Who are the offensive tackles who’ll matter in the 2020 NFL Draft, and what’s the college perspective on all of the top prospects?
2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings
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It’s a fantastic year for offensive tackles with at least five good enough to go in the first round, and a whole slew more ready to go off the board soon after. If it’s not the strongest position up top, it’s not far off.
From the college perspective, here are the top offensive tackles in your 2020 NFL Draft, starting with the ones who’ll be in the mix, and then diving into the five who’ll actually matter over the next ten years of the pro football world.
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15. Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State (OG)
Size: 6-5, 331
The Good: The versatility is there to play about any position on the line. He’s got left tackle potential and a relatively cheap value price, but he’s got the body type to become a killer of a guard. He can blast away as well as any offensive lineman in the draft.
The Not-So-Good: He’s a true tweener. He moved well at the combine, but he’s going to have massive problems against NFL speed rushers if he ends up working on the outside.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’s going to fall because he doesn’t have a set position, but he can be a starter at four different spots. Assume he’ll start out as a right tackle option, but expect him to have a solid career as a powerful left guard.
Projected Round: Fifth
14. Yasir Durant, Missouri (OG)
Size: 6-6, 331
The Good: A massive blocker, he’s a tough blocker with the run blocking skills to work out just fine as a huge guard if he doesn’t settle in as a right guard. A left tackle for most of his Mizzou career, he was a good veteran for a strong passing offense.
The Not-So-Good: He’s just not athletic enough to trust as an NFL left tackle on a regular basis. He’s got the size and the frame, but he’ll have a rough run against the flashy pass rushers who get off the ball in a hurry.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: A good all-around blocker, he might not have elite next level tackle tools, but he can be tried out at left tackle and might stick. At worst, he’ll be a reliable right tackle or a high-end guard, but he’ll start somewhere.
Projected Round: Fifth
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13. Ben Bartch, St. John’s (MN)
Size: 6-6, 309
The Good: One of the best athletes among the draft’s offensive lineman, he’s got the feet, he’s a great fit for a fast-paced offense, and he’s a great fighter. Pumped up, he’s a former tight end and sprinter, and it’s all translating into a potentially great value pick with all the quickness tools.
The Not-So-Good: This is as maxed out as he’ll get. It took everything to pump him up to over 300 pounds, but he’ll never be a next-level mauler and he’ll need a whole lot of time to build into a consistent starter. He’s going to be a project.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It’s going to take a while before he’s reliable enough to throw out there and not worry, but he’s too athletic and has too much upside to not develop into a good all-around blocker with enormous upside.
Projected Round: Fourth
12. Charlie Heck, North Carolina
Size: 6-8, 311
The Good: All of the tools are there. He’s got an NFL tackle size, he’s lean, he’s got decent power for his frame, and he’s one of the better all-around athletes among the tackles. With the experience to go along with the abilities, he’s got everything a line coach would want to develop.
The Not-So-Good: He’s an okay football player. There’s the willingness to get nasty, but he’s not an elite pass protector considering his tools. Yeah, he’s got great size and a nice frame, but he’s not going to get low – he’s better on the move.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It’ll be interesting to see what kind of a team takes him. He’s got the upside to be a great value left tackle, and he’s fine at just about everything, but he’s not going to be for everyone. There are more than enough positives to develop into a good-value starter.
Projected Round: Fourth
11. Lucas Niang, TCU
Size: 6-6, 315
The Good: With excellent size and good enough feet to get by, he’s got the upside to be a fantastic starter taken outside of the top 50. A pounder of a run blocker at times, he can bring the thump to go along with the quickness for his bulk to operate in a variety of schemes.
The Not-So-Good: He doesn’t really look the type – he carries his weight in up top and doesn’t necessarily have the NFL frame. Yes, he’s athletic, but he’s not a rock against speed rushers. The biggest problem, though, is his health question marks after suffering a hip injury – he’s just going to be getting back up to speed this offseason.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There’s a whole lot to like. He’ll fall because he doesn’t fit the cookie-cutter idea of what an NFL tackle should look like, but he was a productive anchor in college and he should be a long-time home somewhere on a line.
Projected Round: Third
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings Top Ten
2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings Top Ten
10. Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Size: 6-6, 311
The Good: Really, really athletic, he’s built and moves like a bulked up tight end. He helped himself in a huge way at the combine. The size is right, the frame is right, and the 4.9 40 and explosive leaps and drills were very right. He’s a true left tackle who can handle the speed rushers and be a star, but …
The Not-So-Good: He has to be in the right system. If you want him to be a blaster of a blocker in a power running game, that’s not going to work. If you want him to be in a zone-scheme where he can dance with speed ends, he’ll be fantastic. He’ll have issues with the bull rushers, though.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: There’s not quite enough power to his game to guarantee him a spot in the top 50, but for the modern NFL he’s more than good enough to be a starter for a team whose first priority is keeping its quarterback in one piece.
Projected Round: Second
9. Trey Adams, Washington
Size: 6-8, 318
The Good: Can you look past all of the health problems? If so, and if he can somehow recapture his pre-injury status, he’s got the upside to be a special blocker and a star on a line. He’s got great size, can still move fine despite the issues, and he’s a pass protection technician, however …
The Not-So-Good: He’s not a blaster against the run, and he’s a massive risk pick. Between major injuries to his back and knee, he had a rough time getting through his college career. His game was built on his all-around athleticism, and while he can pop, he’s never been a bulldozer.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He was potential top ten overall talent before all of the injuries, and now he’s going to be a value section in the hopes that he can get further and further away from the past problems. Taking him, though, is a shot for the stars – he could turn into a solid starting left tackle.
Projected Round: Third
8. Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
Size: 6-5, 308
The Good: A wonderful story and an easy guy to root for – he came over from Nigeria and took to high school football right away – he’s a phenomenal athlete with a great frame and the quickness to grow into someone’s starting left tackle.
The Not-So-Good: He still needs a little while. He’s got all the skills and the upside to be great, but he’s going to need more experience and time to figure it all out to be more consistent. It’s all about his technique work to unlock everything he can bring, and even then he’s not going to be a top-shelf run blaster.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Welcome to one of the biggest and toughest calls in the draft. There are a whole lot of scouts and GMs that will lose sleep over passing on a potential superstar, but it will take a little bit. He might be maxed out on his frame, but guys with this much size and athleticism are rare.
Projected Round: Second
7. JoshUA Jones, Houston
Size: 6-5, 319
The Good: A prototype looks-wise, he’s got the right size, length, and body type to fit the idea of what an NFL left tackle should be. He was just okay at the combine, but he’s got more than enough athleticism to go along with a tough guy attitude to potentially turn him into an anchor of a line. There’s no problems with him as a big-time pass protector who can be ready right away.
The Not-So-Good: There’s still a lot of work to do on his all-around game. He’s not as consistent as the NFL might like as a possible plug-and-play left tackle – there’s a whole lot to play around with technique-wise. However …
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: The knocks are based on him possibly being a first rounder – he’s fine. There are way too many good parts to the puzzle to not work with as a possible franchise left tackle. He’ll need a while to get all the finer points to his style down, but with his size and athleticism, he’s got the basics.
Projected Round: First
6. Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
Size: 6-6, 350
The Good: A fantastic football player to go along with his massive size and bulk, he helped himself at the combine with a more-than-good-enough 5.3 in the 40 – the guy is 350 pounds – while showing off impressive all-around athleticism. With his size and bulk, at worst he could kick inside and be a devastating guard – but he’s a tackle.
The Not-So-Good: The pass protection skills are still developing. He’s more of a mauler who can engulf his man, but he’ll have a whole slew of problems early on against the NFL speed rushers. While he has all of the skills, he’s still a project.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: As good as he is, he’s still getting started. The player the NFL is getting this year is already great, but there’s a world of upside once he matches the size and the tools with more experience and better technique work.
Projected Round: Second
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings No. 5
2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings Top Five
5. Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Size: 6-7, 364
The Good: HUGE. He’s a gigantic human being who ran a 5.1 40. When he’s able to keep his weight in check, he carries it all well on his frame. A blaster of a blocker, forget about it when he’s able to lock on and drive. Get him on the move at all, and he’ll bury his man.
The pass protection skills are just okay, but half the battle is simply getting around him. With his length and bulk, he’s just one punch and pop away from owning the play – it’s going to take a blazer to get by and get to the quarterback.
The Not-So-Good: He moves okay for a guy his size, but he’s not going to bring the feet or the quickness to be a superstar in pass protection against the elite blazers around the edge. There’s the other big question mark about keeping his weight from ballooning up. At 364 he’s fine, but if that moves up at all – he was at 390ish not all that long ago – there’s a problem.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: Everyone will love him thanks to his size and upside, but he was the best player on the Louisville line that was absolutely awful. He’ll likely live on the right side of the line for the bulk of his career, but his skill set is good enough to hope for good run on the left side in a power attack.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings No. 4
4. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (OG)
Size: 6-5, 320
The Good: Another great Iowa offensive line tackle, he has the power, and he showed off the rest of the tools at the combine with a fantastic 4.85 40 with a 37″ vertical while looking terrific in the short drills. All of a sudden, he went from being a possible swing tackle or even a guard – and he still might be – to looking more the part of an NFL left tackle.
One of the best run blockers in the draft, he doesn’t need any work when it comes to shoving a guy out of the way for the ground game, and he’s been able to show off good enough feet in workouts to be fine in all phases.
The Not-So-Good: He’s not really a top-shelf pass protector and he might labor a bit on the left side. While his overall technique isn’t bad – he’s an Iowa offensive linemen – he could still use a little refinement. Even with his great showing at the combine, he’s still going to be seen as a right tackle right out of the gate.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It’s going to be an interesting call to see what type of team takes him and to see what the overall plan is. Considering he’s got first round ability, do you take him over other tackles who’ll likely be a better fit on the left side? He’ll be a rock-solid starter for someone’s line, but where?
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings No. 3
3. Austin Jackson, USC
Size: 6-5, 322
The Good: The upside is enormous. He’s a fantastic athlete with the size, frame, and versatility to work at just about any position in any system. As is he’s already a very good, very solid player who can fill in a spot right away, but give him a little bit, and he might just be the best value blocker in the draft if he slips to midway through the second round.
How good an athlete is he? He came up with a shade over a 5.0 in the 40 and was one of the more explosive tackles in the combine drills. Best of all, he did it at a higher weight than expected.
The Not-So-Good: There might be a learning curve. He’s got the talent to be among the best tackles in the draft, but he still needs some work and refinement. The technique issues are all correctable, but they’re there. Consistency will be the early key with him.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: He’ll fall outside of the top tackle prospects, but he’s got the tools and the talent to be a perennial all-star. If someone is a little bit patient – and can live through the growing pains – the payoff should be massive.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings No. 2
2. Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Size: 6-5, 315
The Good: You want an NFL blocker who can be the experienced leader and main man who has worked in the biggest of games and against the best of competition? Here you go.
Thomas is a fantastic fighter who’ll get after every block and can handle himself more than fine against the elite pass rushers – he did it in the SEC just about every week. Size-wise, he’s got everything the next level wants to go along with the leadership and attitude.
He’s ready right out of the box. Able to play right tackle and be a Pro Bowl star if a team already has a star on the other side, he could also fill in right away as the left tackle who could be a fixture for the next decade.
The Not-So-Good: In a draft loaded with tackles with high-end tools, Thomas is a notch below. He’s got the size and the toughness, but he’s not quite as athletic as some might like for a left tackle. A power blocker, he might have problems grabbing and clutching in pass protection early on.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought: It might be a bit much to get excited about a possible right tackle with a top 15 overall pick, but there’s little downside with Thomas. He’s someone you want on your line and in the locker room. Get him out there somewhere and don’t worry for the next ten years.
Projected Round: First
NEXT: 2020 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings No. 1
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1. Jedrick Wills, Alabama
Size: 6-4, 312
The Good: While he might not have the exact prototype look of a normal Nick Saban superstar offensive lineman, he can really, really block.
He’s already got good size and excellent power, and then he showed off his athleticism at the combine with a 5.05 in the 40 and with excellent explosion in the leaping drills.
A nasty hitter who destroys his man, he’s a force when he gets on the move and has no problem getting into a fight for the power game. He’s a true left tackle who can show up right away and be a team’s franchise blocker.
The Not-So-Good: He’s not quite the prototype in terms of size you might want in a possible top ten overall pick. There’s no real problem overall, but he’s a wee bit shorter and not as long as you might like, and he doesn’t carry his weight like an elite NFL athlete for the offensive line.
NFL Draft College Perspective Thought:Alabama left tackles tend to be good at this whole blocking thing. All the knocks on him are merely cosmetic – everything outside of his body type is air-tight for a prospect of his caliber. He’s a clean left tackle with the feet and the nastiness everyone wants in the star of their line.
Projected Round: Top Ten Overall
