2025 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW – OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Draft Grade Index:
90+: All-Pro Projection
85-89: Pro Bowl Projection
81-84: 1st Round – Year 1 starter
77-80: 2nd/3rd Round – Year 1 contributor, year 2-3 starter
74-76: Early Day 3: Cores special teamer and rotational player
71-74: Mid Day 3: Core special teamer and backup
68-70: Late Day 3: Developmental and special teamer
1) Armand Membou – Missouri – 6’4/332
Grade: 84
Junior entry. Lee’s Summit, MO. Three-year starter that spent his entire career at right tackle. All-SEC in 2024. At first glance, Membou looks a bit out of place on the outside. He has the typical body of a guard but the length and athleticism are clearly acceptable for tackle. Membou played against a long list of future pros this past season and graded out exceptionally well. He is a naturally powerful kid with stretches of elite-level play. When his timing is correct and the hand placement accurate, pass protection looks easy. When he gets initial contact in the run game, he can move anybody off the ball. These traits and his fantastic physical testing combined with the fact he turned 21 right before the draft give him a high upside feel to his projection. The lack of consistency is something to note and he may not be ready right away. The youth, quality play versus quality opponents, and immense power from top to bottom will likely lead to a quality starter at either guard or tackle based on who drafts him.
*I know scouts that put a lot of credence and value into the age of linemen prospects because of how much the addition of mass and strength can do to their play. Membou is one of the youngest players in the class overall and I think he is already the top lineman in the class. While he is not on par with the top guys from last year, he has a lot to get excited about. His run blocking tape is downright nasty. I would put him at guard in year one (if the tackle spots were secure) and let him just plow through the defense off the bat. Let him develop hand techniques before throwing him at tackle is a good idea, but not mandatory. I see him as a top 20 type more than I do the top ten but the position value can get him selected early.
2) Will Campbell – LSU – 6’6/319
Grade: 82
Junior entry, three-year starter. Monroe, LA. Three-time All-SEC, first team in 2024 and 2023 in addition to first team All-American honors last season. From day one, Campbell (a five-star recruit) started for the Tigers at left tackle. Athletically he grades out exceptionally high and his tape shows he clearly understands how to block. The hand techniques and body control allow him to mirror against both speed and power without struggle. He is a natural. The alarming concern around Campbell’s size is completely valid. His lack of length that stems from short arms and a diminutive wingspan put him in rare, never-seen before territory for the position. While his career was productive and reliable over 38 starts, the lack of size did show up on several occasions. He simply can’t get his hands to where they need to be and the sheer size of the NFL could make it nearly impossible for him to succeed repeatedly. Campbell needs to be perfect everywhere else to hide the shortcomings. While his tape has proven he can be that more often than not, his best competition in college did give him trouble. Campbell is best suited to line up at guard but he can offer tackle flex. Where a team puts him will be dictated by what they have in the building, not the other way around. He is a starting lineman that can play multiple spots at a high enough level to warrant a first round pick, but his ceiling is limited.
*To be upfront, the lack of size does bother me a bit for Campbell. It’s not just the arm length, but his wingspan. At the combine his wingspan measured at 77 3/8 inches. There are 38 running backs / wide receivers / tight ends that are wider. There were only three linemen with a smaller number and all three were short-armed guards/centers. Even with that pushed to the side, Campbell was at best an 85 grade based on his play. A very solid player but I’m not all in on him playing tackle and I thought he rarely ever dominated for an entire game. He is not a shut down guy, but instead safe and reliable that is below the likes of Peter Skoronski coming out.
3) Kelvin Banks – Texas – 6’5/315
Grade: 81
Junior entry, three-year starter. Humble, TX. Two-time All Conference, first team in both 2024 and 2023. Also a 2024 All-American and winner of the Outland Trophy (nation’s top OL). Banks has been a high level tackle ever since his true freshman season. He put himself on the national radar in 2022 when he matched up against Alabama’s Will Anderson, the eventual number three overall pick of the 2023 Draft. While Banks had a very strong career, he did not take the leap many assumed he would after that strong freshman campaign. The talent and tools are there. He lacks some length but his broad frame ranks among the biggest in the class. His balance issues are concerning, but he does play fast and powerful. He just turned 21 years old in early March and there is some validity to the likelihood he will grow into his odd frame and gain balance in time. But the risk is real that he could be a blocker that struggles to stay on his feet in space. Banks may be better suited for guard despite the fact he has been a tackle his entire career. The optimal plan would be to start him inside and make a plan to phase him outside in time if he improves his coordination. If not, he can be a solid yet unspectacular guard.
*We have seen college tackles move inside initially with a long term plan to play tackle when needed. There are a lot of them in this class alone but Banks is the one that makes the most sense. His tape has a lot of very good, and a lot of very bad. Balance and control are important to me and that is why he got pushed down quite a bit. He may still end up finishing as a top 12 pick later this month.
4) Aireontate Ersery – Minnesota – 6’6/331
Grade: 79
Fifth year senior, three-year starter. Kansas City, MO. Three-time All Big Ten, first team in 2024 in addition to winning the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year Award. Also named an All-American in 2024. After a late start to his career (did not play football until 11th grade), the former high-end shot put thrower morphed into a left tackle that flashed elite power and tested very well athletically. There are stretches of play where he looks like a franchise left tackle that would thrive in a power/gap blocking scheme. Let him get off the ball, put his hat on a hat, and just go. He put as much defenders on the ground as any offensive linemen in this class. Ersery, who looks enormous on tape, actually has some size concerns when it comes to his body type. He lacks length and struggles to hide his lack of bend. He is late to see and react laterally. Even though he cut down on his penalties in an impressive manner, there are too many instances where ends up hooking guys with his arms because he does not trust his feet. Ersery is a little raw but that can be somewhat explained as he simply got a later start to the game than others. He can displace guys, his chop-snatch technique is incredibly impressive, and the athletic traits are there. If he reaches his ceiling, he is a quality starter outside without question.
*You are going to be taking a small chance with the character on Ersery but nothing major. He is just a bit on the lazy side. On the field and when projecting long term future, Ersery can be a dude. His “highlight tape” if you will, is actually a lot of fun to watch. Mekhi Becton-type. But similar to Becton, there are stiffness issues that will create problems against real NFL pass rushers that can play low and redirect. I feel good about this guy finding a starting role in time and playing a long career if he grows up.
5) Ozzy Trapilo – Boston College – 6’8/316
Grade: 79
Three-year starter. Norwell, MA. Two-time All-ACC, first team in 2024. Father, Steve, played in the NFL for six seasons. Trapilo is a high-hipped tackle with starting experience on both sides of the ball. It can be naturally difficult to play with proper pad level when standing at a credible 6’8” unless the bend and hand techniques are on point. Trapilo has both. He is so sound and consistent with his mechanics both on the move and in a phone booth. He is truly a “set it and forget it” type lineman who can provide depth to both tackle spots early in his career. Trapilo can be more, however. He has a lot of starter traits when it comes to how firm and balanced he plays. He rarely winds up on the ground and there is a consistent feel to his play. The problems arise when he loses the initial contact battle. Because he is short-armed, Trapilo has a hard time getting his hands on if the bigger defenders initiate contact. It is not a deal breaker, but it makes his margin for error minimal. The lack of explosive athleticism will also create a few losses that he has a hard time recovering from. Trapilo’s tools are not enough to give him a high ceiling, but his game is built on blue collar steady play with a level of consistency that keeps the floor high enough to put a starter label on him.
*I finished higher on Trapilo than where I initially thought he would be. I normally don’t like tackles this tall but he won me over by the fact he pretty much never ends up on the ground. It was hard to find consistent losses on tape for him. Just a blue-collar type that makes you feel safe. NYG needs a better answer at swing tackle and Trapilo offers that year one. I do see him evolving into a Rob Havenstein-caliber right tackle down the road too.
6) Josh Simmons – Ohio State – 6’5/317
Grade: 79
Three-year starter. San Diego, CA. Spent two seasons at San Diego State prior to transferring to Ohio State in 2023. All-Big Ten in 2024 despite tearing his patellar tendon week seven at Oregon. Simmons will require extra attention throughout the pre-draft process because of the injury. Players this big with a knee injury like that can tend to take longer in recovery. Once on the field, Simmons will offer position-flex. He started games at both tackle spots and his athletic ability is NFL ready right away. He allowed just one sack during his tenure at Ohio State and cut down on the penalties. In 2022, he was flagged once every 47 snaps. In 2023, once every 103 snaps. And in 2024, just once on 306 snaps. This is a developing player that has the bend, foot-quickness, and hand techniques to mirror athletic pass rushers. The lack of length does show up at times, however, and he lacks a power element to move guys off the line. Simmons is more of a catcher that tries not to lose rather than a striker that tries to win. That can work as a starter, but he needs to clean up the oversetting and whiffs but he will struggle to recover.
*If you asked me right before Simmons’ injury, who was OT1, he would have been the answer. In addition, he had the best tape of all these guys. For some, that is enough to keep him at or just under the top spot on this list and I won’t argue against it. This kind of knee injury concerns me for a tackle though, notably one that already lacked some power and relies on his bend. He could end up being completely fine (looked good at his Pro Day) but part of this is risk assessment. How much do you want to take and when? Simmons is a second rounder to me that could be in the discussion at #34 but I can’t see him winning out against a handful of others at other spots. He will be a fun guy to track, though.
7) Josh Conerly Jr. – Oregon – 6’5/311
Grade: 79
Junior entry, two-year starter. Seattle, WA. Two-time all conference, first team All-Big Ten in 2024 in addition to All-American honors. Conerly is a young and ultra-athletic athlete that is still growing into his broad frame. He is a unique prospect when considering his physical set up. While he is long enough to play tackle, the body type is not common. He is very thin below the waist and while obsessing over something like that can be overkill, it does feed into the notion he is not powerful enough for the NFL. Conerly needs to be fully anchored in order to win his matchup. The excellent foot speed and body control usually make that happen for him. However when he needs to recover after being initially beaten, he has a hard time doing so because of the lack of a base. Every other element to his game is good enough but he simply got rag-dolled too many times, notably in the run game. He is a better fit for some schemes than others, ones that want to move their guys laterally in space, but the power presence as a pass blocker will be the determining factor in development when it comes to him being either a solid swing tackle or credible starter.
*Pay attention to the grades. Conerly is the seventh ranked tackle in the class but he has the same grade as the number four guy. This simply comes down to preference of style and maybe even scheme. Conerly probably has the best pure lower body twitch among all OTs in this class. He gets from point A to point B as fast as anyone but it isn’t always clean. I don’t trust the power game yet either. I talked to a Big 10 coach in-season and he told me there is no way he is a first rounder because of that fact alone. Some inflated his status as Oregon kept winning but he remains more of a project than I want if I am taking a first round OT.
8) Anthony Belton – North Carolina State – 6’6/336
Grade: 77
Three-year starter. Tallahassee, FL. All-ACC in 2023. Belton has the NFL-frame and power to win in the running game in gap-heavy schemes, but when he is asked to move laterally in a hurry or adjust late to quick defenders, he loses track of body control and coordination. A lot of Belton’s issues are timing and technique-bases. He makes things look easy when the skill set is lined up correctly. He has such a dense frame with a strong anchor, he truly replicates a boulder. The career-left tackle is a fit for either side at the next level and he could even shift inside if needed. His top-heaviness and poor balance in space could be better hidden there. Belton projects as a backup and/or swing tackle whot has limitations, but can be molded into a high-performing starter if a coach can fix the 24-year old.
*Belton was a name I had a close eye on in 2023. He did not play well as he doubled his pressures allowed and was flagged 8 times for the second straight year. He returned to school and improved his stock a notch. Belton makes the game look easy sometimes and I mean it. He was playing games with a few pass rushers in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. The fact he is older and the fact he struggles with lateral balance is concerning, however. His best role is likely as a backup that can play inside and outside. Valuable? Yes. But do I want this guy as a starter? Not right away.
9) Charles Grant – William & Mary – 6’5/311
Grade: 77
Three-year starter. Portsmouth, VA. Three-time first team All-Coastal Athletic Conference and a two-time All-American, first team in 2024. Grant did not start playing football until his junior season of high school. He was an all-state wrestler with obvious physical gifts, but the rawness kept him off a lot of recruiting radars. Add in covid (freshman fall season was canceled) and it is pretty easy to see Grant is earlier on the progression curve than most. The problem with him is two-fold. He plays high with poor core strength and will be making a massive jump in level of competition. In all likelihood, he is a two-year project which immediately hinders the draft grade a bit unless a team really wants to think about the long game. The saving grace here is the fact he technical proficiency is further along than most which is incredibly impressive considering how new he is to the game relatively speaking. Grant shows excellent hands and hip movement. The upside with him is a quality starting left tackle and, especially in this class, is not a common thing to find day two. Grant is a bit of a risk because he needs to get much stronger, but there are traits here that very few have.
*The top OL coach I get to speak with loves Grant. I watched a game tape with him on this kid and there are obvious signs that can lead one to believe he will be a quality starter. You’re just going to have to be patient but the mindset is right. He should improve a lot from where is right now, more than most, and he is already a guy I would trust as a swing tackle if he learns the scheme fast enough.
10) Cameron Williams – Texas – 6’6/317
Grade: 76
Junior entry, one-year starter. Duncanville, TX. Williams sat behind eventual pro right tackle Christian Jones for two seasons prior to getting his shot in 2024. He will enter the league as a 21-year old with just 16 starts on his resume. He is a gigantic kid that only scratched the surface of what his tools could bring to the field. He is long and strong with good enough feet to play on the outside. Against a really difficult schedule of pass rushers, he proved he belongs. The weaknesses are obvious. He is not a flexible player and it got him into trouble numerous times. While there are tackles that can play with a lack of bend, they need dominant hands and power. He does not have that yet. Williams is a young player that should still progress with more experience but the unknown and must-fix traits that are not easy to fix should throw caution to how high a team wants to draft him.
*The recency bias of Amarius Mims (CIN first rounder last year) makes the Williams situation an easy comparison. But to be frank, Mims was a much better player with a higher ceiling. Williams is young, big, and strong but there are movement traits that will make life difficult for him. He lacks reaction speed and his low game-experience will make that seem even worse. I do not trust the baseline technique and bendability the way I did with Mims. Williams actually has 300 more snaps on his resume than Mims did.
11) Myles Hinton – Michigan – 6’7/323
Grade: 76
Three-year starter. John’s Creek, GA. Spent three seasons at Stanford and transferred to Michigan after Head Coach David Shaw resigned. All-Big Ten in 2024. Hinton is the son of former All-Pro lineman Chris Hinton who primarily played for the Colts. He is also the brother of Chargers defensive tackle Chris Hinton Jr. The former five-star recruit that was wanted by everybody out of high school has almost split-experience at right and left tackle. He has the ideal NFL frame and shows a lot of know-how to his craft. While his stiffness can limit him against speed and low-to-ground defenders, there is a safe floor to his game that carries over well to the NFL. He can move guys off the line because of his natural power and consistent hand techniques. He needs to play with more edge. He has skated by most of his career but there appears to be a lack of ability to finish because he lacks urgency. He appears to be a step ahead mentally and knowing he grew up in a professional football household with obvious intelligence and maturity, Hinton is a safe bet to at least be a reliable swing tackle with credible upside to be an average level starter early in his career.
*Hinton is one of the top five physical packages in this class at the position. His best tape looks NFL-starter caliber. He knows the game well and he is a smart dude beyond his years. What gives? I hate to say this because I do not know him personally but it looks like he doesn’t have a lot of desire in his game. He looks borderline lazy at times. As a scout told me about Andrew Thomas coming out of Georgia years ago, he needs to play “pissed off more often”. Worked out for Thomas and if it does for Hinton, this is a big time value guy.
12) Jack Nelson – Wisconsin – 6’7/314
Grade: 75
Four-year starter, Stoughton, WI. All-Big Ten in 2024. Nelson’s father (Todd) was drafted as an offensive lineman by the Phoenix Cardinals in 1989. Following Jack’s redshirt season, he began his career at guard prior to transitioning to left tackle in 2022. He stayed there for the duration of his career and improved season after season. Nelson is a gifted athlete with rapid footwork and easy-bending legs. He rarely loses immediately post snap because of how fast he can reach his points with proper positioning and balance. The initial hand placement is often accurate and effective. Even though he has less arm length than one would assume at his size, Nelson’s know-how is easily noticeable. He is a professional blocker in every sense of the word. The inconsistencies commonly found with players this tall are frequent inside of Nelson’s tape. He will end up on the ground a bit too often. While he is a plus-athlete, he will overset at times which causes some ugly balance losses with him ending up on the ground. The lack of pure power and lower body strength shows up in the run game, as he does not create a lot of movement at the point of attack. He is more of a hand-placer rather than a hand-striker. One of the most experienced players in the class, Nelson does have starter potential but a team will have to take the good with the bad when it comes to the body type and the limitations it presents which will limit the ceiling.
*How I noted being “too tall” will make me weary when watching guys like this and Trapilo in his report above is real. I like Nelson a lot when he’s on his feet. He is a great athlete with twitch and fast reaction speed. But for such an experienced guy, he just didn’t clean up the issues that have the likelihood to roast him at the next level. He fits in well with most of the backup tackles in the NFL but his foot speed is better than most.
13) Emery Jones Jr. – 6’5/315
Grade: 74
Junior entry, three-year starter. Baton Rogue, LA. Two-time All SEC with 37 career starts. Almost all of Jones’ snaps have come at right tackle but there is some position-flex that comes with him. His size and athletic ability are not the problem. He carries a lot of weight comfortably and it can create movement at the point of attack in the run game. His feet are notably light and fast as he moves in pass protection. When everything is lined up, Jones looks like a credible starting right tackle in the NFL. Issues arise when he needs to sustain quality contact and positioning for extended time. He stops his feet, plays tall, and shows a general sloppiness to his skill set that creates questions around his ability to even stay outside. Jones just turned 21-years old in early March. His youth can play a part in his physical projection when looking at his balance and stability problems. This is a multi-year project that can be a starter if he applies himself with good coaching.
*Several times throughout the year I wrote down “move to inside”. That is where he could end up but after watching him play guard a few times at the Senior Bowl, I think I would rather test out his youth at tackle. He has multiple flashes playing outside at a high level in the SEC. He wasn’t all bad and a lot of the issues appeared to stem from fatigue and concentration. That can be ironed out in the right situation. Jones is a name that lost a lot of traction through his tape during the season but he intrigues me a lot day three. More than the grade might suggest.
14) Jalen Travis – Iowa State – 6’8/339
Grade: 72
Three-year starter. Minneapolis, MN. Spent four years at Princeton where he graduated prior to transferring to Iowa State in 2024. Intends to pursue law school at some point during or after his career. All Big-12 in 2024. Travis is going to get every coach excited about his potential. He is massive with quick feet and a strong latch. A very good starting point. The former star basketball player has a combination of physical traits that simply do not come around often. I did scout him last year at Princeton and I did not see anything beyond late round / PFA. But his performance against Iowa State was impressive and he excelled in his workout. Travis is the king of guy worth gambling on because of his intelligence, maturity, and tools. To be honest though, his lack of reaction speed and general stiffness will make him a long shot. I would not be surprised to see him out of the game in 3-4 years. He has a future beyond football.
*Travis looks so good on paper. It has been that way for years. People were flocking to Princeton to watch him play hoping to find the next big thing among small school prospects. Injuries cut that short but then the transfer to Iowa State opened a new door for him. His tape in combination with his performance at the Senior Bowl practices say he isn’t ready for NFL-speed. His size and baseline ability are worth trying to develop but if he can’t keep up mentally, it won’t matter. Just seems like a long shot to me.
15) Hollin Pierce – Rutgers – 6’8/341
Grade: 71
Four-year starter. Trenton, NJ. Two-time All Big Ten. Pierce split his career down the middle between right tackle and left. He has 50 career starts on his resume. And he is in the top 1% of size metrics. It’s not just the 6’8/341 – but also the 36” arms and 88” wingspan. He truly is one of the biggest prospects in history. One needs to know that when watching him on tape. Pierce is anything but twitchy and lacks swift change of direction. If he is wrong post-snap, he has a hard time recovering, But when Pierce is correct post-snap and gets his hands where they need to be, it is over. Coaches will see the potential with him and they will understand his movement traits do not need to be perfect at all. They just need to be good enough. He projects to a backup role that a team will need to develop for a year and it will be known early on whether or not there is real progress to be made.
*The local kid sneaks into the top 15. Pierce turned some heads at the East/West Shrine but there wasn’t much there that I didn’t see on tape. A brick wall that does not give up an inch once engaged. But also a guy that can’t get to where he needs to in some looks. You can’t teach size and this is in the Trent Brown/Orlando Brown/Dawand Jones territory. At some point a team will roll the dice on him, likely earlier than some think.
16) Logan Brown – Kansas – 6’6/311: 71
17) Ajani Cornelius – Oregon – 6’5/310: 71
18) Esa Pole – Washington State – 6’5/323: 71
19) Chase Lundt – Connecticut – 6’7/304: 70
20) Xavier Truss – Georgia – 6’7/309: 70
21) Marcus Bryant – Missouri – 6’7/320
22) Branson Taylor – Pittsburgh – 6’6/315: 70
23) Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson – Florida – 6’7/316: 69
24) Tedi Kushi – Western Michigan – 6’5/302: 69
25) Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan – Oregon State: 69
26) Dalton Cooper – Oklahoma State – 6’5/326: 68
27) Jordan Williams – Georgia Tech – 6’5/318: 68
28) Caleb Etienne – BYU – 6’7/329: 68
29) Marques Cox – Kentucky – 6’5/312: 68
30) Carson Vinson – Troy – Alabama A&M – 6’7/314: 68
NYG APPROACH
On paper, NYG is set at tackle. Andrew Thomas is All-Pro caliber and Jermaine Eluemunor proved to be safe and reliable on the right side. In a pinch, he can play the blind side but it’s been obvious he is a step below there comparatively. The signing of James Hudson gives them an athletic, young guy with experience at both spots. When looking around the league, they’re in a better spot than half the teams. With that said, the Giants have had the following players see snaps at tackle the past two seasons: Thomas, Eluemunor, Joshua Ezeudu, Chris Hubbard, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Justin Pugh, and Matt Peart. The depth has not been good enough to provide functional play up front, notably in passing situations. The Neal selection set them back, we all know. But relying on guys being signed off the couch to face off against NFL pass rushers is a battle not even worth fighting. The one overlooked area this regime has repeatedly failed on acquiring is a quality swing tackle. Hudson could be that guy but drafting someone in the middle rounds could help solidify that hole long term. Swing tackles are not easy to find and a plan to develop one is the smartest path, albeit not an easy one. Hinton from Michigan is the kind of guy I could really get behind early day three. You could see them punt on tackle altogether and it would surprise nobody, however let’s also consider NYG is working with a left tackle with multiple serious lower body injuries on his rap sheet. You almost have to assume an injury will pop up again with him and even more so as he ages. Hopefully it does not turn into an Tyron Smith type situation.
