by 2023 NFL Draft coverage is sponsored by Gotcha Covered Medina (http://www.gotchacovered.com/medina), TNT Construction https://tntcleveland.com/), PULP North Olmsted (https://pulpjuiceandsmoothie.com/), Hinckley Roofing (https://hinckleyroofing.com/) and JBL Roofing & Construction (https://www.jblrc.com/).
Scroll to the end for the top 3 video link
- Asim Richards – North Carolina
Richards is an offensive tackle that shows solid awareness and switches well with his interior linemen. He has short, choppy and quick steps which assists with staying in front of defenders and mirroring well. Richards sometimes plays a bit soft for my liking and is quiet on the field, often getting lost in the mix. If an NFL team can strengthen him up, he might do best moving inside to guard in a pass heavy scheme.
Player Comparison: Kayode Awosika
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati (Wild Card – Washington)
- Killian Zierer – Auburn
Zierer is one of the tallest prospects in this entire draft. His large frame gives him more room to add muscle and weight if desired. Also, his past experience playing soccer growing up gives him much more nimble feet than other linemen. He is an aggressive player with some promising flashes especially as a puller on run plays. Zierer does get too aggressive at times and whiffs on blocks completely. He is a raw prospect and certainly a project. His upside may be worth the chance. Zierer will initially be depth and possibly play some right tackle. With refinement he might be able to play either side.
Player Comparison: Trevor Penning (aggression) / Spencer Brown (frame)
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas, New York Jets (Wild Card – Jacksonville)
- Trevor Reid – Louisville
Reid is a fairly athletic tackle who not only moves well but also has the versatility to play either side. He does well in open space on screens as a lead blocker. Reid has plenty of upside but is another project. He lacks the necessary upper body strength at the moment, gets turned by defenders too much and at times gets completely blown off the line of scrimmage. A lot needs to be cleaned up but his athleticism is intriguing. He will be providing depth for at least a while.
Player Comparison: James Hudson III
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Kansas City, Baltimore, Philadelphia (Wild Card – Arizona)
- Matthew Bergeron – Syracuse
Bergeron was a left tackle at Syracuse and probably put his best film on tape as a run blocker. Syracuse really liked to pull him because he moves well. Bergeron is an experienced player but on the edge lets pass rushers get to his chest too much and ultimately loses those reps. His stock has appeared to be on the rise as of late but I truly hope a team moves him to left guard. He may very well have a sustained career at that specific spot.
Player Comparison: Hakeem Adeniji
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Chicago, Houston, Washington (Wild Card – Indianapolis)
- Wanya Morris – Oklahoma
Morris has had his fair shares of ups and downs over the course of his college career. Even as recently as the combine, he pulled up and went down while running the 40 yard dash. Morris was a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school with loads of talent and potential. After leaving Tennessee for Oklahoma, his play fell off. Finally in 2022 he had a bounce back year at right tackle with plenty of dominant flashes. Morris possesses elite wingspan, is pretty quick and has very long strides. He is naturally explosive and also changes directions better than most. Morris is still trying to find some consistency in addition to correcting some balance issues. He is a lean blocker so he can also struggle holding his ground at times. Morris will provide excellent depth early and may be able to plug and play at left or right tackle when his number is called.
Player Comparison: Spencer Burford
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Las Vegas, Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay (Wild Card – New York Jets)
- Blake Freeland – BYU
Freeland’s stock has been rising since the combine because he is an athletic freak at the position who tested very well. He has an incredible frame at 6’8” and 305 pounds while also playing with excellent aggression and stout pass protecting skills. Freeland stands guys up without giving up much ground at all. He might not be overpowering but he plays smart and is experienced. As a run blocker Freeland has the bad habit of putting his head down and lunging. Freeland could be a plug and play at any position on the offensive line with the potential to start early on. In order to play quickly, he would need to be in a pass heavy scheme since his run blocking needs improvement.
Player Comparison: Blake Hance
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee, Cleveland (Wild Card – Kansas City)
- Richard Gouraige – Florida
Gouraige is a pure mauler. He is a relentless run blocker with the ability to open up gaping holes. He does this by turning defenders with ease and playing with a purpose. Gouraige is experienced at both tackle and guard which will add to his value. He moves quick laterally and in his first few steps. He is not as quick in open space plus sometimes overshoots and gets caught off balance. Gouraige has difficulty redirecting in pass sets. In the NFL, Gouraige will probably be best sliding inside to guard in a run-heavy scheme.
Player Comparison: Elgton Jenkins
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Philadelphia, Kansas City, Buffalo (Wild Card – Los Angeles Rams)
- Jordan McFadden – Clemson
McFadden is a tone setter with a great demeanor and ideal chippiness. He climbs well in the run game and also keeps his balance. He had an experienced playing career at Clemson in a shotgun heavy system. He is smaller than most other tackles but his mobility makes up for it. Some teams may want to move him inside but I think his skillset is still best at tackle. He will be valuable plug and play depth.
Player Comparison: Charles Leno Jr.
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City (Wild Card – Miami)
- Ryan Hayes – Michigan
Hayes is an experienced tackle with a large frame, competitive drive and a nasty demeanor. At Michigan he played in a power run scheme where he excelled at moving bodies, climbing to the second level and pulling. All of the power for Hayes comes through his legs. He is not a quick lateral mover but his length makes up for that. Stronger/longer edge defenders may give him some headaches in pass protection. He is a plug and play prospect with the ability to slide inside to guard if necessary. I prefer him on the outside in a run heavy scheme.
Player Comparison: Sam Cosmi
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Houston, Indianapolis, Baltimore (Wild Card – New England)
- Jaelyn Duncan – Maryland
Duncan is another experienced tackle with a large frame and some strong lateral movement. Duncan packs some pop in his hand punches and finishes off blocks exceptionally well. In the run game he is best as a lead blocker/puller. Against Ohio State, Zach Harrison made life very difficult for him. It was one example of his struggles against length on the edge. Duncan also tends to lose his base against speed rushes. There is room for plenty of refinement in his game but Duncan is still best suited to remain at left tackle. He could play guard or right tackle if necessary.
Player Comparison: Alex Leatherwood
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Chicago, Tennessee, Pittsburgh (Wild Card – Cleveland)
- Darnell Wright – Tennessee
Wright is a heavier tackle and if a team wants Dawand Jones but misses out, then Wright should be the backup option. He is full of power, tenacity and is excellent at moving bodies in the run game. Wright is also stout in pass protection by remaining patient and anchoring. He has sufficient movement for his size but is slower kicking out to the side. Due to his build, Wright tends to get top heavy. Wright has the skill to play left tackle but his modest movement makes me believe that staying at right tackle would be most ideal.
Player Comparison: Elijah Wilkinson
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Arizona, Las Vegas, Denver (Wild Card – Houston)
- Tyler Steen – Alabama
Steen is a reliable pass protector with quick lateral movement. He was the left tackle at Alabama and is one of the more athletic tackles in this class. Steen displays quick hands, pretty clean footwork and enough strength to start early in his NFL career. In the run game he has no issue getting upfield. Steen is not as strong as some other prospects and does have some inconsistency in his technique. At times he can be overeager and lose balance by lunging at a defender. Steen could play either tackle spot but I prefer that he stays on the left side.
Player Comparison: Rasheed Walker
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – Cleveland)
- Carter Warren – Pittsburgh
Warren is quite coordinated for his size as a sturdy, tough to move type of tackle. He manages to keep his feet square, slides well and is also fairly smooth. Warren has great hands which is one of the reasons his strength is in pass protection. Warren is a good run blocker yet there is room for improvement. He would not be defined as a mauler and I would like to see some more nastiness in his game. Twists and stunts can sometimes be a problem for Warren additionally. Warren has the ability to play both right and left tackle.
Player Comparison: Laremy Tunsil
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Tennessee (Wild Card – Pittsburgh)
- Warren McClendon – Georgia
McClendon has the ideal length for a tackle and is one of the toughest in the run game. He has great upper body strength in addition to being rather attentive. McClendon also has some short area agility and impressively does not give up sacks. He can sometimes get off balance and his hand punch timing could improve. Aside from some minor technique cleanup, McClendon should be starting at right tackle immediately.
Player Comparison: Nicholas Petit-Frere
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh (Wild Card – Miami)
- Dawand Jones – Ohio State
Jones is an unreal prospect with absurd size. For defenders it is like trying to move a massive boulder out of the way and it just won’t budge. Jones is a run game mauler with a massive frame, top tier power and incredible length. He is fairly aggressive and actually moves well for his size. As a pass blocker he is patient and shows some nice punch. He can get off balance when needing to quickly redirect. He is also top heavy thanks to his build. Jones does not have the versatility to move over to left tackle. He could become an elite right tackle in the NFL.
Player Comparison: Orlando Brown Jr. / Daniel Faalele
Projection: 1st Round
Best Fits: Indianapolis, Green Bay, Las Vegas (Wild Card – New York Jets)
- Anton Harrison – Oklahoma
Harrison has a long build, nice arm length and room to add more muscle and weight to his frame. He also has some loose hips and redirects his body well. His lateral movements are excellent and he manages to remain squared up to defenders. Harrison is a player that doesn’t overextend either which helps him maintain balance. He certainly could get stronger which may help with generating additional leverage. Harrison still has room for growth and has not reached his ceiling which is rather encouraging. He also has the versatility to play right tackle or left tackle.
Player Comparison: Jedrick Wills Jr.
Projection: Late 1st – 2nd Round
Best Fits: Tennessee, Los Angeles Rams, Chicago (Wild Card – Buffalo)
Watch as Cole unveils the top 3 – highlights included!
