1. Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Thomas was ranked as OT1 and a top ten pick early in the college season. As 2019 unfolded, a lot of analysts have picked him apart and dropped him a few slots. He’s still the top OT in my book. There’s no Joe Thomas/Jonathan Ogden-earmarked-for-the –hall-of-fame type prospects in this class. Absent of a perennial all-pro, if I’m desperate for an OT in the top ten of the draft I’m going to value stability more than upside. Thomas’s ceiling is lower than Tristan Wirfs or Mekhi Becton, but not THAT much lower and he has a higher floor (especially in year 1).
Thomas is the best all around lineman. He has size, power, and his blocks are just stickier and more sudden than others in the class. His quickness and agility are just average. If he’s going to get beat it’s with speed around the edge. I wouldn’t fault tackle needy teams for reaching for him a little in the 3-6 ruange, but his best value is between picks 8 and 10.
2. Jedrick Wills, Alabama
Wills played RT the last two years at Alabama. He’s solid all around. He’s not as strong as Thomas run blocking, but he moves a little better. Can he play on the left side? Probably, but it’s a little bit of an unknown. Overall he’s OT2, but he’s right on Thomas’s heels.
3. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
I have to go back and watch Wirfs again because I keep hearing how powerful he is and how well he anchors, but when I watched him I thought those were his weaknesses. His movement skills are electric. He’s as agile as anyone I can remember and if you look at his combine numbers you might think I’m underselling his athletic ability. They should make a stat where they count how many times a player blocks multiple defenders on one play and call them Wirfs’. The ball snaps, he engages with the player in front of him or helps inside and then as soon as somebody tries to loop around the edge from inside or a late blitzer comes screaming in, Wirfs slides right out to deal with it. “Hey, did you see that right tackle from Iowa last night? He had 3.5 Wirfs’ in the game.”
The parts that give me pause are when he struggles to get push run blocking against players that aren’t 100 lbs. lighter than him or when somebody with a little meat on their bones comes at him a bull rush and he just barely holds them off. What is he going to do with NFL rushers with a little more pop than the DE’s at Michigan (one of the few games I found where he was playing against any halfway competent edge players)?
When really good OT’s drive off the line there’s this moment where they lock onto the defender and then just push forward like a truck with a giant magnet on the front that drives forward into a hunk of steel. When Wirfs engages it looks more like a magnet being pushed up against the same pole of a different magnet. Think about the sticky blocks I talked about with Thomas. Thomas sticks (not like a super powered Orlando Pace magnet.. more like a regular magnet). Wirfs repels.
Wirfs doesn’t deserve to fall too far. Based on his movement skills alone his ceiling is up in the clouds, but if you’re looking to start him day 1 you might be a little disappointed for a couple of years as he adjusts to the level of competition and beefs up. He should go between picks 10 to 15.
4. Mekhi Becton, Louisville
The mountain that rides!.. or should I say the mountain that cut blocks (seriously, what was Louisville thinking? I get that you have your scheme that you want to run but maybe you could have come up with something better to do with your 370 lb. lineman than to routinely send him diving into the ground. Note, I can’t even say that he was diving at people’s knees because he missed 90% of the time and just ended up rolling around on the field).
Becton is giant with unnatural movement skills for his size. We’re not talking Wirfs-like Kung fu panda quickness or anything, but he can move well enough to capitalize on his superior size. I do lump him in with Wirfs though in terms of being a guy that will likely disappoint if asked to start from day 1. He relies a little too much on his physical traits:
- Using one-arm shoves to push away tiny defenders where stronger players with better hand technique are going to chew him up.
- Letting his girth do too much of the work on outside speed rushes where better athletes are going to be able to bend and get around him.
I question his blocking intelligence too where a lot of times he fires off the line, steps past a defender and then spins around looking for someone to block. Some of this might correct itself if he gets drafted into a better scheme fit, but where he chooses to move his body reacting to the natural chaos of a football play doesn’t feel quite fluid and natural enough to sign off on him as a sure thing.
All of this said, he is big. Citing the classic George Young “planet theory”, there are only so many guys THAT big that can move like THAT. He’s a first round pick based off potential. Teams picking in the top ten need him to excel right away and if he’s asked to do that I’m afraid his career will end up looking like one of those ill-fated cut blocks from his college tape. If he gets picked more in the 14 to 18 range he’ll still need to start early, but he might have a little more leeway to play through growing pains.
5. Lucas Niang, TCU
Solid right tackle that played through injury last year and eventually missed most of the year with a hip issue. The lack of medical rechecks this year might cause him to fall farther than he should. He’s not a mauler, but can move people in the run game. With the bum hip he looked a little succeptible to speed around the edge in 2019, but he got several reps against Chase Young in 2018 when he wasn’t hurt and looked pretty respectable. Niang could be a day three steal if he drops for health reasons.
6. Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
A bull. He gets good push run blocking. He’s adequate in pass protection, but he looks a little heavy footed and susceptible to counter moves. Are we sure he’s not a guard?
7. Saahdiq Charles, LSU
Charles is lower on most lists. He’s not perfect by any means, but all of the tools seem to be there. A lot of his mistakes appear to be mental concentration lapses more than anything. He needs to go to a team with a good O-line coach and he’ll surprise people.
8. Josh Jones, Houston
More of a lean prospect best for schemes that require smaller more agile lineman. He moves well but he has a few baby deer moments where he comes barreling down the line and his body gets out of sync and he trips or stumbles. Good developmental prospect mid day 2.
9. Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
Big, powerful right tackle that will struggle blocking athletic pass rush moves and hang around the league due to his run blocking.
10. Matthew Peart, UCONN
Similar to Niang without the injuries. Solid all-around. We’ll see how he adapts to higher competition.
11. Ben Bartch, St. John
Small school kid that impressed with his technique at the Senior Bowl. He’ll need time to adjust to the strength he’ll be facing in the pros.
12. Jack Driscol, Auburn
This OT class might be a little overrated in terms of top to bottom talent, but the list of prospects with mid-round caliber talent goes on and on. Solid. Good strength. Might struggle with ultra quick pass rushers. I feel like a broken record, but Driscoll fits the mold.
13. Austin Jackson, USC
Pretty average in terms of size and athletic ability. Looks good in a lot of games. Against A.J. Epenesa?.. Not so hot. Not quick enough. Not strong enough.
14. Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
Raw player that has only been playing football a few years. It's painful to watch him try to move around. When he runs upfield, he looks like a 75 year-old man. Maybe he’ll develop, but he is too awkward for me to have much faith.
All in all this is a decent group. If you need immediate help, target Wills and Thomas. If you’re looking for upside, Wirfs and Becton are worth the risk. Beyond that, most of these prospects are bound to top out as the third best tackle on their teams.
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