Articles

By Michael Stewart/@golferbad  

This will be part 5 in a series of 13 as we take a look at the Offensive Tackle position in the upcoming 2021 draft. If Super Bowl championships are built from the inside out; then the Offensive Tackle position has the talent and depth in all seven rounds. Let’s take a look at my Top 10 Offensive Tackles in the upcoming 2021 NFL draft.

  1. Penei Sewell (Oregon)-6’5/325: Sewell stands alone on top of the offensive tackle position as he is clearly the best of the bunch. Sewell opted out of the 2020 season, but make no make he’ll be the 1st Offensive Tackle off the board and possibly taken within the top 3 selections. Sewell has that combination of power and athleticism that makes him a generational tackle and in direct comparisons to Anthony Muniz or Jonathan Ogden.
  2. Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech)-6’5/315:  Darrisaw has moved up this list from the start of the season when he was barely in many top 10 projections to now being in nearly everyone’s top 5 Offensive Tackle in this draft. There’s good reason for this as Darrisaw has taken his game to the next level with his play. Darrisaw is already a high level pass protector, but is not too far behind as a run blocker. Darrisaw should be a Top 15 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
  3. Samuel Cosmi (Texas)-6’7/300: Cosmi is already viewed as one of the best pass protectors in college football, but make no mistake his prowess as a run blocker as he has the lower body strength to move opponents. One aspect that Cosmi does well is that he is able to mirror his opponents extremely well and has great bend. Cosmi is very athletic for his size and should hear his name somewhere in the middle of the 1st round in the 2021 NFL draft.
  4. Liam Eichenberg (Notre Dame)-6’6/305: Eichenberg continues the long line of NFL caliber offensive linemen out of Notre Dame and he has had a solid college career. Eichenberg’s quickness is arguably his biggest asset and then add in his power at the point of attack makes him a desirable linemen in this draft. Eichenberg could be selected somewhere on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft.
  5. Jalen Mayfield (Michigan)-6’5/319: Mayfield can be defined by one word “consistency” as he has maintained a constant level of performance at Michigan. Mayfield initiates contact at the point of attack and does well in the running game. Mayfield is projected to be selected midway through Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft.  
  6. Alex Leatherwood (Alabama)-6’6/310: Leatherwood plays for a powerhouse program and has faced arguably the best of the best on the defensive side of the ball. Leatherwood has been steady as a two year starter at Alabama and has enough attributes and intangibles to be a solid lineman in the NFL.
  7. Jackson Carman (Clemson)-6’5/345: Carman is a massive linemen who knows how to use his powerful frame in both the running and passing game. In the trenches Carman excels, but in open space Carman tends to struggle a bit.
  8. Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa)-6’9/325: Brown originally started out as a Tight End at Northern Iowa and converted nicely as an Offensive Tackle and a top 10 Offensive Tackle in the process. Brown is extremely athletic, but is still a little raw with a very high ceiling to add more size and ability over the next couple of years. Brown could shoot up this list if he does well at the Senior Bowl and the NFL combine before the draft.
  9. Daniel Faalele (Minnesota)-6’8/400: Faalele makes some of the offensive tackles on this list look like tight ends with his enormous size. Faalele is surprisingly light on his feet for his size and does well in open space. Faalele needs a little time once drafted to adjust to the speed in the NFL more than the other Offensive Tackles on this list, but once he figures it out the team that drafts him will be extremely happy.
  10. Abraham Lucas (Washington State)-6’7/330: Lucas is projected to stay at right tackle in the NFL as he possesses many of the attributes NFL teams covert at the next level. Lucas is more efficient as a pass protector at this stage, but should be able to improve as a run blocker as he develops.

The year’s Offensive Tackles offers a wide variety of talent ranging from elite athleticism to immense power in the trenches. It’s projected that the Offensive tackle position will have the most linemen taken in this draft over the Guard and Center position; as we could see possibly four taken in the 1st round and a lot more on Days two and three.