pass-protection:

+ Consistently gets a good job jump off the snap in pass-pro in order to gain necessary depth whilst keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage

+ Operates with a very well-coordinated kick-slide and is able to frame rushers appropriately

+ When Fuaga hits guys straight in the chest, he completely stuns them and transition to a more reactionary mode

+ Truly ingests power-rush attempts and makes those defenders irrelevant, not only based on raw strength but also how well he gets all his cleats in the ground to anchor

+ Uses his hands well in independent fashion, being able to cut off lateral movement as guys try to get around him

+ Recognizes when rushers are losing their balance and he can step back to not give them the ability to use his body to re-gain it or “help” them to the turf

+ Quick to ID T-E twists and get his post foot down to jack up spiking linemen trying to create a lane for the looper, while generally doing a good job of feeling pressure up the B-gap as the defensive front declares what they’re doing

+ Didn’t allow any sacks and just 23 total pressures across 716 pass-blocking since 2022, despite facing the country’s pressure leader Bralen Trice in both seasons, along with the Laiatu Latu and the rest of that UCLA group last year

 

Weaknesses:

– Will occasionally allow defenders on the edge to slip inside of his blocks in the run-game by shifting his weight too far to the outside foot

– Trying to scoop-block backside B-gap defenders, Fuaga relies on overwhelming those guys and neutralizing them by taking them out of the picture rather than getting his play-side foot in front of them and cutting off their angle towards the ball

– Lacks the kind of foot quickness/stride length to get to his landmarks against wide rushers at times

– Barely cracks 33 inches in terms of arm length and whether that’s turning the corner on him with speed or guys being able to establish first meaningful contact to not allow him to dictate reps early, Fuaga will be challenged to new dimensions vs. NFL pass-rushers

– Tends to stop his feet momentarily as he goes for his strike in pass-pro and more advanced rushers will be able to take advantage of that more regularly

 

There hasn’t been another tackle in college football who has kicked ass every single week over the past two seasons with the type of consistency Fuaga showed over that stretch. Whether it’s widening the edge on the front-side of run calls, taking interior defenders off their landmarks or pushing around linebackers almost effortlessly, this guy has put fear into the hearts of Pac-12 defenses. He’s also been a highly effective pass-protector against a murderous slate of edge rushers. With that being said, he did benefit from a heavy dose of play-action, as only about 40% of his pass sets were labelled as “true dropbacks” by Pro Football Focus, and he was able to kick straight back with level shoulders a lot of times, rather than guys challenging him with more favorable angles from wide alignments. Considering he’s on the fringe of arm length required to play on the edge at the NFL level, I can see why some teams would project him to guard. I personally believe he may ultimately end up there and be a perennial Pro Bowl candidate, but if his future team doesn’t drop back on 65+ percent of plays with a star quarterback who likes to hold onto the ball, he can also be an impact starter at right tackle for years to come.

 

 

 

5. Amarius Mims, Georgia

6’8”, 340 pounds; JR

 

A top-20 national recruit in 2021, Mims saw action as a backup in seven games as a true freshman. He was on the field for 12 contests as a fill-in OT, before jumping in for the injured Warren McClendon on the right side for the College Football Playoff (Peach Bowl vs. Ohio State and Natty vs. TCU). This past season, Mims suffered a high-ankle sprain midway through week three and underwent tightrope surgery, in order to return for the final four contests.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Total freakshow measurement-wise – 6’8”, 340 pounds with seemingly no ounce of fat to his body, just over 36-inch arms and 11-and-¼ inch hands

+ Carries devastating vigor in his hands and the powerful quads to ride people along once he’s created some initial momentum

+ In one step closes the gap created when the guard inside of him pulls and puts his massive frame in the way, forcing defenders to take a wider path around him

+ Can use the movement of defenders against them, like D-ends attacking up the field and him drive them that way, in order to open up the frontside B-gap

+ Has the short-area agility to reach-block or pin defensive ends in wider alignments inside when they ran swing screens

+ Shows the reactionary athleticism and hip flexibility to peel back against pursuit defenders on plays out to the perimeter

+ The way he engulfs linebackers gliding up to them on end-around or reverses almost seems unfair

+ Easy mover getting out in space on toss plays or as part of the screen game and people are typically trying to get out of his way

 

Pass-protection:

+ Covers ground pretty effortlessly to choke off the angle for edge rushers on diagonal sets

+ His massive frame and insane length make him incredibly tough to get around in order to arrive at the quarterback

+ Stands up edge rushers quite regularly by getting under their pads, never being out-reached

+ Already shows flashes of advanced hand-usage, swatting down the inside hand of defenders in order to latch into their chest

+ Has some impressive moments of recovering laterally after oversetting vs. spin moves or dropping the anchor after losing the initial contact phase

+ Displays the foot quickness to stay a half step behind hard-charging blitzers off the edge and then guide them past the arc as they try to flatten at the apex

+ Packs so much force in his hands to pass off slanting D-linemen on twists, before sliding in front of loopers coming his way – I’ve seen him send guys airborne as they try to cross his face

+ Wasn’t responsible for a single sack or QB hit and just six hurries across 402 career pass-blocking snaps, with PFF grades above 82 in each of the last two years

+ Looked like a top-ten pick in the Ohio State game (Peach Bowl) in 2022, more than holding his own against a tremendous defensive front for the Buckeyes, as he didn’t allow a single pressure on the QB

 

Weaknesses:

– Appears a little bit lazy (with his lower half) and isn’t looking for work if he doesn’t have anybody in his way in the run game

– Gets too tall in his pass-sets and allows rushers to fit into his chest, despite those tree branches attached to his shoulders

– Lifts that inside foot way too much and leaves the B-gap vulnerable on up-and-under moves when defenders able to swipe down the inside hand

– Generally his understanding for how to frame rushers and not present soft edges is a work in progress at this point still, in large due to the lack of live reps

– Only started eight games in his career and didn’t even make it through the first quarter of the final one of those, for a total of 803 snaps across three seasons at Georgia, undergoing surgery on his ankle in the middle of last year

 

Amarius Mims is one of most intriguing players overall in this entire draft. He’s built like Zeus and his moments of dominance make your jaw hit the floor. Unfortunately, we have very limited tape to evaluate him based off and he doesn’t utilize his god-given ability at a consistent level yet. With that being said, this to me is much more about a lack of experience than being a “raw project”. When he’s been on the field for the Bulldogs, he’s performed at close to the All-SEC level we’ve seen come out of Georgia in recent years and I’d argue no offensive linemen in this entire class has a higher potential than him. So how high he may ultimately go will very much depend on if there’s anything concerning on his medical reports, since it would be foolish to label him “injury-prone” based on one data point. If his future coaching staff can get him to enforce his will on all run plays, fully utilize his length and keep his base level with his upper body in pass-pro, you’re looking at a guy with All-Pro upside.

 

 

 

6. Troy Fautanu, Washington

6’3”, 320 pounds; RS SR

 

This four-star recruit from 2019 initially took a redshirt and saw action as a backup in four games of the COVID-shortened season. After starting two games at left tackle and one more at left guard the year after that, he was in the lineup for all 13 contests in 2022, when he made second-team All-Pac-12. He improved to first-team this past season, being a mainstay in the lineup and key member of the Washington’s magical run to a national title game appearance.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Urgently comes out of his stance and is looking to quickly erase the space towards his D-linemen on angular blocks

+ You never see defenders crash through his inside shoulder when asked to seal the backside, instantly erasing the space to where the guard was originally aligned and turning his hips

+ Provides the short-area agility to reliably scoop-block three-techniques on the backside of wide zone concepts

+ At the same time he can secure the outside pec of edge defenders to his side and allow the ball to get out to the corner on sweeps and other concepts like that

+ On vertically-oriented concepts and particularly in short-yardage, Fautanu’s ability to come off with low pad-level and get underneath the pads of defenders really stands out

+ Shows the loose hips to adjust on the fly and get linebackers walled off as he works up to the second level

+ Displays impressive control and athletic ability to cover ground, come to balance and secure moving targets in the screen game

+ Along with eliminating arm length concerns (34.5 inches), Fautanu had an excellent all-around combine showing – 5.01 in the 40, 32.5-inch vert and 9’5” broad jump

 

Pass-protection:

+ Generally well-coordinated athlete, who even if the footwork isn’t always by the book, he’s able to stay in front of guys and glide laterally to counter their movement

+ Does a good job of timing up his punch and keeping edge rushers at the end of his reach

+ Shows an excellent understanding for the depth of the pocket and regularly ends up riding rushers just past the quarterback

+ Has incorporated some fake-stabs with the outside arm to bait the hands of the rusher and then gets inside their chest effectively

+ Capable of calming his feet in an instant, as the guy across from him stutters or tries to foot-fake or cross-face him

+ Manages that space to the guard very well and provides the lateral movement skills to efficiently pass off slanting D-ends and still be able to get in front of loopers coming from the inside

+ The eyes consistently seem to be in the right place and immediately transition to his ultimate responsibility as he sees mugged up backers drop out or just pictures clearing up

+ Excellent cut-blocker on quick game and outside screens, where he pulls his rusher up with a long kick-step and then really shoots through that guy’s knees

+ Handled over 600 pass-blocking snaps each of his final two seasons with Washington, where he didn’t surrender any sacks in 2022 and received an 88.2 pass-blocking grade from PFF last season

 

Weaknesses:

– Despite being solidly built at 320 pounds, Fautanu isn’t the most overpowering run-blocker, with fairly short strides that lack impact

– His hands generally arrive fairly high and he relies heavily on the two-handed punch in pass-pro at this point

– While the arms measured in above-average for NFL standards, you do see Fautanu get out-reached quite regularly because he allows guys to land long-arms into his chest

– Too often will lift his post-foot and present a soft inside shoulder for rushers who understand how to take advantage of it

– Drew 14 flags over the past two seasons, in part because defenders regularly are the ones with hands inside to control reps

 

The fact that Fautanu came in with 34.5-inch arms instead scraping at what generally is considered a benchmark for tackles across several NFL organizations will most likely affect his grading for the teams that may select him, but I’m not sure it really changes how I view on. I thought he easily had the lateral mobility and feel for framing rushers on the edge that’s necessary to make a living there, but he’ll need to work on being firmer with his inside foot and dictating terms with his hands rather than constantly having to counter with them against professional quarterback hunters. With that being said, I believe for a team that runs a lot of outside zone and/or utilizes him as a move-blocker on toss and screen plays, he can be a high-quality starter at either tackle or guard. He’s not just going to displace defenders near the point of attack on gap schemes, but even with more prototypical tackles available, to get such a fluid athlete who you can plug in at multiple spots, I think he’s worthy of a top-20 investment.

 

 

 

7. Jordan Morgan, Arizona

6’6”, 320 pounds; RS SR

 

A three-star recruit in 2019, Morgan started two games at left tackle across six total played as a true freshman. The following two season he was in the lineup on the blindside for the first couple of weeks before missing the final three of that COVID-shortened year. He started 21 contests across over between and 2021 and ’22, making honorable mention All-Pac-12 in the latter. Despite coming off a late-season torn ACL, Morgan was his best this past year, as he was named first-team All-Pac-12 as a 12-game starter.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Tremendous athleticism in the zone run game and adheres those 11-inch paws to defenders in order to stay connected deep into plays

+ Almost glides laterally as he’s reaching out with the backside hand to determine if he can climb and then is still able to pin linebackers away from the action on zone concepts

+ Does a great job of establishing the inside foot and turning his body in order to shield edge defenders and present a clear lane inside of him on the front-side of gap schemes

+ Showcases impressive short-area agility and dexterity in the lower half to execute to cut-off and scoop-blocks on backside B-gap defenders

+ Has increased his power to get double-teams rolling before either peeling off or keeping that momentum going on the down-lineman

+ Presents the loose lower body to attach to combos one way and then flip around at otherwise challenging angles in order to secure linebackers

+ Displays quick reactionary skills to adjust his assignment based the defense exchanging gaps or the end slanting across his face

+ His burst out to the corner on crack-tosses pops and he looks comfortable getting out in space as part of the screen game to pluck defenders, regularly doing so with safeties

+ Received top-10 grades among FBS offensive tackles with 100+ snaps played each of the past two seasons (83.1 and 83.5 respectively)

 

Pass-protection:

+ Smooth kick-slide and well-coordinated in general as a pass-protector, with consistent hand-carriage just above the belt

+ Actively adjusts his approach depending on who he’s facing, whether to get onto them quickly or sit back, etc.

+ Regularly is the first to establish meaningful contact and lift upwards to negate the initial charge of rushers before they can really get into their move

+ Show an excellent feel for how long to stay square and when he can lean into rushers along the arc, in order to neutralize them

+ Displays impressive lateral agility to effortlessly mirror quick inside moves

+ Recognizes when guys off the edge attack too aggressively up the field, he can flip, attach and ride them past the arc

+ With his dexterity in the lower body and re-anchor skills, you see him get back into good positions after looking like he’ll lose the rep early on a lot of times

+ Surrendered only three sacks and QB hits each over the past two years combined (920 snaps in pass-pro), with pass-blocking grades of 82.0 and 87.3 respectively

 

Weaknesses:

– Not an overpowering drive-blocker, lacking pop in his hands and settling for stalemates at the point of attack regularly

– His arms measured an eighth of an inch short of the 33 benchmark and you see it at times when edge defenders are able to lock out create separation from him in the run game

– Tends to jump out too far against wide alignments and presents opportunities for edge rushers to crash through the B-gap

– Can get lackadaisical with his inside hand and then sort of swing it from his hip trying to snatch rushers, which ends up with him sort of hugging and/or slipping off guys especially on spin moves

 

Morgan was one of the easier evaluations among this tackle class. I believe his profile is very clean, even though it includes some limitations. Whether it’s latching and sustaining on zone concepts, gliding up and securing targets on the second level or letting him work to the perimeter, he’s a gifted mover in the run game. Unfortunately, he lacks violence into contact and generally in that regard to create significant displacement against static defenders. In pass-protection, outside of losing the length battle to several NFL edge rushers, the one thing he really needs to clean up is not getting his center of gravity shifted too far onto the feet closer to defenders and being more firm with the inside hand to support his base redirecting laterally – I don’t think it’s the mobility that’s missing in those moments at all. If you can get over the limited arm length, you can probably get a day one starter with pro-ready pass-protection skills early on day two. Yet, with what he showed inside during Senior Bowl week, his play at guard may actually be even above that level.

 

 

 

8. Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma

6’8”, 320 pounds; RS SR

 

One of the top-1000 national recruits for TCU in 2020, Guyton redshirted his first year with the Horned Frogs, before seeing action as a backup tackle and some H-back in ten games of his debut campaign. He decided to transfer in-conference to the Sooners ahead of the 2022 season, starting five of ten contests, one at left and the rest at right tackle.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Good thickness and flexibility in his lower half

+ Carries his hands tight to his chest and attaches them to the numbers of defenders in the run game

+ Urgently cuts off the B-gap on the backside of laterally-oriented concepts

+ Has some dominant reps on tape and consistently provides excellent leg-drive when his hands are connected

+ Shows the short-area agility to overtake D-tackles engaged with the guard next to him on the backside of wide zone and allowing his teammate to peel off confidently

+ Erases all space towards defenders lined up inside of him, getting a hand underneath their near-pad and creating space that way for pullers to open up a good lane on power concepts

+ Gets up to the second level in a hurry and has the fluidity in his lower half to adjust on the fly and be able to wall off guys in the defensive backfield, as the picture changes post-snap

+ Covers plenty of ground and engulfs linebackers trying to get downhill as he’s the one wrapping around from the backside of GT power

 

Pass-protection:

+ His long arms are a major plus against edge-rushers trying to get around him with speed and being able to get the hands onto the near-pad of guys trying to dip underneath him, putting them on the turf occasionally

+ Understands when he and his defender have reached the apex of the rush and he can dish out a meaningful shove, to get them past the point they want to go

+ Regularly locks up rushers with his tight grip under their chest-plate, not allowing them to find escape paths

+ Showcases impressive ability to recover in multiple ways as a pass-protector, when he’s caught off balance or generally in poor position in terms of the relationship between his upper and lower half

+ Capable of kicking his feet back and widening his base to re-anchor after defenders were able to create that initial momentum to take him back towards the QB

+ His eyes rapidly transition inside as he sees the end drop out, he quickly closes down space and is ready to greet interior rushers sliding/slanting his way with forceful hands, to keep the pocket clean

+ At the same time, if the edge rusher crosses his face and there’s a linebacker or slot defender coming off the slot, he keeps a tight punch as he plants with the inside foot and the shuffles swiftly to pick up the blitzer

+ Did allow two sacks in 2022, but no other QB hits across 191 pass-blocking plays according to PFF, along with zero sacks and 12 other pressures on 355 such snaps last season

 

Weaknesses:

– Doesn’t have the best contact balance, to swallow defenders striking at his frame in the run game and staying in control

– Needs to do a better job generally of centering blocks in the run and pass game, rather than constantly HAVING TO re-adjust his hand placement and base

– Has to work on his ability to come to balance and secure moving targets in space

– Tries to make up for getting too tall in protection by widening his base at times when rushers threaten more directly at him and then is susceptible to lateral movement, because he can’t redirect as effectively

– Presents a fairly soft outside shoulder and can surrender the corner when he has that near-arm swatted down

 

Guyton is a player whose draft profile will be characterized by how you each team grades the high-end reps vs. the lack of consistency in his game at this point. The upside is undeniable, whether it’s creating displacement near the point of attack or as a blocker on the move in the run game, paired with the way he can recover when caught in suboptimal positions as a pass-protector. However, his hand-placement, establishing first meaningful contact in both phases of the game and being solid with his base are all still a work in progress. Plus, outside of the broad jump, his athletic testing wasn’t as freaky as many might’ve expected (70^th percentile or worse across the board). I believe he has the potential of developing into an above-average starter, but it may take him a couple of years to get there and I could see some rough moments if he’s thrown onto the field early on. So if you can afford him that time and be patient as a late-first round investment, to give yourself a fifth-year option, I’d be okay with that, but I personally see a clear cut-off from the top six names and slid in one more name, because I’m more comfortable with the pro-ready Jordan Morgan (Arizona) over the intrigue of Guyton.

 

 

 

9. Kingsley Suamataia, BYU

6’5”, 325 pounds; JR

 

A top-50 overall recruit for Oregon in 2021, Suamataia played in one game for the Ducks during a redshirt 2021 season, before transferring and starting all but one of 13 contests the following year for BYU. He was limited to ten contests this past season, but still made second-team All-Big 12 for his efforts.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Shows great urgency off the snap, to where he’s engaging with D-linemen just as they get out of their stance a few times

+ Packs a ton of force in his hands and rolls his hips through contact to create initial momentum as a run-blocker

+ Can cover plenty of ground horizontally on wide zone concepts and you occasionally see him fold underneath the guard on the backside

+ When there’s no angle to scoop-block defensive tackles as well as on inside zone, he washes down bodies in significant fashion to blow open cutback lanes

+ Hastily flies up to the second level and is able to beat linebackers to the spot regularly

+ BYU used Suamataia on quite a few long pulls across the formation to take out force/overhang defenders

+ Showcases the upper and lower body dexterity to keep his hands latched onto moving targets as they’re trying to dip underneath and create angles towards the ball for themselves

+ Hit 21.5 MPH as a 318-pound freshman and you see that speed on plays out to the corner a few times – was number three on Bruce Feldman’s 2023 Freaks List

+ Understands how to release appropriately on screen passes and covers plenty of ground before locating and burying smaller defenders on plenty of occasions

 

Pass-protection:

+ Very fluid, easy mover in protection for a man of his dimensions

+ Uses his hands independently in a way where he widens the arc towards the quarterback for pass-rushers regularly

+ Has the sturdy base to sit on rushers and force them to actively work around him

+ Looking to constantly re-place his hands, bringing his elbows in tight and arm underneath the chest-plate

+ Even when guys off the edge seem to have an advantageous angle, Suamataia is able to add a shove to their side at the end which takes those guys past the QB

+ His eyes quickly transition inside when the end drops out or slow-plays the rush and he has the contact balance to swallow the charge of spiking linemen

+ Frequently takes advantage of rushers getting a little off balance and/or leaning too far into him by pushing them down onto the turf

+ Didn’t allow any sacks in 2022 and two last season, with 24 combined additional pressures across 742 total pass-pro snaps

 

Weaknesses:

– Doesn’t yet center his blocks and apply force optimally in the run game, relying more so on shoves to get guys off their landmarks – 52.9 PFF run-blocking grade in 2023

– Could still use some work in the way he frames rushers and uses angles to his advantage, rather than treating it like a guard sliding laterally to stay in front of guys

– At this point relies on this “shuffle pass-set” and then has to widen the split between his feet when he does have to counter speed, which limits his balance and ability to redirect inside

– Tends to get a little impatient and overextend for the initial punch against edge rushers

– His job was made easier by the Cougars coaching staff, not being tasked with legit vertical sets a whole lot, with plenty of full-line slides and less than a third of his career plays on passing downs being counted “true pass sets”

 

I was really going back and forth between labelling Suamataia a tackle or guard. On one hand, I believe with his incredibly strong anchor and ability to engage in combat with bumpers to either side of him would make him a more successful pass-protector from day one, while you can probably get more out of him creating displacement in multiple directions as well as utilize him more regularly as a puller, if you put him inside. On the other hand, I don’t believe it’s due to a lack of general movement skills or inability to fit his hands accordingly that would limit his growth if he stays out on the edge. Right now, his footwork and feel for framing rushers on an island is still a work in progress, but I believe he could be coached up to eventually become an average starter, at least in a system that takes some pressure off him with play-action. While I don’t love making linemen move along the front early in his career, his best path may be starting at guard but also practicing frequently at tackle, especially if you have a veteran there, who doesn’t log a bunch of reps during the week.

 

 

 

10. Christian Jones, Texas

6’5”, 310 pounds; RS SR

 

One of the top-1000 national recruits back in 2018, Jones didn’t see any action his first year in Austin and then was largely limited to special teams the following season. From that point, he started all 48 games he’s been available for since being inserted in 2020, flipping between right, left and then right tackle again.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Showcases tremendous leg-drive and a finishing mindset in the run game

+ Is regularly able to turn his shoulders and the edge defender’s butt towards the sideline to blow open the front-side

+ Has a real knack for creating the initial momentum on D-linemen by burying his far hand underneath their arm pit and then churning the legs to force them into re-setting their base, if they want to anchor

+ You see Jones be able to create plenty of lateral displacement arriving on an angle against interior defenders on combos

+ Blows open some massive cutback lanes against D-linemen trying to crash through the B-gap on the backside of zone concepts

+ Understands when he can treat the backside of GF counter like a rollout protection basically, where he just makes sure to force edge defenders to go around him

+ Consistently takes advantageous angles to shield bodies in the defensive backfield on longer-developing plays

+ Absolutely engulfs linebackers when he catches them without time or room to evade him properly

 

Pass-protection:

+ Times up when he jumps at and actively widens the arc of guys trying to get around him with speed

+ Packs an effective two-handed strike to take charge of edge rushers

+ Has enough junk in the trunk and core strength to brace against power and hunker down after defenders are able to initiate first meaningful contact, finding anchor points to great effect

+ Brings the strong hands to take control against bigger bodies on the D-line and giving his quarterback plenty of space to step into throws, even as he has to slide in front of guys having a more direct path up the B-gap

+ Almost instantly transfer information from his head to his feet, beautifully countering cross-face moves and counter spins

+ Patient in his approach against delayed rushers, wide loopers and even slot blitzers to not lunge into contact

+ Generally does well to sort out pressure looks, quick to toggle his eyes if the end drops out and is disciplined with taking the biggest threat

+ Has decreased the sacks and total pressures he’s surrendered each of the past four seasons, down to just one sack and ten additional pressures in 2023

 

Weaknesses:

– Aggressive B-gap defenders are able to beat Jones up the field at times when he does establish the play-side foot quickly enough

– Lacks the quick-twitch reactionary skills to adjust his assignments in the run game on the fly, such as a linebacker on a blitz becoming the most imminent threat

– Doesn’t have the speed or ability to father himself in space to where you want him to execute a bunch of long pulls or feature him as a lead-blocker out to the perimeter

– His hands in the pass game are regularly high, around the shoulder-pads, instead of fit inside the chest of rushers

– Tends to lean into and at times hug rushers too much late into the play-clock

 

Christian Jones is a name that wasn’t really on my radar as we entered this draft cycle, because I knew Texas had what will likely be one of the highest-drafted left tackles next year on the roster and you don’t see a ton of sixth-year seniors have the upside scouts typically covet. However, when I saw how strong this guy was, how active he was with his hands and lower body to counter rush maneuvers throughout Senior Bowl week, I immediately dove into his film and saw a lot of the same qualities. Now, I didn’t see the quickness I might’ve expected that this guy used to play soccer at nearly 300 pounds, but there weren’t a ton of ups and downs, compared to many of the other more developmental types in this range. I don’t see athletic traits to turn himself into a Pro Bowler one day, but the baseline is plenty good to be a starter on the right side, or at worst one of the better swing tackles across the league for several years, who may see the field regularly anyway.

 

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Incredible potential:

 

 

Kiran Amegadjie, Yale

6’5”, 320 pounds; SR

 

Seeing very little attention from the recruiting services in 2020 (OT 284 by 24/7 Sports), Amegadije started his career at Hinsdale Cenral (Illinois). He transferred to Yale in 2021, where he started four games at right guard initially and then ten each these past two seasons at left tackle, earning first-team All-Ivy League accolades in each of them.

 

Run-blocking:

+ His arms measured in an eighth of an inch over 36 for a condor-like wingspan of 85-and-½ inches

+ Plays with good flexion in his lower body to activate those powerful quads and drives his legs through contact in order to widen the edge in the run game

+ Frequently blows B-gap defenders off their landmarks on down-blocks in significant fashion

+ Brings an explosive first step to execute cut-off blocks and get his big frame in the way of backside defenders

+ Showcases great urgency out of his stance and is able to fly up to the second level before linebackers can read their keys in the run game often times – You’ll see him put some of those 220-230 pound backers on skates or toss them over for hilarious moments on tape

+ Capable of applying plenty of force to the shoulder or under the arm-pit of defenders in tight quarters without having room to really build up

+ Showcases highly impressive dexterity to sustain blocks at weird angles and not slip off guys as he’s transferring force

+ Will take advantage of pushing guys down or riding them off the screen when he catches them on the wrong foot and they don’t want any of that business

 

Pass-protection:

+ Consistently is able to establish first meaningful contact with his hands in the pass game

+ Dancing bear on the edge, who made it look easy mirroring lateral movement of Ivy League defenders trying to find escape routes against him

+ Keeps his palms up and grabs cloth to lock up defenders in protection, at times clutching their shoulder-plates

+ Uses a wide base and good bend in his knees to protect against power-rushers

+ Disciplined with keeping his hands low and not causing holds as defenders try to dip underneath or counter inside against him, to stay in control of the rep

+ There are flashes of being able to use his hands in alternate fashion and those branches attached to his shoulders are a definite plus for passing off rushers crossing his face and get a hand on slot blitzers trying to circle around him in order to push them off track

+ You clearly see a difference in terms of god-given ability between Amegadjie and the guys trying to get around/past him, which frequently ends with them sort of quitting later on in games since it appears like an impossible task

+ Has some nasty to him, where he’ll jump on top of guys who lost their balance, to not allow them to get back up

 

Weaknesses:

– Doesn’t always center his blocks in the run game appropriately and you’ll see his inside leg come off the ground on the front-side, which savvier edge defenders will be able to take advantage of more regularly (with back-doors)

– Still very raw with his footwork, not only lifting up but almost leading the movement on his kick-sets with the inside foot, along with being able over the place with wide and narrow his cleats get, making him more vulnerable to having his inside half being attacked with force and counters

– His hands routinely come in wide and he ends up sort of hugging the pads/shoulders of edge rushers

– Got by in large part based on superior athletic traits and we have no indication of how he’ll fare against better competition, since he couldn’t participate during Senior Bowl week

 

When Amegadije first popped up on consensus rankings and I realized he received a Senior Bowl invite, I was skeptical, especially since NFL scouts fall in love with these athletic projects from small programs. So when I put on the tape on guys like that, I don’t want to just see flashes but rather them truly dominating the competiton – and this kid clearly did. He definitely has work to do when it comes to centering his blocks in the run game, cleaning up his kick-sets and general hand-placement he transitions to the pros, but it was plenty good enough to make defenders in the Ivy League look like they shouldn’t be on the field together. Amegadije earned an 82.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023, with both run- and pass-blocking above 79, allowing only five pressures all year long (no sacks or QB hits). It’s a shame we didn’t get to see him compete against guys he will face in the NFL next year down in Mobile and you’re not drafting him with intention of being in the starting lineup day one, but if you have the resources to shelf him for a year with a quality O-line coach, he has the tools to absolutely develop into a high-end starter down the road.

 

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The next names up:

Blake Fisher (Notre Dame), Walter Rouse (Oklahoma), Patrick Paul (Houston), Javon Foster (Missouri), Garret Greenfield (South Dakota State), Roger Rosengarten (Washington), Matt Goncalves (Pittsburgh) & Caedan Wallace (Penn State)