2022 NFL Draft - Offensive Line (OT/G/C)

Tackle being the marquee position has a couple starter quality players but overall lacks depth of up top. Much of the same at guard except even less at the top with only 1 starter level player. Center, however, is a strength this year with two very good players up top and a handful of players that have a good chance to start.

Offensive Tackle

Evan Neal | Alabama (SEC) | 6’ 7 1/2", 345 lbs | x | x | x | x | x | x | S (7.2)

Ikem Ekwonu | NC State (ACC) | 6’ 4”, 310 lbs | 4.95 | 1.73 | 4.75 | 7.85 | 29 | 107 | S (7.2)

Charles Cross | Mississippi State (SEC) | 6’ 4 3/4", 307 lbs | 4.99 | 1.77 | 4.65 | 7.94 | 31 | 111 | S (7.1)

Neal is an athletic freak who waist bends a bit too much and has technique flaws but he’s the one tackle in this draft who has the pure athleticism to recover from bad body angles, re-anchor, and still maintain position. He’s played left guard (Freshman All-American), right tackle, and left tackle at a high level for the Tide. Ekwonu isn’t a bad athlete but he isn’t close to Neal in that regard he is always in the right position and kind of boring to watch which is a very good thing with tackle tape. Some have Ekwonu as a guard prospect, while he could slide inside, I think he’s more than worthy of being given the chance to play outside. Cross was the biggest revelation for me, a smooth pass blocker and on the occasions that he was asked to run block he came downhill well.

 

Bernhard Raimann | Central Michigan (MAC) | 6’ 4 3/4”, 303 lbs | 5.05 | 1.70 | 4.32 | 7.34 | 30.5 | 117 | ES (6.5)

Zachary Thomas | San Diego State (MWC) | 6’ 4 7/8”, 308 lbs | 4.96 | 1.65 | 4.65 | 7.40 | 22.5 | 107 | ES (6.2)

Zach Tom | Wake Forest (ACC) | 6’ 4 1/4", 304 lbs | 4.94 | 1.63 | 4.47 | 7.32 | 33 | 118 | ES (6.1)

Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa (FCS) | 6’ 7 1/8", 304 lbs | 4.89 | 1.65 | 4.62 | 7.25 | 28 | 111 | ES (6.1)

I was impressed and surprised by Raimann. He’s a good athlete and mover and has functional power if not being over powerful. Thomas is a right tackle prospect but he’s tough and moves well enough to hold up pass pro. Thom is a bit blockier and could be moved inside but he held up well enough against good competition that I think you’d be remisced if you didn’t give him a shot outside. Lastly, Penning. He’s a bully but not in the positive way usually associated with line play. He shoves and rips guys down but it’s usually after the play. I watched him against Iowa State and NDSU and his toughness doesn’t really show up much. He’s tested really well but it didn’t consistently show up in game but he stands out enough that he warrants a rank in the top two tiers.

 

Braxton Jones | Southern Utah (FCS) | 6’ 5 1/4", 310 lbs | 4.97 | 1.69 | 4.74 | 7.59 | 25.5 | 108 | PS (6.0)

Luke Goedeke | Central Michigan (MAC) | 6’ 5", 312 lbs | INJ | INJ | INJ | INJ | INJ | INJ | PS (6.0)

Tyler Smith | Tulsa (CUSA) | 6’ 4 5/8", 324 lbs | 5.02 | 1.71 | 4.65 | 7.78 | 27.5 | 105 | PS (5.9)

These three are all good solid players that are probably going to be right tackles at the next level.

For Your Consideration

Kellen Diesch | Arizona State (P12) | 6’ 7 1/8", 301 lbs | 4.89 | 1.70 | 4.43 | 7.77 | 32.5 | 110 | PS (5.8)

Logan Bruss | Wisconsin (B1G) | 6’ 5", 309 lbs | 5.32 | 1.82 | 4.55 | 7.57 | 31 | 112 | PS (5.8)

Ryan Van Denmark | UCONN (IND) | 6’ 6 1/2", 307 lbs | 5.27 | 1.75 | 4.54 | 7.50 | 30.5 | 7.50 | PS (5.7)

Tyler Vrabel | Boston College (ACC) | 6’ 5 3/4", 315 lbs | 5.40 | 1.81 | 4.61 | 7.47 | 28.5 | 110 | PS (5.7)

Abraham Lucas | Alabama (SEC) | 6’ 7 1/2", 345 lbs | 4.92 | 1.69 | 4.40 | 7.25 | 29 | 113 | PS (5.6)

Guard

Zion Johnson | Boston College (ACC) | 6’ 2 5/8”, 314 lbs | 5.18 | 1.74 | 4.46 | 7.38 | 32 | 112 | S (7.1)

Kenyon Green | Texas A&M (SEC) | 6’ 3 7/8”, 323 lbs | 5.24 | 1.76 | 5.03 | x | 28.5 | 102 | ES (6.8)

Sean Rhyan | UCLA (P12) | 6’ 4 5/8", 321 lbs | 5.25 | 1.77 | 4.60 | 7.55 | 34.5 | 110 | ES (6.7)

Johnson was the only lineman that really popped both in his movement but also with that nastiness that I haven’t seen too much of in this class. He finished blocks, moved guys off the line, and, my favorite, leveled guys in pass pro when he had no one to block. Green was solid and moved guys off the line and played well in space. Rhyan played tackle for UCLA but he’s built like a classic guard and played well downhill for the Bruins.

 

Marquis Hayes | Oklahoma (B12) | 6’ 4 7/8", 318 lbs | 5.30 | 1.83 | 4.78 | 7.94 | 24.5 | 102 | ES (6.4)

Jamaree Salyer | Georgia (SEC) | 6’ 3", 318 lbs | x | x | 4.70 | x | 24 | 98 | ES (6.3)

Nick Zakelj | Fordham (FCS) | 6’ 6 1/8", 316 lbs | 5.13 | 1.72 | 4.71 | 7.75 | 28.5 | 110 | ES (6.2)

Chris Paul | Tulsa (CUSA) | 6’ 3 7/8", 323 lbs | 4.89 | 1.72 | 4.83 | 7.74 | 27 | 109 | ES (6.1)

These four were the rest of the players I thought stood out. Hayes was physical, Salyer managed to play tackle for the national champs, Zakelj showed out at the senior bowl and against Nebraska, and Paul played well for Tulsa and almost convinced me with his play to put him in my tackle rankings.

Joshua Ezeudu | North Carolina (ACC) | 6’ 4 1/4", 323 lbs | 5.19 | 1.78 | 4.56 | 7.83 | 28.5 | 105 | PS (5.9)

Darian Kinnard | Kentucky (SEC) | 6’ 5 3/8", 322 lbs | 5.31 | 1.78 | 4.96 | 8.11 | 25 | 99 | PS (5.8)

Chasen Hines | LSU (SEC) | 6’ 2 3/4", 327 lbs | 5.22 | 1.74 | 5.00 | 8.46 | 30.5 | 108 | PS (5.7)

Ezeudu, Kinnard, and Hines are all large school prospects with flawed but good metrics, and solid if not spectacular tape. They had no glaring weaknesses.

 

Center

Tyler Linderbaum | Iowa (B1G) | 6’ 2 1/8”, 296 lbs | 5.04 | 1.78 | 4.57 | 7.13 | 32.5 | 110 | S (7.6)

Linderbaum is the best center in the draft, he’s smaller and needs to play in a zone scheme but he’s powerful, he understands leverage, he gets to the second level and he just pops off the screen.

Cam Jurgens | Nebraska (B1G) | 6’ 2 7/8”, 303 lbs | 4.92 | 1.71 | 4.49 | 7.19 | 33.5 | 119 | S (7.1)

Jurgens had the best testing scores of the centers this year and you see it on tape. He’s not just an underwear Olympian though, he gets himself in good positions and moves people with his blocks

Dohnovan West | Arizona State (P12) | 6’ 3 3/4", 296 lbs | 5.27 | 1.82 | 4.81 | 7.82 | 28 | 112 | PS (6.4)

Luke Fortner | Kentucky (SEC) | 6’ 4 1/8”, 307 lbs | 5.21 | 1.77 | 4.95 | 7.75 | 29 | 102 | PS (6.3)

Cole Strange | UT - Chattanooga (FCS) | 6’ 4 7/8”, 307 lbs | 5.03 | 1.71 | 4.50 | 7.44 | 28 | 120 | PS (6.2)

Wesley French | WMU (MAC) | 6’ 4 7/8", 307 lbs | 5.19 | 1.81 | 4.62 | 7.28 | 29 | 110 | PS (6.1)

Dawson Deaton | Texas Tech (B12) | 6’ 5 1/2", 306 lbs | 5.12 | 1.74 | 4.49 | 7.52 | 29 | 108 | PS (6.0)

Alec Lindstrom | Boston College (ACC) | 6’ 3 3/8", 299 lbs | 5.18 | 1.74 | 4.66 | 7.50 | 29 | 111 | PS (6.0)

Nick Ford | Utah (P12) | 6’ 5", 310 lbs | 5.52 | 1.90 | 4.65 | 7.81 | 26 | 107 | PS (5.9)

Luke Wattenberg | Washington (P12) | 6’ 4", 306 lbs | 5.20 | 1.72 | 4.57 | 7.45 | 29.5 | 113 | PS (5.8)

Liam Shanahan | LSU (SEC) | 6’ 4 5/8", 305 lbs | 5.22 | 1.82 | 4.69 | 7.41 | 30.5 | 103 | PS (5.8)