Top 5 Offensive Tackle Prospects In 2022 NFL Draft

The left tackle is the most important position on the field other than quarterback, precisely because it protects a right-handed quarterback’s blind side. Guards and centers generally don’t become top-20 draft picks, but quality tackles do. Let’s look at the five best offensive tackle prospects for the 2022 NFL draft, which is just around the corner and will soon become a central topic of conversation in the American sports world.

1. Charles Cross, Mississippi State

The Bulldogs’ passing game was as good as it was in 2021 because Cross just didn’t have many bad plays. Per Pro Football Focus, Cross allowed just 16 quarterback pressures in 2021 on 719 total snaps. That’s absolutely ridiculous as a measure of pass protection consistency. That’s an average of one QB pressure every 45 snaps, which generally means fewer than two per game unless there is an improbably large amount of snaps due to fast tempo or an extended length of game. That’s the kind of performance which will lead to a top-tier draft selection.

2.  Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State

This is one of the best run-blocking tackles in the draft. Pro Football Focus pointed out that Ekwonu recorded 18 elite-level blocks, loosely defined as a pancake block or a total wipeout of an opposing defensive lineman or linebacker. That so-called elite-level block was seven more than any other offensive lineman from a Power Five conference, according to PFF’s grading and evaluation formula. It’s hard to argue with that level of physicality and that level of upside from a draft prospect. North Carolina State had a good team last year, and Ekwonu played a big part in the Wolfpack’s successes. It’s unfortunate that N.C. State didn’t get to play in the Holiday Bowl, which was canceled due to UCLA’s COVID-19 problems, but Ekwonu should get to impress scouts at the NFL combine and on his pro day.

3. Evan Neal, Alabama

The Crimson Tide didn’t have their best offensive line last year – their 2020 offensive line was extremely good – but even without an elite unit, Alabama still reached the national championship game before losing to Georgia. In other words, the Tide – while not dominant – didn’t exactly have a bunch of chumps on the O-line. Neal was the best of the bunch, with 350-pound size but great footwork. He allowed just 22 quarterback pressures all season, only six more than Charles Cross, mentioned above.

4. Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa

The fact that Penning comes from a small school which did not play Division I football could get held against him, but at 6-7 and 321 pounds, he certainly has a tackle’s size, heft, and reach. If his NFL body can be matched with sharpened instincts as he adjusts to the speed of the pro game, he will thrive.

5. Zion Johnson, Boston College

The Boston College offense didn’t soar in 2021 because quarterback Phil Jurkovec got injured early in the season and missed most (not all) of the year. Had Jurkovec not gotten hurt, it would have been easier to see how dominant Johnson was at the tackle spot for the Eagles. He was hyped going into the year, and he didn’t lose any of his draft stock during the season.