2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Daniel Faalele

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Daniel Faalele, 6-8/345 Offensive Tackle Minnesota

Daniel Faalele Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Mean streak

Powerful run blocker

Bullies defenders out of their gap

Turns and manipulates defenders

Blocks through the whistle

Finishes blocks with violence

Huge wingspan

Long arms – 35.1 inches

Seriously drive blocks some in the ground game

Strong hands to sustain blocks

Can anchor

Takes away second efforts

Good fit in a power-blocking system

Weaknesses:

Struggles with speed rushers

Bad feet

Struggles to get depth in his drop

Waist bends too much

Very tall, which leads to him playing too high

Gets into trouble when he plays too high

Feet stick in the ground

Struggles to mirror speed rushers

Slow to the second level

Not a good fit in a zone-blocking system

Summary: The Australian product Faalele got a late start in football, but over three seasons with the Gophers, he was an impactful blocker at the point of attack. He was impressive in 2018 and 2019, showing improvement as he gained experience. Faalele decided to sit out the abbrevieated 2020 season, but he returned to the field for a quality final season with Minnesota in 2021. After that, he put together decent performances at the Senior Bowl and the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

Faalele has a mean streak on the ground and blocks through the whistle. He can be a nasty run blocker who bullies defenders at the point of attack. There are times when is a beast in the ground game who can push defenders around at the point of attack. Faalele has the length and functional strength to control defensive linemen. He does a nice job of placing his hands to get into the chest of his opponent, and then they are in trouble because he will ride them out of their gap. With his mean streak and power, Faalele will finish off defenders violence. Faalae is a power run blocker, but his stature means he is not quick to the second level. Thus, he would not be a great fit for a zone-blocking scheme.



Faalele is a giant with height and length, which makes it tougher to run around him in pass protection. He also has strong hands to sustain blocks and prevent second efforts. That same height, however, can leave Faalele playing too high, which can get him into trouble. He also needs to watch how he bends and avoid letting his feet get stuck in the ground. Faalele’s feet make him only a fit for right tackle, as there lack of movement keeps him getting some necessary depth in his drop. Faalele is not quick at reacting to speed rushes, struggles to mirror speed rushers, and his lack of depth in the drop keeps him from being able to widen rushers around the pocket. Faalele has some athletic issues and adding that in with playing too high leads to speed rushers giving him problems. As a result of his inconsistencies, Faalele would fit as a right tackle only in the NFL.

In the 2022 NFL Draft, Faalele will most likely end up as a second- or third-round pick.



Player Comparison: Jeremy Trueblood. Faalele reminds me of the former Buccaneers right tackle Trueblood. Trueblood was a second-round pick and a 6-foot-8 right tackle. Trueblood was a bull and physical run blocker who presented a challenge to block speed rushers, which Faalele is as well. Trueblood had a solid, if unspectacular, career for Tampa Bay, and Faalele could end up being a similar pro.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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