Aside from the quarterback position, the offensive tackle spot sits near the top in regards to positional groups that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft for the Chargers.
Luckily, this year’s crop has starting caliber talent from the first day of the draft all the way until Day 3.
With that being said, here’s a tackle from each round that could fit in Los Angeles:
Round 1 | Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Becton, the towering 6-foot-7 and 364 pounder was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Cardinals. In 2019, he earned first-team All-ACC honors and the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for his dominance in the trenches.
Becton has a rare combination of size and athleticism that doesn’t come around that often in every draft. He has the movement skills and length to keep defenders at bay and the immense power to create a surge in the running game, along with the ability to get out into space with ease.
Becton would easily be a plug-and-play left tackle for the Chargers.
Round 2 | Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Production is something the Chargers look for in prospects and Cleveland possesses that having started 40 games in his final three seasons for the Broncos.
Cleveland boosted his draft stock from a third or fourth-round selection to a top-50 selection after destroying the NFL Scouting Combine, with an official 4.93-second 40-yard dash, a 30-inch vertical and a position-best 4.46-second short shuttle.
Even though he needs to get stronger and he doesn’t possess the longest arms, his athleticism and loose movement skills allow him to stymie different types of rushers off the edge in pass protection, and he has the mobility to get out into space to seal linebackers.
Round 3 | Ben Bartch, St. John’s
After a successful collegiate career for the Johnnies, Bartch put on a show against some of the top pass-rushers in the country at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
From his tape and his outing in Mobile, AL, Bartch showed everything that you could ask for in an NFL offensive lineman: Footwork, athleticism, play awareness, great hands, and strength at the point of attack.
Bartch isn’t the most lengthy tackle and his ability to anchor against more powerful pass rushers needs to continue to develop.
Bartch, the former tight end, played strictly left tackle during his time at St. John’s. He’s more than capable of competing for the starting left tackle spot, but he could slide inside to guard, too.
Round 4 | Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas
Adeneji, the Texas native, primarily served as the Jayhawks’ left tackle. In his 48 career games, he started 43 on the left side, while five of them came at right tackle. During Senior Bowl week, he moved inside to guard.
For the Bolts, Adejini would serve as a multi-position backup with starter upside. He isn’t an overpowering blocking, but he has polished hands and a solid base in pass protection to keep defenders in front of him and the athleticism to climb to the second level with ease.
Round 5 | Jack Driscoll, Auburn
According to Pro Football Focus, Driscoll’s pass-blocking grade improved every year of his collegiate career. He had three straight seasons with 80.0-plus pass-blocking grades. In 1,690 pass-block snaps, he only allowed four quarterback hits.
On the field. Driscoll displays sound footwork to get depth off the line. He shows a solid anchor at the point of attack. His handwork is precise to fend off counters and he is always on alert to recognize additional blitzers. In the run game, he seals well and runs his feet at contact, creating movement and widening run lanes.
Driscoll will need to tighten up footwork in pass protection and continue to get stronger in order to succeed against NFL rushers.
Round 6 | Alex Taylor, South Carolina State
Taylor was a two-year starter for the Bulldogs where he started at right tackle both seasons. The 6-foot-8 and 308 pound Taylor had the passion for basketball at first, but realized that football would be the ultimate route that he would go.
On the field, Taylor is light-footed to gain depth on his kick slide, using his tentacle-like length to create a wide arc for defenders to get to the quarterback. His remarkable movement skills show up when getting out in space on zone runs to stymie linebackers.
However, Taylor is still raw. His height leads to leverage issues and he doesn’t have the anchor strength to overpower NFL pass-rushers at the moment. With time, he could develop into a high-upside tackle.
Round 7 | Jared Hilbers, Washington
Hilbers took over at left tackle when his former teammate and current NFL prospect Trey Adams had his season come to an end in 2018. He moved over to replace Falcons’ Kaleb McGary. In total, he played 36 games with 24 of them being starts during his four-year career at Washington.
Like Taylor and many of these athletic tackles, Hilbers had the love for basketball the majority of his life. Those traits translate to the field. Hilbers is a better run blocker where he is rangy and looks smooth getting to the second level, but he is light on his feet and shows adequate body flexibility in pass protection.
However, he is on the shorter end when it comes to arm length, he struggles with pad level and he needs to continue to get stronger in order to anchor the bull rush at the next level.
