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Pass protectors, run maulers, and ginormous titans - offensive tackles have always been cornerstones for any successful offense, and even more so in today's game. This class is loaded with talent at this position, and I have first round grades on a good chunk of them.
We'll cover my top 12 trench tyrants today, and with the majority of teams needing at least one heading into the draft, it'll be a scramble to see who gets the cream of the crop (if you're looking for Graham Barton, he's in the Interior Offensive Linemen ranking below this write-up).
Photo: Paul Burdick/State College
12. Caedan Wallace - Penn State
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Incredibly patient against stunts, almost always picked them up | Reaches too much in pass pro, needs to keep defenders in his frame |
Feet and hands mirror defenders really well, rarely gets out of step | Lacks top end strength to displace defenders from their gaps |
Good athleticism shows in the run game, climbs to second level smoothly | Stops feet on contact here and there, gets stood up in those moments |
Footwork is solid, never seemed to get himself caught up from a misstep |
Caedan has all of the tools an NFL tackle needs. He has great footwork when mirroring defenders, he keeps his eyes up throughout the entire play and is always looking for work, and he's got some mean blocks on tape. He needs to stay within his frame more, especially due to a lack of strength, but I think he could eventually become a good starter for a team.
Pro Comp: Austin Jackson
11. Dominick Puni - Kansas
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Fantastic footwork, wins most of his reps because he never stops his feet | Lacks upperbody strength to hold off defenders, if his feet stop, he's lost |
Does a great job climbing to second level, stopped LBs in their tracks | Will trust his footwork too much, oversets and gives up his inside |
Sound in pass pro, runs defenders around the hoop easily | Plays with high pads here and there, gets driven back into the pocket |
Good lateral quickness to win reach blocks and get out in space |
I think Puni will be a solid tackle, but would be electric moving inside to guard. He's a good run and pass blocker, has great eyes and footwork to read and react to blitzes and stunts, and he stays within his frame. He needs to get stronger up top to handle the elite interior defenders, but he has a really solid foundation to work with besides that.
Pro Comp: Jonah Jackson
10. Blake Fisher - Notre Dame
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Great footwork, constantly moving them even when he gets beat at first, helps him recover better | Run blocking could be better, struggles to reset the LOS |
Good pass protector, has a great hand strike and mirrors defenders well | Sits back a little too much in pass pro, a good bull rush will knock him back |
Climbs to second level well, has good vertical and lateral movement | Pads get high at times, main reason his run blocking struggles |
Young, strong, and big, plus he played in a pro-style offense |
The best part of Blake's game is his pass protection. He has great footwork and mirrors rushers well, is able to recover if he gets beat at first, and isn't beat by advance pass rush moves. His run blocking could stand to improve; the main issue is his high pad level and not driving into defenders aggressively. With more experience, he should fix that. I really liked what I saw from him.
Pro Comp: Zach Tom
9. Jordan Morgan - Arizona
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Really solid footwork, gets to his landmarks on time and steps correctly in the run game | Plays with high pads a good amount, needs to sit and trust his footwork |
Incredibly strong at the block point, if he grabs you, you aren't getting off | Will let blocks go more than you'd like, becomes a spectator at times |
Pass set is lightning quick, catches rushers off guard out of their stance | Rarely saw him drive someone out of their gap, mostly due to poor pad level |
Long, tall, and athletic, great combo as a left tackle |
I think Morgan has the tools, size, and athleticism to be a starting LT in the league for a long time, just needs to improve on the little things. He has great footwork and a ton of up top strength, but rarely uses it to abuse defenders. I need to see more fight from him in order to take that next step.
Pro Comp: Dan Moore Jr
Photo: Rick Scuteri/AP Photo
8. Christian Jones - Texas
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Strong base, recovers well in pass pro if he loses at first | Needs to work on transitioning between horizontal stepping and vertical climbing, missed pickups on LBs |
Great lateral footwork, can run outside zone and gap schemes at a high level | Struggles blocking in space, mainly due to poor tracking |
Finishes blocks well, takes guys out of their gaps and drives them upfield | Will stop his feet when run stunts go away from him, misses blitzers too |
Strong hands, latches onto defenders with violence and power |
Jones' film looks a lot better than his consensus ranking does. He has a great lower body foundation that helps him drive through blocks and take on tough pass rushers. He can play in any run scheme and be more than capable as a starter. He will need to get better transitioning between horizontal runs and getting vertical mid play, but that will be fixed at the next level.
Pro Comp: Dion Dawkins
7. Amarius Mims - Georgia
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Most fluid mover of all OL in this class, exceptional footwork to go with it | His eyes will get lost in pass pro, sticks with one guy instead of passing off |
Solid pass protector, has minimal weaknesses against most moves | Injury bug limited his playing time, less than 700 snaps over the past 2 seasons |
Great run blocker, takes guys out of their gap and has the size to compete with bigger linemen | |
Young and massive, plus a great athlete, deadly combo for a right tackle |
I loved what I saw from Amarius from a pure blocking standpoint. He drives guys out of their gap and plays with his feet under him rather than getting over extended, and he dominates as a pass protector as well. The injury bug is something that will be tough to get over, and his minimal playing time is the main reason why he isn't in my top 5 OTs.
Pro Comp: Brian O'Neill
Photo: Jason Getz/Getz Images
6. Tyler Guyton - Oklahoma
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Sound pass protector, does a great job mirroring his man and locking him up | Liability as a run blocker, gets shed easily and is susceptible to inside moves |
Good athleticism, gets up to second level and into space quickly and smoothly | Sits really high in his stance, main reason why bull rushes are so effective against him |
Superb footwork, gets to his landmarks on time and reacts well to counter moves | Not a mauler, won't take someone out of their gap to open run lanes |
Solid handfighting and hand strike ability to stun defenders |
Tyler is this year's Darnell Wright. His pass pro is fantastic, but he leaves something to be desired in the run game. Between his athleticism, hand strength, and awesome footwork, I have a strong feeling a coach will be able to tap into his skillset, making him a good enough run blocker to compete at the next level.
Pro Comp: Jawaan Taylor
5. JC Latham - Alabama
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Low center of gravity, impressive for a guy with massive legs | Leans forward too much when angle blocking, fell on his face a few times |
Looks to hand fight in pass pro rather than extend and grab, great hand accuracy and violence | Arms and really wide when blocking, exposes his chest to long arms and two-gap punches |
Will drive you into the turf and finish blocks, BDE | Struggles against blitzes and stunts, looks like he's trying to do too much |
Hands and footwork are constantly in sync, helps him dominate defenders |
Overall, JC was better than I expected. He's super violent and isn't afraid to drive guys into the dirt. He does need to play more upright sometimes and use his legs to his advantage, and that showed against Michigan. I think it was just a one-off bad game, he should do well at the next level.
Pro Comp: Mike Onwenu
4. Olu Fashanu - Penn State
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Incredibly strong upper body, very tough to beat once he gets his hands on you | Has a tendency to stop feet on contact, struggles in run game at times |
Solid against stunts, does a good job of passing off defenders to other linemen | Despite having long legs, he takes short steps in pass pro, gets beat with speed |
Good run blocker, can drive guys out of gaps if he's got them square | Isn't great against speed to power style rushes, gets delivered to his QB's lap |
Great recovery by sitting low into his base and getting his feet under him |
Olu is a really polished pass protector with smooth footwork despite having short steps at times. He's a decent enough run blocker to move guys out of their gaps, and he picks up stunts better than any tackle in this class. He does need to run his feet on contact and get deeper in his pass set, but those are fixable.
Pro Comp: Andrus Peat
3. Taliese Fuaga - Oregon State
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Incredibly athletic, gets to his landmarks quickly in pass pro | Will lose to inside pass rush moves because he gets to his spot so quick |
One of the best second level blockers in this class, stonewalls flowing LBs | Didn't have the easiest time moving bigger guys out of their gap |
Excels in outside zone blocking schemes, can get out in space and reach defenders | Hands get swiped off too easily, mainly due to lack of upper body strength |
Fantastic in pass pro for the most part, handles athletic edge rushers with ease |
Taliese has some impressive tape. He has all of the athletic tools to be an anchor on the right side of the line in today's NFL, he just needs to get stronger and/or more confident with his upper half. If he can let himself maul people instead of being technical at times, he can be awesome at the next level.
Pro Comp: Donald Penn
Photo: Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports
2. Troy Fautanu - Washington
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
The most fundamental blocker in this class, blocks by the book and at a high level | Doesn't have the strength to overpower guys on outside run plays |
Great footwork overall, can get out in space and work with any type of rusher in pass pro | Does leave his chest exposed quite a bit, will struggle against stronger edge defenders and bull rushes |
Finishes plays, looks to drive his man into the dirt or give a hard chip before the whistle blows | Hand fighting could be better, doesn't react to counter moves well |
Can take any pass set, gets vertical with speed and lateral with aggresiveness |
Troy will be a starting tackle in the NFL due to his technical skills, fundamentals, and athleticism. He will need to get a bit stronger to handle the bigger and more powerful linemen, but I think having a good foundation with his form will help him get to where he needs to be.
Pro Comp: Garrett Bolles
1. Joe Alt - Notre Dame
What They Do Well | What Could Limit Them |
Surprisingly fast footwork for a guy his size, constantly works his feet throughout the rep | Leans forward a ton in pass pro, tries to use his long arms rather than trusting his leg power |
Superb run blocker, especially when getting to second level | Gets his hands swiped off easily, doesn't punch and reset |
Devastating down block in the run game, almost unbeatable | Struggles against long arms and bull rushes, doesn't hunker back down |
Top end athleticism to block in any scheme |
Joe Alt is the clear OT1 in this class and for good reason. He has a massive frame at over 6'8 and 320 pounds, unbelieve athletic ability that shows up on film and with his 9.93 RAS, and he's a nasty run blocker and decent pass protector. He should improve with the pass game with NFL coaching, and his background in a pro-style scheme puts him ahead of everyone else in this class.
Pro Comp: Kolton Miller
Photo: Matt Cashore/Notre Dame Athletics
Final Notes:
Some big fellas who just missed the cut were Garret Greenfield, Kiran Amegadije, and Walter Rouse. All three have decent tape, but need to show more polish on a down to down basis.
Join me next week as we round out the PRR series with the best edge defenders and quarterbacks in this class, as well as "my guys" for this class!
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