For good reason, the 2024 offensive tackle class has been labeled as the deepest position in the draft. Quite frankly, it’s one of the deepest position pools I’ve ever seen in my life. Rarely do we see this wide of an array of body types, scheme flexibility, experience, & potential. There’s also a ton of players that fit within that “potential” slot that is very raw and may need time to develop.
Naturally, the counterpoint to the talent and versatility crowd is with rawness - that takes time to develop. General managers and head coaches are under more fire than ever to hit on these picks and hit early. While it’ll always be the lifeblood of any football franchise at the professional level, drafting well only means something if you’re able to stick around and enjoy the riches of that growth.
Wherever you’re sitting at on the roster talent spectrum, you can never have enough depth at a premium position like offensive tackle. From the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs (they can’t keep getting away with this) down to the worst team in the league, the Carolina Panthers (FREE BRYCE YOUNG), in some shape or form, upgrades to the position or young depth for insurance policies are needed.
So, what happens if your team isn’t in the top 10 picks to draft an Olu Fashanu, Joe Alt, or JC Latham? Or if your team needs an offensive tackle badly, but needs a quarterback or edge rusher even more? You’d better hope there’s some depth that leaks over into day two & maybe even day three. Luckily, there’s plenty of prospective players that have the ability to round out into starters. Here’s four guys that aren’t getting talked about right now, but could be potential value starters down the line.
Washington OT Roger Rosengarten
Height: 6’5 Weight: 311 Arm Length: 33 1/8
Washington OT Roger Rosngarten (73) - 247Sports
I’ll be honest, while I full well knew who Roger Rosengarten was & respected his game, I definitely didn’t give him enough attention throughout the season. Playing opposite projected first round pick Troy Fautanu & being surrounded by the litany of talent that was the Washington offense this season had Rosengarten flying under the radar.
Couple that with a few poor series in the National Championship game versus Michigan, there was a small cloud of questions surrounding his game. However, after a phenomenal week down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, he’s skyrocketing up draft boards. I was able to attend the full week of practices, and not a single player stood out more in my opinion.
Rosengarten is an exceptional athlete for the position: savvy with his pass set selection, punch placement beyond his years, & plays with high effort and intensity. Pass protection is without a doubt his forte. While he’s not the most powerful player (it shows at times) and that’ll surely need to improve to thrive at the next level, he makes up for it with technical proficiency and “DAWG” as the kids say. Effort and conditioning balance out what you naturally lack, and he’s a great example of that. My favorite game of his this past season was against Arizona. The full arsenal was on display during that road contest.
It’s one thing to have a great week of practice to get people’s attention, but it’s another to have outstanding tape over the course of a season (or more), and that’s exactly what Rosengarten has. The more people that watch his tape, personnel and media alike, will come away impressed with his capabilities. I won’t be surprised if he’s off the board in the second round. Sidenote: watch for his hilariously effective run flash jump set in the passing game. It’s not a move that I think he’ll be pulling out in the NFL, but it’s a damned good watch.
Texas RT Christian Jones
Height: 6’5 Weight: 318 Arm Length: 34 7/8
Texas RT Christian Jones (70) - University of Texas Athletics
Sticking with the theme of players I got to watch up close and personal at the Senior Bowl, Christian Jones is one massive human being. It’s funny because on paper he’s not much bigger than Rosengarten, but the frame and play style couldn’t be more dissimilar. Jones is a road-grader in every sense of the word. You’ll hear me repeat this a few times throughout his section, but he’s an incredibly impressive run blocker.
There’s no beating around the bush about his weakness. He’s not the most fleet of foot. Agility and mobility is a legit a concern, but as stated early, effort and conditioning balance out what you naturally lack. This problem doesn’t show up much in the run game as he’s a dominant force there, but it sticks out in pass protection.
However, for a guy his size, he plays to the whistle and still finishes blocks deep into the fourth quarter. Despite not being the most athletic, he’s a surprisingly good knee bender and you can always work on explosiveness from there. Getting his shoulders turned and bending at the waist are his most glaring issues in pass protection, but when he’s able to get those long arms extended and get hands on, he’s solid.
He started the season strong with a nice display of run blocking prowess against a bevy of NFL caliber defensive lineman against Alabama and held string throughout the season. Another key factor to acknowledge here is that he’s played in (61!!) games and started 48 of them. He’s as experienced of a player as you could hope for coming from the collegiate ranks. Nothing is ever overly sexy or appealing about his game, but he just gets the job done. If you’re looking for a powerful, development tackle with the ability to kick inside and be a potential immediate starter at guard, Jones will have great value late day two.
Notre Dame RT Blake Fisher
Height: 6’6 Weight: 313 Arm Length: N/A (Suspected 34+)
Notre Dame RT Blake Fisher (54) - Notre Dame Athletics
While his teammate Joe Alt could very well be the first tackle off the board and rightfully dominates the attention of the Notre Dame offensive line, Blake Fisher is a player that immediately caught my eye while summer scouting Alt. While it can be hard to command the spotlight with Alt & quarterback Sam Hartman at the helm, Fisher proves the old adage correct - the eye in the sky don’t lie. His consistency on tape and perfect offensive tackle frame, that still needs work, makes him a clear day two prospect.
He’s the leanest and most slender built of the bunch mentioned here, but he attempts to play with a bit of a mean streak that aids his snap to snap deficiencies. The biggest room for improvement I see is just functional strength. In pass protection, it especially stands out when anchoring. He can struggle a bit with power rushers and when he allows defenders into his chest. The good thing is, he’s a long armed, springy athlete that can compensate for those weaknesses with pure timing and athleticism.
The Ohio State game from this past season shows Fisher at his best. Digging out solo blocks in the run game, high level hand placement in pass protection, a display of ability/athleticism in space, anchors against the bullrush, and more. While there’s definitely reps he loses in this game, you always want to see how players stood up to elite talent for four quarters, and he more than held his own against a rotation of future NFL players along that Buckeye front.
For my money, Fisher is a top 60 talent - and with the right coaching and development he has as high of a ceiling as some of the players who will go late first round. A team like the Eagles or Rams would be an ideal landing spot for him and I would be highly surprised if he makes it make the second round.
Penn State RT Caedan Wallace
Height: 6’4 Weight: 322 Arm Length: 33 5/8
Penn State RT Caedan Wallace (73) - Penn State Athletics
To the same tune as Fisher, Caedan Wallace is a player that flew under the radar due to his teammate and potential top 10 pick, Olu Fashanu. Again, the eye in the sky don’t lie and luckily for players like Wallace, that will always be the case. While Wallace may have a frame and skill set that most favorably translates to the NFL as a guard, his consistent display of fluidity was still apparent throughout his tape at right tackle.
You come to Penn State tape for Fashanu, and you leave impressed with Wallace (& C Hunter Nourzad). In my opinion, Fashanu is OT1, but time and time again Wallace catches your eye. He’s a finisher in the run game and sturdy as a pass blocker. The word I would use to describe him overall is smooth. Again, he’s not the tallest or best athlete of the bunch and very well may project as a guard, but I believe he’s earned the right to at least begin as a tackle. In any event, you get on the field the fastest way possible.
Ohio State and Iowa games stand out as showcases of his ability against NFL level opposition. Another impressive showing was against Illinois. Wallace caught my eye early in the year, but after an impressive season, he’s reaffirmed my belief in a major way. He was a standout during the week of practice at the East-West Shrine Bowl in Frisco - particularly in the 1on1 sections against some twitched up pass rushers. Again, smooth in his pass sets, smooth with his timing, & heavy hands when he gets them locked on. Any time you can stand out amongst a collection of the best of best, you’re in a good place. Early fourth round might be a steal for a guy like Wallace.