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The NFL playoffs are underway, which means the combine and the NFL draft are just around the corner. Given the talent at quarterback and wide receiver in the 2024 draft class, skill players will be the talk of fantasy football for the next eight months. However, many teams can make significant upgrades across the offensive line that can also have an impact on fantasy.
The 2024 draft class has excellent talent in the trenches. There are numerous impact players (especially at tackle) that will be taken in the first round of the NFL draft.
All measurements are unofficial at this point until the NFL combine and pro days, so expect some potential movement in this list. Check out the top five offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL draft class below.
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1. Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 315 pounds
Position: Offensive Tackle
2023 PFF Grade: 90.7
Joe Alt declared for the NFL draft after an excellent junior season that pushed him into the top offensive lineman conversation. Alt, who turns 21 in February, finished his Fighting Irish career with 33 starts (32 at left tackle). During that time, he surrendered just four sacks and 24 pressures on 1,103 pass-blocking snaps.
Alt is a lean 315 pounds who can put on weight if required. The most important feature of Alt’s game is his excellent footwork and his overall technique. He is consistent in his pass sets and can redirect with ease.
One area that Alt needs to develop is his strength. He can struggle with physical pass rushers who utilize bull rushes (some of this comes down to keeping his hands tight on his punch). Alt is far from punishing in the run game as well, but his footwork and technique allow him to get into position to not get beat.
Alt and Olu Fashanu will likely go down to the wire as the first offensive lineman selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, but Alt gets the nod from me for now thanks to his consistent, high-level play for his three years in college. Once a team selects him, they can plug him at left tackle and not worry about the position for a decade (if he stays healthy).
Draft: Top-10 pick.
2. Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 319 pounds
Position: Offensive Tackle
2023 PFF Grade: 78.8
There may not be a better athlete at the tackle position in this class than Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. The two-year starter for Penn State made 18 career starts at left tackle for the Nittany Lions and was considered a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft despite playing in eight games due to injury. He opted to return to college for one more season to get more experience.
Fashanu’s athleticism and length shine in his pass protection. He allowed zero sacks and just 17 pressures on 733 career pass-blocking snaps for Penn State. He can be isolated on edge rushers and consistently flashed the ability to beat pass rushers to their spot and redirect when they attempted to cut inside.
The one glaring weakness in Fashanu’s game is his consistency with his pad level. The left tackle tends to get tall when blocking, which causes him to struggle on occasion against power-rushing moves. This weakness also shows in the tackle’s ability to run block. During his tenure with Penn State, Fashanu showed struggles with staying on his feet and finishing blocks due to inconsistent technique.
Ultimately, the top offensive lineman in the 2024 NFL draft will come down to preference. Teams may prefer an all-around solid option in Joe Alt over the more raw Olu Fashanu. Still, both players should be neck and neck in the NFL Draft and either player could justifiably be the first off the board.
Draft: Top-10 pick.
3. Troy Fautanu, Washington
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 317 pounds
Position: Guard/Tackle
2023 PFF Grade: 74.6
Many teams will regard Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu similarly to 2023 draft pick Peter Skoronski in this draft cycle. Like Skoronski, Fautanu is more compact and slightly undersized compared to prototypical NFL left tackles. That will cause many teams to evaluate the tackle as a guard in the NFL. Regardless of position, Fautanu is one of the premier offensive linemen in the draft class.
Fautanu made 30 career starts, 28 at left tackle, during his time with the Washington Huskies. The two-year starter’s calling card is his aggressiveness and athleticism in the run game. Washington frequently pulled Fautanu and got him moving to the second level of the defense and used his quick feet to their advantage.
Because he lacked length, Fautanu was forced to aggressively drop back in his pass set to beat edge rushers to their spot. This consistently led to reps where Fautanu overset the defender and gave up an inside lane to the quarterback.
Regardless of the position he settles into, Fautanu is one of the best players in the 2024 draft class. Teams deciding to move him inside to guard to mitigate his length issues will get an immediate starter with the ability to make a significant impact, especially in the run game. However, it would be justifiable to see if Fautanu can stick at left tackle (similar to another undersized prospect like Rashawn Slater) at the NFL level.
Draft: Top-15 pick.
4. JC Latham, Alabama
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 360 pounds
Position: Right tackle
2023 PFF Grade: 81.9
JC Latham, a former five-star recruit, will certainly be a first-round pick after an excellent career at the University of Alabama. Latham finished his college career as a two-year starter for Alabama at right tackle, surrendering two sacks and 30 pressures on 1,016 pass-blocking snaps.
There may not be a more powerful offensive lineman in the class than Latham. The right tackle bulked up from 335 pounds to 360 pounds before his junior season but maintained his mobility and lateral quickness. The added strength made Latham formidable in his final season with the Crimson Tide.
If Latham gets his hands on a defender (both in the run and pass game), then the repetition is over. He is a punishing run blocker (especially on double teams) and has the quickness to reach-block defenders.
Latham needs to work harder to keep his head up and out of the block. The right tackle routinely loses his balance getting in front of his toes. Also, his feet tend to stop during his pass set, allowing pass rushers to cut across his face to generate pressure.
JC Latham is a punishing right tackle who has the physicality and athleticism to remain at tackle once he is drafted into the NFL. While there are holes in his game, he will be just 21 years old throughout his rookie season and can still improve.
Draft: Top-20 pick.
5. Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 334 pounds
Position: Right Tackle
2023 PFF Grade: 88.2
Taliese Fuaga finished his Oregon State career as a two-year starter with 25 career starts at right tackle. In 734 career pass-blocking reps, Fuaga allowed zero sacks and 23 pressures.
The Oregon State product enters the draft cycle in the conversation for the top right tackle in the 2024 draft class. The calling card of his game is good initial quickness out of his stance and heavy hands in his punch. Fuaga frequently unloaded a powerful punch in both the run and pass game throughout his career. In pass protection, Fuaga showed the ability to disrupt pass rushers with his punch timing.
While Fuaga shows good initial quickness out of his stance, he does struggle to keep his feet active and moving. This causes him to lose against defenders who set up their rush outside before diving across his face. Fuaga can also lean into his blocks, which allows defenders to shed him in space.
Fuaga has enough athletic ability to play right tackle in the NFL and should get his first shot at his natural position. There is a chance he could struggle with the elite athletes who are edge rushers at the NFL level (similar to the Giants’ Evan Neal), which could necessitate a move to guard in the future.
Draft: Round 1 pick.
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