Articles

Introduction: This year’s offensive tackle class is a solid bunch and could be the deepest class of offensive tackles over the past decade. This year’s class has more versatility than the past draft class and we could see the number of tackles taken not only in this draft, but also in the 1st round. The Giants with new Head Coach Joe Judge really need to look long and hard at this position to get the Giants back to the promise land. Here are my top 10 offensive tackles in college football.

  1. Andrew Thomas (Georgia) 6’5/320: Thomas was a dominant force at left tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs, and is widely considered the best tackle on the board. Thomas has the size, strength and athleticism to handle the blind side and is an efficient run blocker.
  2. Austin Jackson (USC) 6’6/310: Jackson has the ideal body type that NFL team’s covert at Left Tackle. Jackson has excellent technique and footwork to go along with his athletic ability. Jackson sets himself quickly and doesn’t over commit.
  3. Tristan Wirfs (Iowa) 6’5/320: Wirfs checks all the boxes at right tackle with his brawler mentality. Wirfs has a strong base and is a devastating run blocker: but needs to improve as a pass defender.
  4. Jedrick Wills (Alabama) 6’5/315: Wills stock is shooting up the draft boards and could be a top 15 pick in the draft. Wills is a powerful run blocker, but needs a little fine tuning with his footwork as a pass defender. Wills plays nasty and once he locks onto to a defender; it’s over.
  5. Trey Adams (Washington) 6’7/302: Adams is a prototypical left tackle with his good size and athletic frame. Adams can adjust to either speed or power rushes by opposing defenders and has solid technique with his hands and footwork.
  6. Prince Tega Wancogho (Auburn) 6’7/310: Tega Wanogho has natural footwork and excels in pass protection. Tega Wancogho still needs to refine his over technique in terms of hand placement and upper body strength, but has shown signs of improvement in those areas.
  7. Alaric Jackson (Iowa) 6’6/320: Jackson is a powerful left tackle that many scouts believe has a higher ceiling for improvement than most of the other tackles on the board. Jackson already is polished in his footwork and hand usage and could flourish into an elite left tackle.  
  8. Josh Jones (Houston) 6’7/310: Jones has a solid body frame and has all the intangibles to play left tackle in the NFL. Jones has extremely quick feet and positions himself well between the quarterback and his defender. Jones is more polished as a run blocker than a pass defender.
  9. Mekhi Becton (Louisville) 6’7/335: Becton is a massive tackle that surprisingly moves well for his size. Becton doesn’t just use his massive size to beat opposing linemen, but also his overall technique with solid hand placement and footwork.
  10. Lucas Niang (TCU) 6’7/328: Niang has all the intangibles to be an elite tackle in the NFL. Niang suffered a hip injury on October 26th in a win against Texas, but should be ready for the draft. Over the last 20 games, Niang has not allowed a single sack and had the highest pass blocking rating in the Big 12 (according to PFF). Niang is a 1st round talent that could slip due to his injury.

Final Thoughts: GM Dave Gettleman was given a second chance to hit the reset button as the Giants GM and his first order of business is to fix the offensive line. The best place to start is at the offensive tackle position, so this time there’s no excuses for the Giants to add talent and depth at the tackle position through the draft and also possibly through free agency where notable tackles could be available such as: Daryl Williams, Brandon Scherff and Jack Conklin.