Top Offensive Tackles In 2020 NFL Draft

1. Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs – Junior – 6-5, 322 – 4.85

Wirfs has the prototypical size and length for an offensive tackle. He is an excellent run blocker, which the Bucs are looking to upgrade at the right tackle position. What makes Wirfs so impressive is that he’s very mobile given his size, so once he gets locked in with a defender, it’s very difficult to get by him because of his power. While running fast isn’t really something that matters much to offensive linemen, Wirf’s positional best 4.85 time the 40-yard dash caught the attention of many. Wirfs is the type of player that will go out, find you, and finish the job before the play is even over. He holds up well for weighing so much and stays in his stance. As a pass blocker, Wirfs is solid. While still being quick as a lineman, he sometimes lacks lateral agility the tackles need when facing rushers off the edge, that leads to a late punch and gets him to move out of his stance a bit. This isn’t to say Wirfs is a bad pass blocker by any means, as he’s able to identify when different stunts are coming his way. Though he mainly played right tackle, Wirfs has the ability to move over to the left side if a team needs him to. 

2. Alabama OT Jedrick Wills – Junior – 6-5, 320 – 5.05

Alabama OT Jedrick Wills – Photo: University of Alabama

Strength and leverage are the first couple of traits that you think of when it comes to Jedrick Wills, and that’s what has made him a premiere pass blocker. Wills has this innate ability to find the weakness in his opponent, exploit it, and gain the leverage because of it while passblocking. He played on the right side since his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is a lefty, so there’s no issue with him playing on that side of the line. Wills is quick for a tackle and has a long reach to help open up space for his fellow running backs. Wills has good footwork when it comes to both run and pass blocking but he could get quicker with his hand placements. Wills played in 11 games as a freshman and then became the starter in his sophomore year, followed by a strong junior season. He’s a reliable player that teams can count on, and knowing that he can play the right side while also having experience protecting the blindisde can only help his case.

3. Louisville OT Mekhi Becton – Junior –  6-7, 369 – 5.10

Becton is a gigantic player that has made the switch from playing basketball over to offensive tackle. His athleticism at his stature has been well documented with an impressive run in the 40-yard dash during the Combine. Again, a lineman’s 40 time isn’t going to determine where he gets drafted, but Becton’s ability to motor that fast give how big he is was truly something to behold. Becton is one of the quicker and stronger tackles you’ll find in this draft, who can beat you in more ways than one. He’s fast as soon as the ball is snapped, often winning his match-up out of the gate. That also allows him to hold off the edge in the pass rush. And then once he’s already ahead, he’s able to use his size to his advantage and anchor down. That makes him a top blocking talent in both the run and the pass. 

4. Georgia OT Andrew Thomas – Junior – 6-5, 320 – 5.22

The last of the “top four” tackles is certainly not least by any stretch, and has been linked to the Bucs’ as of late. Thomas has excellent length that allows him to get the upper hand at the start of a play. He may not be as athletic as the other top tackles, but he makes up for it with really good technique and quick hands. Some tackles tend to get out of their stance and throw away mechanics when trying to go after a defender, but that’s not the case for Thomas. His footwork could get cleaned up a little when pass blocking, though the rest of his traits make up for it. Thomas has started ever since he began his college football career, he was a right tackle as a freshman and then switched over to left tackle for his sophomore and junior years, so he’s a versatile player. Thomas was a Freshman All-American in 2017 and a first-team All-American after the 2019 season. 

5. Houston OT Josh Jones – Redshirt Senior – 6-5, 311 – 5.27

Houston OT Josh Jones – Photo courtesy of Univ. of Houston

Some say this draft is actually a “big five” tackle draft with Jones being the fifth offensive tackle that could be taken in the first round. Jones had a standout performance at the Senior Bowl, which a couple members of Pewter Report’s staff attended to see in person. It was important to see Jones have a good outing among some of college football’s best because he didn’t necessarily face the toughest of competition at school. Jones is a flexible tackle who is as solid as it gets when it comes to pass blocking. He’s not the quickest of players but he can move well enough and let his frame do the rest of the work. If there’s anything Jones could work on is getting better at his technique. Some of the poor technique has to do with the Houston offense, but he won’t deal with that in the NFL, and technique can be changed. 

6. USC OT Austin Jackson – Junior – 6-6, 310 – 5.07

Jackson has actually been compared to Donovan Smith by others because he has all the physical skills and talent that you want in a tackle, and while he can be good for the most part but there are times when things break down for him and that tends to get highlighted the most. You just never know when it’s going to happen. Jackson at least played a snap in every game for the entirety of his college football career. He had a reserve role and played special teams as a freshman but became the starter for his sophomore and junior years. The only time Jackson missed the football field at all was at a couple practices over the summer when he was donating bone marrow to his sister. This speaks to the type of upstanding person Jackson is, and the kind of player a team is bringing into their locker room. Jackson is an athletic tackle with great footwork who can excel when he’s getting out in space looking for someone to block. You can swing him out on pitches to the outside with no problem. He can move with the quicker defensive players, but what he’ll have to work on is staying more structured down in his stance on the pass block once he’s one-on-one. 

7. Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland – Junior – 6-6, 310 – 4.93

Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland – Photo courtesy of Boise State

Cleveland does well going up against quicker pass rushers because he can match their speed. He’s able to make his reads in the pass blocking game and likes to get out in space with the run. There’s plenty of things to get better at for Cleveland, such as getting the initial punch and preventing the pass rusher from going to the inside. And like many tackles by this ranking, he’ll need to get stronger. Cleveland is a developmental tackle as of this time.

8. Georgia OT Isaiah Wilson – Redshirt Sophomore – 6-7, 340 – 5.32

Thomas has some great size for his position, playing on the opposite side of the line from his teammate Thomas. He has a devastating blow when he’s punching at a pass rusher, but he needs to get way more consistent when it comes to working on his timing. Wilson tends to be a little too uptight in pass sets, causing him to not be able to turn or flip his hips if he needs to. He generates good power to move opponents out of the way once he’s hooked on, it’s just a matter of getting better at the fundamentals. Wilson played on the left side and should continue to stay on that side. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Wilson played at the same high school as Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. WIlson was the co-winner of the “UpFront Award” after his 2019 season with the Bulldogs.

9. TCU OT Lucas Niang – Senior – 6-7, 328 – N/A

There are some concerns about Niang’s injury history, as his season ended in late October from a hip injury. Niang was actually asked by a physician to not play due to the risk of having a much more severe issue with his hip labrum, but Niang played it out for as long as he could, showing his toughness. Niang didn’t allow a sack over his last two seasons, so you’re getting a primetime pass blocker when he’s healthy. Niang needs to work on getting better at his first step and making contact with a defender, particularly when he gets to the second level. What he’s really good at is staying set in his frame and while pass blocking to hold up the player in front of him.

10. UConn OT Matt Peart – Redshirt Senior – 6-7, 310 – 5.06

Peart was given a comparison to long-time player and perennial Pro Bowl tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson of the New York Jets due to his big size. It’s almost surprising how mobile he is given his size, but he’s fluid and capable of making his way around the field whether it be pass blocking or run blocking. There are some things that Peart has to work on, though, from a both a technical and physical standpoint. For as good as his size is, he needs to get stronger or he won’t be a starter at this level. Peart also needs to clean up a lot of fundamentals, such as that he gets out his stance much too early when blocking. Peart got an invitation to the Senior Bowl and was just okay during the week, which was slightly disappointing since he was going against better competition than he’s used to.

BEST OF THE REST

11. St. John’s OT Ben Bartch – Senior – 6-6, 308 – N/A

St. John’s OT Ben Bartch – Photo courtesy of St. John’s

There’s always a small school candidate in the draft along the offensive line and this year it’s Bartch. You may have heard Batch’s name before as he was featured on the NFL network for his bizarre concoction of ingredients that he made into a smoothie every day to help him gain weight. But we’re here to talk about his play on the football field. He went from tight end to offensive tackle, which speaks to his athleticism. He has a powerful punch and is explosive off the ball. Bartch just needs more time to learn his new position, along with staying in a proper stance during sets on offense. Too many times he’ll pop out of position instead of staying with technique, but he can work on it. He fared well at the Senior Bowl, which helped his draft stock.

12. Louisiana-Lafayette OT Robert Hunt – Senior – 6-5, 323 – N/A

Hunt began his Ragin’ Cajuns career playing guard before moving to tackle for his final two years in college. During his junior year, Hunt moved to right tackle and was named to the second-team all-conference team. Last year, Hunt started only seven games due to a groin injury, but played well enough to earn first-team all-conference honors. Hunt’s injury required surgery during the offseason, which caused him to miss the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. That didn’t help his draft stock, but Hunt’s film is very good, showing that he’s a nasty finisher in the running game and more than adequate in pass protection.

13. Auburn OT Prince Tega Wanogho – Senior – 6-5, 307 – N/A

Originally a native of Nigeria, Wanogho is another offensive tackle that comes from a basketball background, so he’s an athletic player. He’s able to use his mobility quite well, particularly when it comes to being a run blocker. There’s still a lot of growth left as he only started playing football in high school. Wanogho is a very strong zone blocker where he can really use his athleticism more than in other sets, but he needs to work on his technique and strength to build out his size. There’s a lot to like about Wanogho if a team can mold his talent correctly.

14. Kansas OT Hakeem Adeniji – Senior – 6-4, 302 – 5.17

One of the tackles that did benefit from a good week at the Senior Bowl was Adeniji. He particularly excelled during one-on-one pass blocking drills where he anchored down on the pass rusher and didn’t allow him any room to get space and make a move. Adeniji is a consistent player who hasn’t missed any time in his college football career. He could focus on his strength and footwork for areas to improve on. His length and capability to move around in different sets is a big plus.

15. LSU OT Saahdiq Charles – Junior – 6-4, 295 – 5.05

Charles has good balance along with strong mobility skills. He’s at his best when he’s moving out in space and making room for a running back to break a long one. With that mobility comes good footwork, which helps him get off to a good start. There are two major things that he needs to work on in order to have success, strength and flexibility. His lack of strength has limited him in one-on-one blocking. Charles also has some character concerns, which could cause his draft stock to slip.

16. Missouri OT Yasir Durant – Senior – 6-6, 331 – 5.52

Before coming to Missouri, Durant spent his first two years playing football at Arizona Western Community College until transferring to the Tigers program his junior year. At 6-foot-6, Durant’s size is the first thing that pops out. That size has helped him substantially with match-ups against defenders as he protected the blind side of quarterbacks Drew Lock and Kelly Bryant. He does well against pass rushers since his big stature prevents the opponent from finding any room. His athleticism and energy can be an issue at times. Durant is projected to move over to right tackle in the NFL.

17. Washington OT Trey Adams – Senior – 6-8, 314 – 5.60

Adams is a mauling type of offensive lineman that will keep punishing his opponent with an aggressive style of play. He’s as tough as they come at tackle. He is especially strong and bodes well because of it in pass blocking. Where Adams falters is that he lacks flexibility and the amount of speed to move laterally across the line. It makes him get up too high, letting the defender move into the backfield. Adams also had back surgery prior to his final year, which is cause for concern for some teams moving forward.

18. Auburn OT Jack Driscoll – Senior – 6-5, 294 – 5.02

Auburn OT Jack Driscoll – Photo by: Getty Images

He’s a quick offensive lineman who is capable of staying with the fastest of rushers. But his strength has become an issue. Put Driscoll in a zone blocking scheme and you’ll have success, though his one-one-one blocking assignments leave you expecting more. Driscoll was a graduate transfer from UMass before being the starter at Auburn. With the Tigers, he proven to be durable, starting 45 consecutive games.

19. Texas Tech OT Terrence Steele – Senior – 6-6, 312 – 5.03

If you’re looking for a powerful offensive tackle that can block well in the run game, that’s what Steele does. Steele has good size for his position and is fluid enough to move around well. The tackle out of Texas Tech was able to slide over adequately and engage in blocking the defender without much of an issue. Steele got his hands on the inside quickly and ever lost hold of his blocking assignment. He needs to get stronger to play in the NFL, and there are fundamentals that need to be improved.

20. Oregon OT Calvin Throckmorton – Senior – 6-5, 310 – 5.57

Throckmorton is very technically sound, which has driven him to success. His hand placement is on point, giving him the initial push you need in both facets of blocking. Throckmorton tends to get off balance at times and that can lead to losing his defender rather quickly. He’s a smart player that knows what he’s doing out there. It’s just about improving in a number of areas at the next level.

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