Editor\u2019s note: The U-T\u2019s Eddie Brown is breaking down prospects, position by position, leading up to the NFL Draft (April 23-25). Here are his top 10 offensive tackles, plus \u201cbonus\u201d players he believes will be drafted or signed as a priority free agent:<\/p>\n
1. Francis Mauigoa (Jr., Miami, 6-foot-5, 327 pounds)<\/p>\n
Mauigoa was the top-ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 class and a consensus top-10 recruit nationally. He\u2019s big and powerful with an attitude that shows up on every finish. There are scouts who believe he\u2019d be even better on the interior, but he\u2019s talented enough to stay at tackle. Mauigoa anchored one of the nation\u2019s better offensive lines in his final year with the Hurricanes and put together the kind of pass-protection season that gets line coaches misty-eyed. Speed and counter rushers will test his feet and timing, but the baseline traits scream long-term starter with Pro Bowl upside, whether he sticks at right tackle or eventually slides inside. His older brother (Francisco) is a linebacker for the New York Jets, and was selected in the fifth round (No. 162) of last year\u2019s draft. Projected: Top-15<\/p>\n
2. Spencer Fano (Jr., Utah, 6-5, 311)<\/p>\n
A former four-star recruit, Fano is a technician with calm feet and consistent hands. He rarely panics, and rarely loses cleanly. His ceiling debate comes down to length\/anchor vs. NFL power, but his floor is high because the pass-pro foundation is real. Whether he sticks at tackle or eventually slides inside may depend on the team, but his athleticism (9.80 Relative Athletic Score) will pop in all five positions. A wide zone, screen-heavy, movement-based offense would be the best fit.\u00a0Fano has four uncles and a cousin who played in the NFL. Projected: Top-15<\/p>\n
3. Monroe Freeling (Jr., Georgia, 6-7, 315)<\/p>\n
Freeling features rare lateral movement skills for a tackle his size. His combine numbers were elite enough to produce a near-perfect 9.99 RAS. He needs polish, considering he only has one full season as a starter, but he earned second-team All-SEC recognition. Freeling emphatically checks off all the boxes for what the NFL is looking for in a starting left tackle: long, explosive, with an athletic toolbox deep enough to make coaches believe they can unlock something big. Most of the other top prospects at the position in this class will end up at right tackle or even on the interior. Projected: Round 1<\/p>\n
4. Blake Miller (Sr., Clemson, 6-7, 317)<\/p>\n
Miller is the rare four-year ironman tackle prospect who checks the NFL\u2019s favorite boxes in permanent marker: size, length, anchor, awareness, durability, and good enough feet to survive on an island. He\u2019s been the Tigers\u2019 right tackle forever, and he plays like a guy who\u2019s seen every stunt, every twist, every disguised pressure a coordinator can cook up. Miller wasn\u2019t considered an elite athlete before this draft season, but he has tested well (9.90 RAS). He is one of the safest prospects in this class: smart, sturdy, technically advanced, and rarely overwhelmed. Projected: Rounds 1-2<\/p>\n
5. Caleb Lomu (So., Utah, 6-6, 313)<\/p>\n
Like Freeling, Lomu is a high-upside blindside prospect with real athleticism (9.77 RAS). The former four-star recruit was talented enough for the Utes to move Fano to the right side once he was ready to start. The concerns are strength, polish, and whether his current body can consistently hold up against NFL power and speed. He struggled mightily against the vaunted Texas Tech pass rush. Projected: Rounds 1-2<\/p>\n
6. Kadyn Proctor (Jr., Alabama, 6-7, 352)<\/p>\n
Proctor was the second-ranked offensive tackle in the 2023 class (behind Mauigoa). He is a mountain with real upside. When he\u2019s square and engaged, he swallows defenders. The NFL will test his conditioning and lateral quickness, but the raw size\/power profile gives him a starter\u2019s runway. It\u2019s nearly impossible to find 350-pound athletes who are as powerful, explosive and surprisingly agile as he is (he was No. 2 on Bruce Feldman\u2019s \u201cFreaks\u201d list in 2025). Proctor has only played left tackle in college and high school, but some scouts believe moving to guard would help maximize his pro potential. Projected: Round 1<\/p>\n
7. Max Iheanachor (Sr., Arizona St., 6-6, 321)<\/p>\n
Iheanachor is a big, athletic (9.86 RAS), ascending tackle prospect whose stock is built on size, agility, and the promise of what happens when a relatively new football player keeps improving. He was born and raised in Nigeria before his family immigrated to the United States and settled in Compton when he was 13 years old. Iheanachor initially focused on basketball, competing on the AAU circuit, before finding football after graduating high school in 2021. He spent two years learning the game at East Los Angeles College before joining the Sun Devils. Iheanachor is further along protecting the edge than he is creating displacement in the run game. If his footwork and hand timing catch up, he might not need a \u201credshirt\u201d year; if not, he\u2019s still a worthy developmental project. Projected: Rounds 1-2<\/p>\n
8. Gennings Dunker (Sr., Iowa, 6-5, 319)<\/p>\n
Dunker is a powerful, nasty, Iowa-forged O-lineman who wins with brute force and leverage. He was a foundational piece for the Hawkeyes and an offensive line that won the 2025 Joe Moore Award as the top O-line in college football.\u00a0The cleanest projection is as a starting right guard with emergency tackle value, though a team that believes in the tackle tape could still give him a shot outside. Plus, his mullet is magnificent. Projected: Rounds 2-3<\/p>\n
9. Caleb Tiernan (Sr., Northwestern, 6-8, 323)<\/p>\n
Tiernan is a high-floor trench pick: three-year starter, All-Big Ten caliber and team captain his senior season. The former four-star recruit\u2019s timing, hand placement and feel for rush angles already look pro-ready.\u00a0If a team is comfortable with the length, he\u2019s a tackle. If not, he\u2019s a guard, and still a problem for defensive coordinators. Projected: Rounds 2-3<\/p>\n
10. Markel Bell (Sr., Miami, 6-9, 346)<\/p>\n
Bell was a four-star juco recruit and the top offensive lineman in the recruiting class after spending two years at Holmes Community College in Mississippi before joining the Hurricanes in 2024. He is a pure traits bet. He\u2019s massive, long and hard to get around when his feet and hands are synced, but his height and upright style can create balance and leverage issues. Still, Bell didn\u2019t allow a sack as a senior (at almost 360 pounds) and got better throughout the season. Projected: Rounds 3-5<\/p>\n
11. Travis Burke (Sr., Memphis, 6-9, 325)<\/p>\n
The former three-star recruit began at Gardner-Webb before transferring to Florida International for two seasons and joining the Tigers last year. Burke is one of the more intriguing mid-tier tackle prospects because he pairs outrageous size with better movement skills (9.05 RAS) than you\u2019d expect. There\u2019s still developmental work ahead, but his length, athletic upside and grinder mentality give him a real shot to outperform his draft slot. Teams looking for traits will not have to squint, plus he offers experience at both left and right tackle. Projected: Rounds 3-4<\/p>\n
12. Austin Barber (Sr., Florida, 6-7, 318)<\/p>\n
Barber has the frame, experience and functional movement skills (9.81 RAS) to interest teams looking for tackle depth with starter upside. He\u2019s sturdy in the run game and competitive through the whistle, but his pass protection can get a little leaky against speed and counters. He also needs to play with more discipline: committed 29 penalties in four seasons with the Gators (seven in 2025). Projected: Rounds 2-4<\/p>\n
13. Dametrious Crownover (Sr., Texas A&M, 6-7, 319)<\/p>\n
Crownover looks like an NFL tackle the minute he steps off the bus, and the flashes are easy to buy. The former three-star recruit has length (86-inch wingspan!), power and has shown improved awareness in pass protection. However, he\u2019s still inconsistent from snap to snap, especially when rushers force him to adjust laterally. He was penalized 11 times in 2025, including four holding flags. Projected: Rounds 3-5<\/p>\n
14. Isaiah World (Sr., Oregon, 6-5, 323)<\/p>\n
The San Diego native (Lincoln High School) was a three-star recruit who spent four years with Nevada before joining the Ducks last season. World is a four-year starter with an NFL body and enough agility and power to tempt teams earlier than this range. The medicals cloud the projection because he tore his ACL in his left knee during the playoff game against Indiana in January. When healthy, he looks like a legitimate top-tier tackle prospect with pass-pro upside, natural ability and a commanding presence. There\u2019s still technical refinement needed \u2014 a little surprising considering he\u2019s played 51 games \u2014 but there\u2019s real potential in him ending up one of the better values in this draft if he slips to Day 3.\u00a0Projected: Rounds 3-5<\/p>\n
15. Jude Bowry (Jr., Boston College, 6-5, 314)<\/p>\n
Bowry is an athletic developmental tackle with starter tools if the technique catches up. He gets out of his stance well, moves efficiently in space (9.40 RAS) and flashes enough power to stabilize reps early. The issue is consistency, which keeps him in the projection bucket for now. A move inside might unlock his full potential. Projected: Rounds 4-5<\/p>\n
16. Drew Shelton (Sr., Penn St., 6-5, 313)<\/p>\n
A former four-star recruit, Shelton was the 12th-ranked offensive tackle in the 2022 class. He brings mobility and enough baseline ability in pass protection to earn a long look. He\u2019s comfortable in space and has the athletic profile to stick, but he doesn\u2019t always play with ideal control or finish blocks as cleanly as coaches would like. Improving his play strength may unlock another level. The floor feels like valuable depth. Projected: Rounds 4-5<\/p>\n
17. Kage Casey (Jr., Boise St., 6-6, 310)<\/p>\n
The former three-star recruit earned Freshman All-American and second-team All-MWC honors in his first season as a starter in 2023. Casey followed that up by earning second-team All-American and first-team All-MWC honors as a sophomore while helping pave the way for Ashton Jeanty during his near historic campaign. He capped his career with the Broncos by earning first-team All-MWC recognition once again last season. Casey is a dependable, technically proficient blocker whose best NFL fit may ultimately come inside. Regardless, he plays with toughness, understands angles and will give teams a relatively safe developmental floor. Projected: Rounds 4-5<\/p>\n
18. Diego Pounds (Sr., Ole Miss, 6-6, 325)<\/p>\n
The former three-star recruit spent three years at North Carolina before transferring to Oxford. Pounds is a classic Day 3 traits play. He has the size, movement ability and pass-pro chops to warrant patience. He still needs refinement with leverage, strength and overall consistency. Teams that trust their O-line coaching will see a moldable body here. Projected: Rounds 4-7<\/p>\n
19. J.C. Davis (Sr., Illinois, 6-4, 322)<\/p>\n
Davis was a no-star recruit with no Division I offers who began his collegiate journey at Contra Costa College before becoming a two-time All-Mountain West honoree at New Mexico and a two-time All-Big Ten honoree with the Illini. He started 49 straight games at left tackle to end his college career. Davis features size, experience and potential position flexibility (he took guard reps during Senior Bowl practices). He has enough strength to hang around, but the hands and timing can get inconsistent, which makes too many reps feel unstable. Projected: Rounds 5-6<\/p>\n
20. Nolan Rucci (Sr., Penn St., 6-8, 314)<\/p>\n
Rucci was the fifth-ranked offensive tackle in the 2021 class and the No. 16 recruit nationally. He spent three years at Wisconsin before joining the Nittany Lions. His father Todd also played on the offensive line at Penn State (1988-92) before becoming a second-round pick of the New England Patriots (No. 51) in the 1993 NFL Draft. His maternal grandfather (Thomas Gilburg) played football and lacrosse at Syracuse before becoming a second-round pick (No. 21) of the Baltimore Colts in the 1961 NFL Draft. Rucci\u2019s selling points are obvious: size, pedigree and flashes of athletic ability in pass sets. He hasn\u2019t fully turned those traits into a finished product, which is why he sits in the late-round tier. The team that drafts him will be betting on development, not immediate return. Projected: Rounds 6-7<\/p>\n
21. Keagen Trost (Sr., Missouri, 6-5, 311)<\/p>\n
Trost, a no-star recruit, spent five seasons at the FCS level (Morgan State and Indiana State) before transferring to Wake Forest in 2024, and finally ending up in Columbia, where he excelled against SEC competition last season. He earned second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC recognition with the Tigers.\u00a0Trost competes well and has enough pass-protection savvy to make a roster, but the physical ceiling looks limited compared to higher-end tackle prospects, which will likely necessitate a move inside. He\u2019s more likely to win with competence than traits. Projected: Rounds 4-7<\/p>\n
22. Aamil Wagner (Jr., Notre Dame, 6-6, 306)<\/p>\n
Wagner was the 11th-ranked offensive tackle in the 2022 class. The former four-star recruit and team captain is worth stashing because his light feet and length are NFL-caliber. He\u2019s still leaner than teams will prefer and can get stressed when reps turn into a battle of brawn, but the pedigree is worth developing. Projected: Rounds 6-7<\/p>\n
23. Tristan Leigh (Sr., Clemson, 6-5, 312)<\/p>\n
Leigh was a consensus top-20 recruit nationally in the 2021 class, and became a three-year starter at left tackle for the Tigers and a team captain his senior season. He features NFL size and length, but could use more consistent hand usage in pass pro. He isn\u2019t a mauler in the run game, but he\u2019s athletic enough to be an effective puller and capable of making blocks at the second level. Leigh is a lottery-ticket blocker with an appealing ceiling-to-cost ratio. Projected: Round 7-PFA<\/p>\n
24. Riley Mahlman (Sr., Wisconsin, 6-8, 308)<\/p>\n
Mahlman looks the part of a Wisconsin tackle prospect: big, experienced and battle-tested. The former four-star recruit relies a little too much on his size, and needs more consistent hands, but he also never leaves the field and has double-digit starts at both tackle positions. Projected: Round 7-PFA<\/p>\n
25. Christian Jones (Sr., San Diego St., 6-9, 349)<\/p>\n
The intrigue surrounding Jones is built almost entirely on size. His hands are 10\u00bc inches, his arms are 36\u00be inches and his wingspan is almost 89 inches. You\u2019re not going to find that combination anywhere else in this draft class (or most other draft classes for that matter). With his frame, teams will at least want to get him in camp and see whether the technique can be cleaned up enough to make the body functional. He\u2019s likely a priority free agent with enough raw clay to earn a look, and would fit nicely in a power run scheme. Projected: PFA<\/p>\n
26. Gavin Ortega (Sr., Weber St., 6-5, 304)<\/p>\n
A former three-star recruit, Ortega earned second-team FCS All-American honors and was chosen team captain in his senior season with the Wildcats. His best shot may come inside, where his temperament and point-of-attack quickness could play up. The tackle projection is tougher because the athletic limitations show up against speed and redirect. Projected: Round 7-PFA<\/p>\n
27. Enrique Cruz Jr. (Sr., Kansas, 6-5, 313)<\/p>\n
The former three-star recruit spent four years with Syracuse before committing to Kansas for his final season of eligibility. Cruz is a late-round flier with enough athletic juice (9.99 RAS) to earn interest. He moves well for the position and has the kind of measurable profile that will get him on boards, but his tape still feels more developmental than dependable. Projected: Rounds 6-7<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: The U-T\u2019s Eddie Brown is breaking down prospects, position by position, leading up to the NFL…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":259582,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[17641,114472,37246,1321,114477,37235,46521,37243,114474,114473,114471,17640,100729,114475,114469,114470,74,76,75,114476,100733],"class_list":{"0":"post-259581","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-blake-miller","10":"tag-caleb-lomu","11":"tag-college-football","12":"tag-draft-rankings","13":"tag-francis-mauigoa","14":"tag-gennings-dunker","15":"tag-kadyn-proctor","16":"tag-markel-bell","17":"tag-max-iheanachor","18":"tag-monroe-freeling","19":"tag-nfl-draft","20":"tag-nfl-draft-prospects","21":"tag-offensive-line-prospects","22":"tag-offensive-tackle-rankings","23":"tag-ot-rankings","24":"tag-san-diego","25":"tag-san-diego-headlines","26":"tag-san-diego-news","27":"tag-scouting-report","28":"tag-spencer-fano"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259581"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259581\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}