Patraw's 2022 NFL Draft Rankings: Offensive Tackles
With the NFL Draft only 12 days away, it's time to finalize the rankings and make some tough decisions on where to rank these prospects. Let's look at the offensive tackle position, where I give you my top 10 tackles and the round I would feel comfortable drafting them.
This year, the offensive tackle class is very interesting because there is a ton of talent at the top, some depth in the middle, and then a bit of a drop-off after that. The first three picks have the potential to be all tackles, with a potential to have a total of seven selected on Day 1.
With an emphasis being put on protecting quarterbacks, high-end tackles are becoming just as important as having a franchise quarterback or pass rusher. Hitting on a tackle will be vital, and luckily for NFL teams, there are plenty of quality bookend tackles in this class. Guys like Evan Neal and Trevor Penning are super athletic, strong, and powerful. Then there are players like Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross, who can play any position on the offensive line.
Prospects like Tyler Smith from Tulsa and Bernhard Raimann from Central Michigan are beginning to get some love, but not enough. Both are very good, raw prospects that have the potential to be future Pro Bowlers. If I'm a general manager with a top-10 pick and multiple first-round selections, I might consider passing on the top guys and draft another position, then select Smith or Raimann later.
With the number of talented tackles, below are my top 10 tackles and where I would select them in the upcoming NFL Draft.
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QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | iOL | iDL | EDGE | LB | CB | S
1. Evan Neal, Alabama
Age: 20.6 | HT: 6074 | WT: 337 | Round Grade: 1
2. Ikem Ekwonu, North Carolina State
Age: NA | HT: 6040 | WT: 310 | Round Grade: 1
3. Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
Age: NA | HT: 6071 | WT: 325 | Round Grade: 1
4. Charles Cross, Mississippi State
Age: 21.4 | HT: 6046 | WT: 307 | Round Grade: 1
5. Tyler Smith, Tulsa
Age: 21.0 | HT: 6060 | WT: 332 | Round Grade: 1
6. Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
Age: NA | HT: 6060 | WT: 303 | Round Grade: 2
7. Daniel Faalele, Minnesota
Age: 22.4 | HT: 6080 | WT: 384 | Round Grade: 2
8. Sean Rhyan, UCLA
Age: NA | HT: 6050 | WT: 321 | Round Grade: 2
9. Abraham Lucas, Washington State
Age: NA | HT: 6060 | WT: 315 | Round Grade: 3
10. Dare Rosenthal, Kentucky
Age: 22.4 | HT: 6070 | WT: 290 | Round Grade: 4
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QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | iOL | iDL | EDGE | LB | CB | S
