2021 NFL Draft Prospects: Offensive Tackles

By Charlie Campbell.
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The top 2021 Offensive Tackle prospects available for the 2021 NFL Draft. * – denotes 2022 prospect. ** – denotes 2023 prospect.

This page was last updated Feb. 17, 2020. Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.

1. Penei Sewell*, OT, Oregon
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 325.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.00.
   Projected Round (2021): Top-20.
   2/17/20: Sewell had a dominant junior season as the blind side protector for Justin Herbert. Possessing good size, length, and athleticism, Sewell has a good skill set that could end up making him one of the top prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft. For his excellent junior season, Sewell won the Outland Trophy and was the Pac-12 co-offensive player of the year. Sewell was a shutdown pass protector not allowing a sack in over 926 snaps as a sophomore. He only was credited with allowing seven pressures and two hits all season. He broke into the starting lineup as a freshman.





2. Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 322.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.34.
   Projected Round (2021): 1-2.
   2/17/20: Leatherwood played well for Alabama in 2019, showing he has a first-round skill set of size, quickness and athleticism. Taking on LSU, Leatherwood showed that he still needs some development in his technique, with Tigers edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson giving Leatherwood some problems. Leatherwood was wise return to school to improve before going pro, but he has a lot of upside and the skill set to be special.
   
   Leatherwood has rotated into the game for Alabama over the past couple of seasons and has done well when given the opportunity. He has played on the inside and at tackle, including time against Georgia in the college football playoff at the end of the 2017 season in replacement of an injured Jonah Williams.



3. Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 295.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
   Projected Round (2021): 1-3. 2/17/20: Last fall, team sources told me they liked Cosmi and thought he is a better prospect than Connor Williams was at Texas. They felt Cosmi was raw and needing development, but athletically, he ws an interesting prospect. Cosmi needs to get stronger for the NFL. Team sources believe he should go back to school if he wanted to be a secure first-round pick in his draft class, and Cosmi wisely decided to go back to Austin for his senior year.
   
   As a redshirt freshman, Cosmi earned a starting spot at right tackle for the Longhorns and had an impressive debut. He did a good job in pass protection, showing some length and athleticism on the edge. For the NFL, it would help Cosmi to get stronger, but as a young player, he probably will add weight and strength as he ages and gains more experience. Cosmi was placed on NFL teams’ preseason watch list in 2019, with some evaluators believing he had the potential to go in the top half of the 2020 NFL Draft.



4. Walker Little, OT, Stanford
   Height: 6-7. Weight: 304.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.40.
   Projected Round (2021): 1-3. 2/17/20: Little was injured in the fourth quarter of the season opener in 2019, which ended his year. He could have still been an early-rounder despite the knee injury, but he decided to return to the Cardinal for 2020.
   
   Little was impressive as a freshman starter at left tackle for Stanford in 2017. He did an effective job in run blocking and helped running back Bryce Love to a huge season. Little was solid as a sophomore and showed an improved ability to protect the passer, doing a respectable job in keeping pressure off of quarterback K.J. Costello.
   
   In pass protection, Little is tough to beat for edge rushers. He has good length and strength, and is able to bend at the knee. Little sets up well to take on rushers, and once he gets a hold of defenders, they are in trouble. His length and strength allow him to sustain blocks to the whistle, and he is very difficult for rushers to shed. His long arms and strong upper body also give him an edge in recoverability, so even when he is slightly out of position, he can compensate by getting enough of the rushers to give his quarterback time to throw. Generally, Little is very dependable to not allow pressure. He has good hand placement and is intelligent to recognize how defenses are attacking the edge. Little also flashes some nastiness as a pass blocker, and it is not uncommon to see him grab a rusher in the chest and throw them to the ground with ferocity. Little sets a physical presence and is a real battler who makes it a long day for edge rushers to match up against.
   
   Little is a plus run blocker for a left tackle. He is a fighter who has some nastiness to him. He definitely is not a finesse left tackle who shies away from getting violent with defenders. Little can get into the chest of defensive linemen and get a push on them at times. At other times, he uses his length to turn and manipulate defenders to keep them out of the play. In the ground game, Little could stand to improve his ability to stay on his feet. Too often, he stumbles and falls to a knee at the second level or trying to push a defender.





5. Cade Mays*, OT/G, Tennessee
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 318.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.10.
   Projected Round (2021): 1-3.
   2/17/20: Mays was a good starter on Georgia’s all-star offensive line in 2019 and could have been the replacement for Andrew Thomas at left tackle for 2020, but Mays decided to transfer to Tennessee.
   
   Mays started seven games as a freshman in 2018 while also dealing with injuries. With his versatile size, Mays could fit at guard or tackle, and it will be interesting to see where he settles in at Tennessee. Mays is a strong run blocker with good size to create a push at the point of attack.



6. Jalen Mayfield*, OT, Michigan
   Height: 6-5. Weight: 319.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.16.
   Projected Round (2021): 1-3.


7. Trey Smith, OT/G, Tennessee
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 320.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.32.
   Projected Round (2021): 2-3.
   2/17/20: Smith returned to the field 2019 and was a solid left guard for Tennessee. It was a wise decision to return for his senior year and show that the blood-clot issue is behind him so NFL teams will have less of a concern there after two healthy seasons.
   
   Smith had a strong sophomore season for Tennessee prior to missing the final five games of 2018 with blood clots in his lungs. The issue first impacted Smith during workouts after his freshman season. After being held out for some time, Smith returned to practice in training camp and played the first seven games of the 2018 season while showing his impressive skill set for the Volunteers.
   
   In 2017, Quenton Nelson was the top offensive lineman in college football, but the second-best guard in the nation could have been Smith. Considering there were other good guards like Will Hernandez and Braden Smith who were second-round picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, that is really saying something for how Smith played as a freshman. Smith dominated at the point of attack and was extremely impressive when taking on Alabama. He looked like he was just scratching the surface with the upside to be even better with more experience. Smith played guard and left tackle for the Volunteers as a freshman.



8. Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 305.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.25.
   Projected Round (2021): 2-3.




9. Thayor Munford, OT/G, Ohio State
   Height: 6-6. Weight: 319.
   Projected 40 Time: 5.30.
   Projected Round (2021): 3-4.
   2/17/20: Munford was a candidate to be a potential early-round pick who entered the draft early, but in 2019, he was not that impressive and did not stand out by showing the skill set to be a franchise left tackle. In speaking with some team sources, they felt Munford did not make the case that he should skip his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Munford needs to improve his technique and become more polished to take on pro edge rushers. He had an ugly outing versus Wisconsin in 2019 and could be better off moving inside to guard at the pro level.
   
   Munford was a rotational backup as a freshman before breaking into the starting lineup at left tackle in 2018. The sophomore had some issues during his first year as a starter, and those might cause him to move inside to guard for the NFL. However, he could improve as a senior and perhaps remain at tackle. Munford also played with a hip injury as a sophomore, and missed the game against Maryland with a leg injury. He then missed the Rose Bowl with another injury.



10. Alaric Jackson, OT, Iowa
    Height: 6-6. Weight: 320.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.50.
    Projected Round (2021): 3-5.


11. Kevin Jarvis, OT/G, Michigan State
    Height: 6-4. Weight: 317.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.20.
    Projected Round (2021): 3-5.
    2/17/20: Jarvis moved to left tackle for Michigan State, but for the NFL, he might better off at guard due to his length. Jarvis went down with a knee injury against Arizona State in mid-September of 2019. He had a strong debut for Michigan State in 2017, starting 10 games as a freshman. His strong run blocking and steady play saw him break into the lineup sooner than normal under the Mark Dantonio coaching staff. In 2018, Jarvis played well at right guard, but he also missed four games with injuries.



12. Dylan Wonnum*, OT, South Carolina
    Height: 6-5. Weight: 310.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.30.
    Projected Round (2021): 3-5.




13. Jordan Reid, OT, Michigan State
    Height: 6-4. Weight: 300.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.60.
    Projected Round (2021): 4-6.


14. Andrew Stueber, OT, Michigan
    Height: 6-7. Weight: 334.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.55.
    Projected Round (2021): 4-6.


15. William Sherman*, OT/G, Colorado
    Height: 6-4. Weight: 310.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.15.
    Projected Round (2021): 5-7.


16. Robert Hainsey, OT, Notre Dame
    Height: 6-4. Weight: 291.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.29.
    Projected Round (2021): 6-FA.


17. Landon Young, OT, Kentucky
    Height: 6-7. Weight: 305.
    Projected 40 Time: 5.25.
    Projected Round (2019): 7-FA.

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