The Rams missed Andrew Whitworth last season following his retirement, struggling to find a reliable player to line up each week at left tackle. Joe Noteboom and Alaric Jackson are likely to compete for that job next season, but the Rams could use help at that position regardless of who might be named the starter.
The draft is a good place for the Rams to find either an immediate or future starter at left tackle and there will be quality options available from the start to the end. Here’s one offensive tackle for the Rams to target in each round of the draft.
Round 1: Broderick Jones, Georgia
Jones is one of the top tackles in the draft but he’s likely to go in the middle of the first round. It would be a big jump for the Rams to go up and grab him, but he could contribute right away as their starting left tackle. He only gave up two sacks the last two seasons and had an 84.1 pass-blocking grade in 2022, according to PFF.
Round 2: Dawand Jones, Ohio State
Jones is a fringe first-round prospect after a strong showing in practice at the Senior Bowl, but he could very well slip to the Rams at No. 36. He didn’t allow a single sack at right tackle last season, showing good technique in pass protection. He’s a massive human, standing 6-foot-8 and 374 pounds with 36-inch arms, so he absolutely has the size to excel in the NFL.
Round 3: Blake Freeland, BYU
Freeland gave up just one sack and three QB hits in the last two seasons at left tackle, earning a 90.7 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. He’s a long tackle (6-foot-8) but doesn’t carry the same weight that Jones does, weighing in at only 302 pounds. He’s a pure left tackle and could be an upgrade over Joe Noteboom right away.
Round 4: Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
Morris bounced between left and right tackle in college, showing the ability to play either side of the line. That bodes well early in his career as a potential swing tackle for a team, similar to the way Joe Noteboom was for the Rams. Morris allowed two sacks in each of the last three seasons.
Round 5: Braeden Daniels, Utah
Daniels played right tackle, left tackle and left guard in college, so he’ll come into the NFL with position flexibility. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-4 with 33-inch arms, which could cause some teams to move him inside to guard. He only gave up two sacks and three QB hits in the last three seasons, but his run-blocking grade was 65.6 in 2022.
Round 6: Ryan Hayes, Michigan
Hayes didn’t allow a sack last season, an improvement after giving up three sacks and 19 hurries in 2021 as the Wolverines’ starting left tackle. His arms are on the shorter side, being just 32 inches long – especially for a 6-foot-6 tackle. That limits his ceiling considerably but he has a relatively high floor for a sixth-round prospect.
Round 7: John Ojukwu, Boise State
Ojukwu tested really well at the NFL combine, running a 5.24 with a 7.52-second three-cone drill at 6-foot-6. He didn’t allow a sack last season at Boise State and projects to remain a left tackle in the NFL, possessing the frame and movement skills to hold up on the edge.
