Offensive Tackle Class
Early-round talent: B+Mid-round: B
Late-round: B-
Overall grade: B
2025 prospects vs 2026
Will CampbellArmand Membou
Kelvin Banks
Spencer Fano
Francis Mauigoa
Kayden Proctor
Josh Conerly Jr.
Josh Simmons
Caleb Lomu
Monroe Freeling
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
It will take a few years to find out, but last year could be a legendary class of offensive tackle talent. I gave the 2024 class an A grade, so it is understandable that this class has a hard time measuring up to it.
If you were to merge the two classes together, Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks, and Armand Membou are better prospects than players in this year’s class. However, Fano, Mauigoa, and Proctor are better prospects than last year’s late first-rounders like Conerly and Simmons. Lomu and Freeling are similar players to those two, but Conerly and Simmons were a little better in terms of their experience and what they had put on tape.
Safest Pick: Francis Mauigoa, Miami 
Previous Picks:2025 Kelvin Banks
2024 Joe Alt
2023 Peter Skronoski
2022 Charles Cross
2021 Penei Sewell
2020 Andrew Thomas
2019 Cody Ford
2018 Mike McGlinchey
2017 Garett Bolles
2016 Larmey Tunsil
2015 Ereck Flowers
2014 Jake Matthews
2013 Luke Joeckel
I think that Mauigoa and Spencer Fano are safe picks to be good NFL starters. Even if short arms cause them to move inside to guard, I think they are going to be solid pros. Mauigoa has good size, quickness, athleticism, and is strong at the point of attack. I think he is a very safe pick to be a quality pro starter.
Biggest Bust Potential: Drew Shelton, Penn State 
Previous Picks:2025 Josh Conerly Jr.
2024 Tyler Guyton
2023 Anton Harrison
2022 Bernhard Raimann
2021 James Hudson
2020 Ezra Cleveland
2019 David Edwards
2018 Connor Williams
2017 Roderick Johnson
2016 Shon Coleman
2015 La’el Collins
2014 Cyrus Kouandjio
2013 D.J. Fluker
This was a difficult decision because no prospect strikes me as having real bust potential. Shelton has a good skill set, but is inconsistent in pass protection, and that was proven last year against Ohio State. Shelton has the talent of an early-rounder, but if doesn’t develop and get more consistent he could end up being a bust.
Offensive Tackle Rankings by Attributes
Pass Protection:
NFL prototype: Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers
- Spencer Fano
- Caleb Lomu
- Monroe Freeling
- Francisc Mauigoa
- Kayden Proctor
Recap: Franchise left tackles have to be rock solid in pass protection. Most teams feature a right-handed quarterback, so the left tackle has to be trusted to shut down pass-rushers coming from the blind side. All of these blockers have room for improvement and development for the NFL. They all need growth for handling pro edge rushers. None of them is like Penei Sewell or Joe Alt entering the NFL.
In pass protection, Fano has a lot of natural ability to help protect the quarterback. Fano is an athletic edge blocker who is an easy mover. He has good agility to get depth in his drop and quick feet to seal the edge from speed rushers. Fano can play the typewriter with his feet to mirror speed rushers, and he can sink his weight to stonewall bull rushes. Fano has the natural strength to stop bull rushers. Fano needs to improve some consistency, but the potential is there for him to be a very good pro pass protector.
Lomu has good athleticism to be an asset as a pass protector. Lomu is a capable pass blocker to neutralize speed rushers around the corner. Lomu is a natural pass blocker who has quick feet that allow him to get depth in his drop and neutralize speed rushers. He is quick out of stance and reacts immediately to cut off the corner and prevent them from running the loop around the edge. With his quick feet and an ability to bend at the knee, Lomu doesn’t have to reach after rushers and is not a waist bender. With impressive awareness and reaction skills, Lomu reacts quickly to handle stunts and games from the defensive line. He reacts very well to rushes to the inside and shows impressive balance. As a pass blocker, Lomu does a nice job of maintaining his blocks and sustaining using his hands and length well to stay engaged on defenders. Lomu uses his athletic ability well and stays in front of defenders. For the NFL, Lomu could be a very valuable starting left tackle to protect his quarterback against edge rushers.
Freeling is an athletic edge protector who has a natural skill set to protect the quarterback. What stands out about Freeling the most is his quickness and athleticism. Freeling is light on his feet to swiftly get depth in his drop to neutralize speed rushers around the corner. With his agility and smooth movement, Freeling is adept at cutting off the corner from speed rushers. Freeling tangles up defenders well with his length and blocks through the whistle. Freeling could stand to improve his technique as he will lunge after defenders rather than moving his feet at times. His hand placement is inconsistent, and he could get better at handling moves to the inside. Freeling showed improvement throughout the 2026 season as he gained experience, so the upside is there for him to develop.
In pass protection, Mauigoa showed improvement and became a reliable protector in his final season. Mauigoa has natural strength, and his ability to sustain blocks is superb. When Mauigoa gets his hands on defenders, they are done and have zero ability to get a second effort. Mauigoa has a strong anchor to stop bull rushes, and power rushers really struggle to get any kind of pressure against him. Mauigoa could use some development for taking on speed rushers, and that is why some scouts feel he might be best moving inside. He sometimes is too shallow in his drop, and that leads to him reaching or lunging after rushers. He needs to improve his ability to keep his feet moving. He could stand to improve his hand placement in pass sets as well. Mauigoa is a talented player, so some of these issues could be improved with NFL coaching.
In pass protection, Proctor uses his size well to neutralize bull rushes. He has a propensity to play a little too high and needs to improve his ability to bend at the knee, but his mass is so tough to move that even when his positioning is not perfect, defensive linemen struggle to win on a bull rush. Proctor could stand to improve his hand placement to improve his ability to sustain blocks. Proctor did okay against speed rushers in 2024, but he needs to improve his kick slide for taking on the NFL speed that will come at him every week as a pro.
Run Blocking:
NFL prototype: Penei Sewell, Lions
- Francisc Mauigoa
- Kayden Proctor
- Spencer Fano
- Monroe Freeling
- Caleb Lomu
Recap: In the ground game, Mauigoa is nasty at the point of attack and a real force. He has the sheer power to reset the line of scrimmage and knock defenders backwards. With brute force, Mauigoa can drive them off the ball and create movement for his back. With a developed upper body, Mauigoa has the strength to control, turn, and manipulate defenders at the point of attack. With violence and tenacity, drive will finish off opponents and pound them into the turf. While drive is a mauler, he is able to hit blocks on the second level and is able to kick out to the perimeter. Mauigoa is quick as a puller and getting out on perimeter runs. He moves well in space to hit blocks in the open field and is excellent on screens. With a serious mean streak, Mauigoa blocks through the whistle and is very physical. Mauigoa is an asset in short-yardage situations and can win blocks over defenders even when they know what is coming. He should be an asset as a run blocker in the NFL quickly in his pro career.
As a run blocker, Proctor is a load at the point of attack. Defensive linemen get overwhelmed by their mass, and he is steady to keep the defender from getting in on tackles. Off the ball, Proctor can blast defensive linemen and knock them backwards to create movement at the point of attack. Proctor has the power to open holes and roll defenders backwards off the line of scrimmage. He is very good in short-yardage situations at resetting the line of scrimmage, and Alabama has success going behind Proctor in obvious run downs. Proctor also shows some ability to fire to the second level and pull to his right. Proctor is not an elite mover, and he lumbers some in space. However, he has enough movement to get to spots and will dish out a violent hit or shove on second-level defenders. There are plays where Proctor literally tosses linebackers or defensive backs into their teammates. Proctor looks like a plus run blocker for the next level.
As a run blocker, Fano can be impressive with his movement. He is quick to fire to the second level and is athletic enough to hit blocks in space. Fano packs a punch when he gets there, and he will smash defenders with violence. Fano blocks through the whistle and looks to finish off defenders. There are many plays where Fano will bury defenders in the ground and punish them. Fano packs some physcality off the ball, but he could use more strength to sustain blocks and drive block in power man plays. He could be a good fit in a zone blocking scheme at the pro level.
In the ground game, Freeling is impressive in space. He is very quick and agile to get out to the perimeter for blocks on stretch runs or screens. Freeling is also fast firing to the second level and hitting blocks in space. While Freeling is not overpowering at the point of attack against defensive linemen, he can tie up and scrap defenders to keep them from getting to the ball carrier. Freeling will look to punish and pancake defenders at the second level, as a number of linebackers and defensive backs took some punishment from him downfield. He blocks hard through the whistle and is a real fighter.
As a run blocker, Lomu is not a bull in the ground game. He is not overly strong or physical to blast defenders off the ball and ride them around the field. Lomu has a good mentality as he looks to hit and get after defenders, but Lomu needs to get stronger to create movement in the ground game at the pro level. While he is not as powerful as a run blocker, he shows the athleticism and mobility to execute zone runs. Utah’s scheme did not have him fire off and run a lot of power man, so that will need development for the NFL. Right now, Lomu would be better off in a zone-blocking system to use his athleticism due to not packing a serious punch at the point of attack.
Zone-Blocking Scheme:
NFL prototype: Trent Williams, 49ers
- Spencer Fano
- Monroe Freeling
- Caleb Lomu
- Francisc Mauigoa
- Kayden Proctor
Recap: All of these tackle prospects could execute in a zone-blocking system and have run zone plays in college. Almost all of them have the athletic ability and the speed to play it. Fano, Freeling, and Lomu are all great fits in a zone scheme because they are quick, agile, and mobile. Each one has shown the ability to block on the move in their offenses. Maugigoa is also quick and athletic enough to run zone plays. Proctor can do it as well, but if he can’t control his weight, that will hurt his effectiveness running zone plays.
Man Scheme:
NFL prototype: Penei Sewell, Lions
- Spencer Fano
- Francisc Mauigoa
- Kayden Proctor
- Monroe Freeling
- Caleb Lomu
Recap: The top three of Fano, Mauiigoa, and Proctor are good fits in a man-blocking scheme. They sustain their blocks well in the ground game overall and are plus-run blockers on the edge. They also have the quickness to fire to the second level to hit blocks and seal linebackers from the hole. Freeling and Lomu have the ability to play in a power man scheme, but have some flaws. Freeling will lunge after blockers and could use more power. Lomu needs to get stronger. They could use some more development if they play in a man scheme.
Guard/Right Tackle Potential:
NFL prototype: Lane Johnson, Eagles
- Kayden Proctor
- Spencer Fano
- Francisc Mauigoa
- Monroe Freeling
- Caleb Lomu
Recap: Some teams like to move college tackles inside to guard or to right tackle. Other roster considerations also cause some tackles to start their careers on the right side or move into guard. Having the versatility to be moved around and play a variety of positions adds a lot of value to an offensive lineman.
Proctor could be the most versatile blocker of the group, as he could start at either tackle position as well as guard. Proctor is a freak athlete for being such a massive blocker, and his crazy skill set was illustrated by Alabama using him as a short-yardage running back at times. He won’t do that in the NFL, but he could start at left tackle, right tackle, or guard. Mauigoa and Fano could start at tackle or guard. However, short arms could push them inside in the long-term. Freeling has the skill set to play either tackle spot. Lomu could play either tackle spot, but lacks the strength to play inside at guard.
