The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the offensive tackle position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's Take
Offensive tackle picks in the first round aren't necessarily sexy, but they're pivotal ones for NFL franchises.
The Steelers have taken an offensive tackle in the first round of the previous two drafts, getting Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu in the past two years to protect the edges.
Perhaps they realized what was coming down the line at offensive tackle.
Per NFL.com's pre-draft rankings, Fautanu's pre-draft ranking would have made him the top available offensive tackle in this year's draft, while Jones' ranking would have placed him second per NFL.com's prognosis.
Jones was the third offensive tackle selected in 2023, while Fautanu was fifth in 2024.
This year's group has some talented players available, but not nearly as gifted as those available in the previous two drafts. That doesn't mean, however, there won't be tackles taken in the first round and beyond. There's a dearth of quality players at the position across the NFL.
And if some of the players selected as tackles don't work out there, they'll likely kick inside where they'll be quality guards.
Dale's Rankings
1. Will Campbell, LSU, 6-5 ⅞, 319 lbs. - Campbell has excellent athleticism, overall size and demeanor to handle playing either tackle position in the NFL. He's also been battle-tested playing in the SEC, facing the top competition college football has to offer the past few years. But he's also got 32 5/8-inch arms, which isn't ideal. That didn't seem to matter much given his fluid movement skills and heavy hands.
2. Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-4 ⅛, 303 lbs. - Membou played on the right side exclusively at Missouri and might lack the length to play left tackle in the NFL, but he might be the most athletic of any tackle in this draft as he put on display at the NFL Scouting Combine. Like Campbell, he lacks ideal arm length at 32 inches, but makes up for it with his plus movement skills. His ability to block on the move will play in the NFL.
3. Josh Simmons, Ohio State, 6-4 ⅞, 317 lbs. - Simmons has the desired length and athleticism to play offensive tackle in the NFL and has experience playing on both sides at Ohio State. But he also suffered a season-ending knee injury in October that will require some medical clearance. Still, in a draft lacking in top-end talent at the position, he could still hear his name called at some point in the first round and might end up being the best player at the position when it's all said and done.
4. Josh Connerly, Oregon, 6-4 ⅝, 311 lbs. - A two-year starter at Oregon at left tackle, Connerly has adequate size to try at left tackle in the NFL. He could be best served moving to the right side, however. A lack of play strength shows up at times, such as at the Senior Bowl when he got bull rushed to his back in one-on-one workouts by Marshall's Mike Green, but he has the athleticism to match up on the edge and his strength will continue to improve.
5. Kelvin Banks, Texas, 6-5 ⅛, 321 lbs. - Has the prototypical size but is likely a better fit as a right tackle than a left. He's a plus blocker against the run, but his lack of top-end athleticism can limit him as a pass blocker. It also might mean a move to guard is in his future. But with his pedigree as a three-year starter at Texas coupled with his size, he'll get a chance at tackle to start.
Sleeper - Charles Grant, William & Mary, 6-4 ⅞, 311 lbs. - A small-school prospect when plenty of small-school players chase the money at larger institutions, Grant will hear his name called before a number of other players at the position because of his prototypical size and length. He's got nearly 35-inch arms and an 82-inch wingspan. The tape from William and Mary is good and there are tools with which to work that some of the top guys in this draft just don't have. Grant could be a mid-round steal.
Matt's Take
Last year was a rare offensive tackle class with six selected in the top 20 picks, including Troy Fautanu going with the 20th pick overall to the Steelers. The jury is still out on several of those players and oddly, quite a few were asked to switch sides for their rookie season. Still, it is a very promising class.
That being said, offensive tackle is, without question, a premium and scarce position in the NFL and classes like 2024 just don't come around often. There just are not many body types walking the planet that can be asked of offensive tackles at the NFL level. And it is also a very technical position that takes years of practice and refinement.
This year's class of tackles is much different. Many of the projected early picks at this position do not meet the prototype for NFL tackles-often because of height or arm length.
When it is all said and done, several of these players listed below could begin their careers on the outside and eventually find homes at guard or even center. Ideally, the NFL wants their perimeter pass protectors have an arm length of 34-plus inches, but there are cases of great players at tackle with shorter arms. However, tackles with under a 33-inch arm length that go on to become successes is almost nonexistent.
Matt's Rankings
1. Armand Membou, Purdue, 6-4 1/4, 332 lbs. - Membou is just a shade over 6-4 and has 33 ½-inch arms. His suddenness and athletic ability are startling. Membou is very thickly built with a powerful lower body and low center of gravity. He could potentially be a fantastic guard, but expect Membou's career to begin on the outside, where he could excel.
2. Will Campbell, LSU, 6-5 7/8, 319 lbs. - Campbell is an excellent football player and leader, but his 32 5/8-inch arm length is a serious concern for staying at tackle. This is just a really good football player though with excellent college tape. Campbell has a nastiness about him and a finisher's mentality with strong fundamentals.
3. Josh Simmons, Ohio State, 6-4 7/8, 317 lbs. - Simmons is a pure tackle but only played six games for the eventual National Champions before tearing the patellar tendon in his knee. Still unable to work out at the Combine, Simmons' status is still up in the air. If proves to be healthy before the draft, his stock could soar.
4. Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-5 1/8, 315 lbs. - Banks has some bad moments as a run blocker and can end up on the ground more than you would like. But in protection, he is a smooth mover with excellent hand and foot usage. Banks' arm length is on the short side but expect him to start his career at tackle. However, guard could be his best position.
5. Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon, 6-4 5/8, 311 lbs. - Like Simmons, Conerly is a pure tackle - which should work to his advantage on draft day. He could stand to get stronger and could have problems early in his career against NFL power, but Conerly shows the quickness and range needed to have a very good career at tackle. He doesn't turn 22 years old until November.
Sleeper: Logan Brown, Kansas, 6-6 3/8, 311 lbs. - Brown has the physical dimensions you look for at the position and could probably add more good weight and musculature to his large frame. He was highly recruited coming out of high school before committing to Wisconsin. But he was dismissed from the team in 2022 for an "internal incident" before enrolling at Kansas, where he played out the 2023 and 2024 seasons. While Brown was in college for six years, he was truly only a starter in 2024. He has excellent initial quickness and is very comfortable playing in space. There is still a lot of inconsistency to Brown's game and his new team should not count on him to start as a rookie, but Brown's upside at this position is enticing.
Mike's Take
The draft deck is stacked, and not in an offensive lineman's favor.
Consider LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell's observation late last December: "A D-lineman gets one sack a game, he'll be a Top 5 pick."
As for offensive linemen in general and offensive tackles in particular: "You give up one sack a game for 12 games, you're gonna work at Amazon."
In either capacity, tackles have to deliver.
Mike's Rankings
1. Will Campbell, LSU, 6-57/8, 319 lbs. - Campbell is of the opinion "blocking is done with your feet." That's one reason why he isn't at all concerned about having 325/8-inch arms, which are considered less than ideal for an NFL OT. "It's no secret I don't have the stereotypical offensive lineman arms but I've never had them," he told NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales at the NFL Scouting Combine. "There were concerns when I was coming into college, I handled it fine. And obviously there's concerns now and I'm gonna handle it fine whenever a team gives me the opportunity." That will be sooner rather than later on the first round. Campbell is proof there are exceptions to every measurement.
2. Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-41/4, 332 - There are also measurements that are nothing less than exceptional. Membou and Campbell joined Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs (in 2020) and San Francisco's Trent Williams (in 2010) as the only offensive linemen who registered a vertical leap of over 30 inches and a sub-5.00 40-yard dash at 315 or more pounds at a Combine since 2003. Campbell's vertical this year was 32 inches and his 40 was 4.98 at 319 pounds. Membou delivered a 4.91 40, a 34-inch vertical, and a 9-7 broad jump. He's a tackle, as is Campbell.
3. Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-51/8, 315 lbs. - Another player who has been given some guard consideration in terms of projections to the NFL. His overall athleticism suggests tackle's the spot, even if he moves and blocks in the run game like a guard. Every one of Banks' 42 career starts (in 42 career games) was made at left tackle for the Longhorns, including 15 in a decorated 2024 campaign that included Banks being named a First-Team AP All-American and the winner of the Lombardi Award (best lineman) and the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman).
4. Josh Simmons, Ohio State, 6-5, 310 - The only questions were medical after Simmons had his 2024 season limited to six games due to a patellar tendon injury and subsequent surgery. But the reports out of Indianapolis at the Combine were glowing in terms of Simmons' rapid recovery and anticipated readiness for the upcoming season.
5. Josh Conerly, Oregon, 6-41/8, 313 lbs. - Don't be fooled by the social media clip that made the rounds, the one where Conerly got run over by Marshall edge Mike Green during a 1-on-1 rep in a Senior Bowl practice. Conerly was still named the National Team's offensive lineman of the week for the week of practice in Mobile, Ala. (as voted by opposing defensive lineman and linebackers). He's among the athletic cream of this year's tackle crop. He just isn't infallible.
Sleeper: Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College, 6-75/8, 321 lbs. - Trapilo has the size and he has the bloodlines (his father Steve played five seasons for the Saints after being drafted on the fourth round out of BC in 1987).Trapilo's 36 career starts for Boston College include 24 at right tackle (where he's lined up the last two seasons) and 12 at left tackle.
