Exactly! Life and success has a lot to do with correct timing and with those strong position group's ( especially LT and QB) we might end up with some valuable assets come this next draft season.
A few of those amazing Tackle prospects:
• Notre Dame’s Joe Alt: The junior could push Penei Sewell for the title of best offensive tackle prospect in the PFF College era.
• Penn State’s Olu Fashanu: The redshirt junior would’ve been one of the top tackles in the 2023 class if he had declared.
• Alabama’s JC Latham: The junior was the highest-rated offensive tackle recruit since 2015 and has lived up to the hype at right tackle, especially in pass protection.
It’s too early to make any sweeping declarations about the 2024 NFL Draft, given how much can change after the upcoming season. However, one thing should remain true: The offensive tackle class looks special.
Here are the 10 offensive tackle prospects to know as we head into summer scouting for the 2024 class.
JOE ALT, NOTRE DAME
Alt led all tackles in college football in overall grade (91.4) and run-blocking grade (91.0). He also placed sixth among Power Five tackles in pressure rate allowed (2.1%). He has a massive frame at 6-foot-8, 315 pounds and told me his wingspan is more than 7 feet. Alt looks like the best offensive tackle prospect since
Penei Sewell.
OLU FASHANU, PENN STATE
Fashanu was a projected first-rounder in the 2023 NFL Draft but opted to return to get his master’s degree. Not only does he excel in the classroom, but he also excels in pass protection. His 84.7 pass-blocking grade ranked sixth among Power Five tackles, and he didn’t surrender a sack and allowed only one hit on 281 pass-blocking snaps. He does need to get meaner as a run blocker, something he told me he’s been focusing on this offseason. Fashanu is still only 20 years old despite being a redshirt junior.
JC LATHAM, ALABAMA
Latham was an elite pass blocker at right tackle for Alabama this past season as a sophomore. He earned an 84.5 pass-blocking grade on true pass sets, fourth among all tackles in college football. On 486 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed only one hit and didn’t give up a sack. He has excellent footwork in pass protection and just needs to develop better awareness as a run blocker. It remains to be seen whether he’ll stick at right tackle as a junior or move to the left side, as Evan Neal and Alex Leatherwood did.
GRAHAM BARTON, DUKE
Barton was the only Power Five tackle who posted 85.0-plus grades as both a pass blocker and a run blocker last season. His 17 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) were five more than any other tackle in the country. Barton likely could’ve been a Day 2 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft had he declared. Instead, he enters his senior season as a projected first-rounder.
JONAH MONHEIM, USC
Monheim was one of four Power Five tackles to earn 80.0-plus pass- and run-blocking grades. Only Joe Alt was a more valuable tackle in 2022, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. Monheim totaled the most pass-blocking snaps in the country without allowing a sack or hit (570).
KINGSLEY SUAMATAIA, BYU
A five-star recruit in 2021, Suamataia transferred to BYU from Oregon this past season and flashed elite tools at right tackle. He earned an impressive 80.9 pass-blocking grade in 2022.
JAVON FOSTER, MISSOURI
Only Peter Skoronski posted a higher pass-blocking grade than Foster’s 86.7 mark this year among Power Five tackles. On 457 pass-blocking snaps against some of the best edge defenders in America, the redshirt senior gave up just a 3.5% pressure rate.
BLAKE FISHER, NOTRE DAME
Fisher has the requisite physical tools at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds but needs to put it all together. He earned a 72.9 overall grade and a 68.9 pass-blocking grade at right tackle for Notre Dame. If he can improve his technique, specifically his hand usage, the Fighting Irish could have two tackles go in the first round.
ZION NELSON, MIAMI (FL)
Nelson was a projected first-rounder in many way-too-early mock drafts for both the 2022 and 2023 classes. He’s returning for a fifth season at Miami, which is also his fifth as the Hurricanes’ starting left tackle. In 2022, Nelson played just 61 snaps due to a knee injury. What made him such an intriguing prospect over the past few years was his smoothness in pass protection. Nelson’s 84.6 pass-blocking grade across the 2020 and 2021 seasons ranked ninth among Power Five tackles. If he can improve as a run blocker and stay healthy, he could reenter the first-round conversation.
AMARIUS MIMS, GEORGIA
So far, Mims' career arc is quite similar to that of Broderick Jones, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Both were top-10 recruits in their respective classes and spent their first two seasons as backup tackles. They each impressed in that role as sophomores before becoming a starter at left tackle as juniors. In 2022, Mims earned a 77.5 grade and didn’t allow a sack or hit on 184 pass-blocking snaps. He has the physical tools to become one of the top tackles in the class if he takes the next step as a starter like Jones did.
