Jared Zhang's 2026 NFL IOL BIG BOARD
INTRODUCTIONS
My name is Jared Zhang, and I have been doing draft evaluations for the past few years. While I started off as a hobbyist, I have been blessed with the opportunity to write for a draft publication and intern for an agent during my scouting journey so far. Throughout the draft cycle, I will be dropping positional big boards as I get through initial watches and rechecks. This document will be updated throughout the cycle with updated grades, new players, and linked reports. The main updates will come after all declaration results come out about underclassman prospects.
For positions where players may switch positions in the NFL (this is mainly talking about OL), I will give a brief note at the beginning of my rankings articles on where I have the player listed currently (Ex. in 2025 I would have listed on the top of my 2025 OT big board that I had Grey Zabel as an OG despite him being a college OT).
GRADING
With grading being different per evaluator, I am grading not based on where I believe players will go in the NFL, but more on what I believe they can be as an NFL player. I have what I look for in each grade for an OT listed below. For anyone who has any off-field/medical issues that can affect their draft position, they will have a * with a note explaining the issue (Ex. I would put a * down for Josh Simmons due to his patellar tendon issue and reported off-field concerns). This means that the grade given to the players is purely based on film evaluations, so there are going to be players whose grades will not match up with where I believe they should be drafted (Ex. a 5th year senior with an injury history and off-field issues could have listed a day two round film grade, but they should be selected in day three).
Blue Chip - Prospects who have an immediate ability to start while possessing rare physical tools. Blue Chip graded IOL prospects should instantly provide Pro Bowl level play and should develop into All-Pro caliber players within their rookie contracts (Ex. Nick Mangold, Quenton Nelson, and Mike Iupati).
Day One - Prospects who have an immediate ability to start while having high-end athletic tools. First round IOL prospects should develop into perennial Pro Bowlers who could still earn All Pro honors (Ex. Grey Zabel, Tyler Linderbaum, and Peter Skoronski).
Early Day Two - Prospects who have an immediate ability to start while having good tools. Early Day Two prospects are good enough to start throughout their entire rookie contract and get large deals via extensions or free agency. Though these players lack the upside to be amongst the elite at the position, they can be very good starters in the NFL and make Pro Bowls (Ex. Steve Avila, Aaron Banks, and Robert Hunt).
Mid-to-Late Day Two - Prospects who have enough technical and athletic ability to be replacement level starters as rookies. While they lack great potential, these players should be able to see the field as rookies. Though you would prefer if these players were your first depth piece, they should be talented enough to not be liabilities on the field. This is the last tier of grading for any year one starting opportunity (Ex. Cooper Beebe, Dylan Fairchild, Lloyd Cushenberry).
Early Day Three - Prospects with starter traits who need technical development or technically refined prospects with poor tools who could be immediate depth/spot starters. These are players you do not want to see on the field beyond spot starts for injuries as rookies. Though they will need time to develop, high upside early day three prospects can turn into starters worth extensions/free agency deals (Ex. Mason McCormick, Tanor Bortolini, Drew Dalman).
Mid-to-Late Day Three - Players that no longer have starting caliber physical tools (generally these are athletic players who lack size or big players with athletic limitations), but they can provide value as depth as rookies. Though these players lack great traits, they should be able to fill in for injuries to starters. These players can find themselves into starting roles, but they should not be viewed as bridges to higher upside successors (Ex. Beaux Limmer, Olusegun Oluwatimi, Danny Pinter).
PUDFA-Camp - Prospects who do not have draftable talent, but can develop into rosterable NFL players with time on a PS or with multiple stints on preseason rosters. The main difference in the undrafted prospects what kind of roster spot they are ready to compete for (PUDFA grades have a chance at a 53-man spot who should win a practice squad spot, UDFA grades have a chance at a practice squad spot who should win a T-90 preseason spot, Camp grades have a chance at a preseason T-90 roster spot). While these players don’t have draft grades, it is common to see players with PUDFA grades end up as late round fliers (Ex. Federico Maranges, Dalton Tucker, Luke Kandra).
Reject - Prospects that do not have any realistic future in the NFL as a player. These players can have a future in other leagues (mainly UFL and CFL), but they often retire from the sport to pursue careers outside of football. The main reasons for lacking any NFL future is having the combination of poor athletic tools and frame.
GRADES
Francis Mauigoa (Early Day Two) - 6’6* - 335* - Miami - Jr
Pros
Great positional weight and height
Sufficient arm length for OT
Ok foot speed and violent first step in his pass sets
Sufficient range for OT and could play in case of injury
Good displacement ability, core strength, and hand heaviness
Ok speed and explosion when in the second level for a player his size
Greatly improved in his punch technique later in the season
Many of his technical issues stem from playing OT
Notably violent player in the run game
Cons
Hip bender when engaging blockers in both phases
Habit of missing high with his punch
Habit of catching when in pass protection
Not athletic enough to play in space at a high level
Would benefit from playing inside at OG
Plays high out of his two-point stance at OT
Only has played OT since HS and could have a learning curve at OG
Anez Cooper (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6055 - 347 - Miami - Sr
Pros
Elite positional height, weight, and length
Long arms and legs
Good displacement, core strength, and hand heaviness
Good hand placement in both phases
Good strike timing in pass protection
Good at knowing who to help in protection
Notably violent player in the run game
Constantly looks to level defenders in the second level
Cons
Height has him play high in his pads in both phases
Sometimes loses the leverage battle despite his length
Slow foot quickness make mirroring and recovering difficult
Habit of over committing and failing to consistently pass off stunts
Slow and sluggish athlete when in space or reaching
Logan Jones (Mid-to-Late Day Two)* - 6024 - 300 - Iowa - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good quickness, fluidity, and speed
Capable of reaching and playing in space at a starting level
Good displacement, core strength, and hand heaviness for an OC
Capable of handling one-on-one pass protection assignments
Good foot quickness when mirroring in pass protection
Good recovery footwork when taking on power
Reliable, controlled snapper with his dead ball
Active, accurate hands in pass protection
Notably violent run game player
New to playing OC and converted from DT as a (RS) So
Cons
Average positional size and height
Horrible length with sub 31 inch arms
Struggles against longer DTs when locking out
Poor combo block technique on when to detach
Inconsistent contact in the second level
Needs to be quicker with his hands going from snap to block
Habit of leaning when engaging defenders in the run
OC only player
*Old player that will turn 25 during his rookie season
Olaivavega “Vega” Ioane (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’4* - 328* - Penn State - (RS) Jr
Pros
Great positional size
Elite core strength and hand heaviness
Rarely gives up ground when anchoring against power
Solid lateral quickness for a large OG
Mirrors and reaches better than similarly sized OGs
Good technique with his hand placement in pass protection
Active hand fighter in pass protection
Assignment sound when picking up stunts and knowing who to help
Cons
Mediocre positional length and plays stumpy
Leverage issues in the run game due to his short arms
Easy to locked out in the run game
Mediocre speed, quickness, and fluidity athlete in a vacuum
Not a good recovery athlete when he gets out of position
Horrible run blocker and struggles to get displacement in the run
Odd considering his play strength and size
Acceptable on angle blocks due to his size and ok quickness
Leans when engaging blockers on the move or pulling
*Unverified
Chase Bisontis (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’5* - 315* - Texaas A&M - Jr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Very long arms and legs
Great foot quickness when mirroring in his pass set
Capable of reaching and playing in space at a starting level
Good recovery ability and lateral quickness
Flashes of saviness with a snatch trap
Good violence in pass protection
Good flashes of high-end pass protection technique
Potential swing OT flexibility
Cons
Average positional weight and light for his frame
Average speed and explosion as an athlete
Mediocre deisplacement, core strength, and hand heaviness
Hip bender when engaging defenders
Needs better consistency on assignments on half-man and stunt pick up
Several reps on tape of being in the wrong position
Inconsistent with strikes with high misses in pass protection
Poor awareness and reactive footwork to inside counters
Needs to make processing strides to become a starting-caliber player
*Unverified
Jake Slaughter (Early Day Three) - 6047 - 294 - Florida - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional length and height
Shorter arms but has long legs
Solid quickness, speed, and fluidity
Enough to reach and play in space at an NFL level
Reliable, controlled snapper with his dead ball
Good transitions going from snap to block
Good hand placement in both phases
Has the frame to support more weight in the NFL
Potential OG flex if he is able to gain weight
Could develop into a good one-on-one pass protector with more size
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Cons
Underweight and will need to get bigger in the NFL
Gets locked out at times in the run due to his height and shorter arms
Does not have the tools to do anything schematically unique
Not rangey enough in space and not strong enough to dig out DTs
Mediocre core strength, displacement, and hand heaviness
Cannot handle one-on-one pass pro at a high level
Questions on how much strength/size gain is possible
Undersized after five years with a P4 strength and conditioning program
Connor Lew* (Early Day Three) - 6’3** - 300** - Auburn - Jr
Pros
Solid quickness, speed, and fluidity
Enough to reach and play in space at an NFL level
Good recovery footwork when taking on power
Good hand placement in both phases
Reliable, controlled snapper with his dead ball
Good transitions going from snap to block
Young player with untapped physical development
Cons
Undersized player who needs to put on weight
Poor hand heaviness, core strength, or displacement ability
Cannot handle one-on-one pass pro at a high level
Does not have the tools to do anything schematically unique
Not rangey enough in space and not strong enough to dig out DTs
OC only player
*Tore his ACL in the 2025 season
**Unverified
Logan Taylor (Early Day Three) - 6064 - 309 - Boston College - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Long arms and legs
Solid core strength and hand heaviness in pass protection
Great hand placement in both phases
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Potential two-position flexibility at OT and OG
Could serve as a swing OT if he learns proper footwork
Cons
Thin player that needs to gain weight in the NFL
Poor displacement ability when run blocking
Hard time getting leverage on defenders
Taller frames create leverage issues in the run game
Push-pulled often on tape
Balance issues with him losing his footing often
Occasional hip bender to engage defenders in the run game
Poor set footwork when at OT and needs to learn how to set vertically
Heavy feet limit his ability to reach and mirror
Has the length for OT but mainly is an IOL player
Emmanuel Pregnon* (Early Day Three) - 6043 - 320 - Oregon - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional length with long arms
Accurate and active hands in pass protection
Good pulling techinque and does not lean to engage
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Notably violent player and looks to lay out defenders
Cons
Average positional size and play strength
Average core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement
Horrible lateral athlete with stiff heavy movement
Heavy feet in his pass set that limit his ability to mirror in space
Lacks the quickness or foot speed to reach or play in space at an NFL level
Not strong or big enough to negate his lack of movement
*Old player that will turn 25 during in his rookie season
JC Davis (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6037 - 333 - Illinois - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional length and weight
Long arms and legs
Good displacement, hand heaviness, and core strength
Good stunt at picking up stunts at OT
Flashes saaviness with a snatch trap
Notable violence in the run game
Cons
Short player who is shorter than his listed height
Needs to kick inside to IOL
Extremely heavy footed athlete with poor range in pass protection
Could have issues mirroring in pass protections
Lacks the quickness or speed to play in space
Not strong enough to make up for his lack of movement ability
Only has played OT and could have a learning curve moving to OG
Beau Stephens (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6046 - 312 - Iowa - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good displacement, core strength, and hand heaviness
Solid foot quickness when mirroring in pass protection
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Notably violent player in the run game
Cons
Average positional height and size
Stiff lower body that has him play tall in his pads
Poor length with sub 32 inch arms
Pad level and length create leverage issues in the run game
Poor speed and fluidity athlete when pulling or playing in space
Bad habit of leaning to engage blockers in the run game
Trey Zuhn III (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6063 - 318 - Texas A&M - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional height and weight
Long legs
Solid hand heaviness and core strength
Solid lateral quickness
Potential three position back-up prospect
Has enough feet to reasonably serve emergency OT duties
Reliable, controlled snapper with his dead ball
Good hand placement in both phases
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Active hand fighter in pass protection at OT
Cons
Outlier arm length with sub 32 inch arms on a tall frame
Extremely awkward frame at all three OL positions
Struggles to consistently time his strikes at OT due to his length
Major leverage issues in the run game and struggles to lock out
Hip bender when engaging defenders
Mediocre speed and fluidity athlete when pulling or playing in space
Mediocre foot quickness that limit his pass proction range at OT
Needs to improve his transitions from snap to block when at OC
Kage Casey (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6’5* - 311* - Boise State - (RS) Jr
Pros
Good positional height with long legs
Solid foot quickness for a likely OG convert
Could have swing OT versatility
Solid core strength and hand heaviness
Good footwork when setting vertically
Good recognition and reactionary footwork to inside counters
Cons
Average weight and short arms
Needs to gain more weight in the NFL
Poor displacement in the run game
Lacks starting level range as an OT
Likely forced to play IOL
Average speed and quickness athlete
Lacks starting power or quickness
Passive pass protector who does not set his feet when punching
Habit of catching when in pass protection
Poor balance and loses footing often
Wide placement of his hands in both phases
Keylan Rutledge* (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6’4** - 330** - Georgia Tech - Sr
Pros
Great positional weight
Great core strength and hand heaviness
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Accurate hand placement in both phases
Good techinque when pulling and remains sqaure when in space
Violent run player who looks to blow up second level defenders in space
Cons
Average height and mediocre length
Shorter arms makes it harder for him to lock out defenders
Horrible athlete in space with poor explosivness and speed
Struggles to meet landmarks in space
Stiff lower body and plays high in his pad level
Hard time getting leverage and generating displacement in the run game
*Car accident in 2024 that resulted in a major foot injury
**Unverified
Ar’maj Reed-Adams (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6051 - 338 - Texas A&M - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height, length, and weight
Very long arms and legs
Great core strength and hand heaviness
Good hand placement in both phases
Cons
Very stiff player who plays high in his pads
Has leverage issues in the run despite his length
Struggles to consistently get low enough to generate displacement
Poor awareness and reactive footwork against inside counters
Horrible movement athlete and struggles to play in space or mirror
Struggles with positioning on stunts and blocking second-level defenders
Leaner when engaging blockers when pulling
Sam Hecht (PUDFA) - 6040 - 297 - Kansas State - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great speed and quickness athlete
Capable of reaching and playing in space at a starting level
Quick snapping motion
Quick from snap to block
Accurate hand placement in both phases
Very active quick hands in pass protection
Cons
Extremely undersized, lean build with short arms
Locked out easily in the run game
Extremely poor hand heaviness, displacement, and core strength
Knock off balance from power constantly
Shed easily in the run game
Innaccurate snapper with his dead ball
OC only prospect
Questionable awarness reps on film and gets out of position
Questions on how much more strength/size he could gain
Jalen Farmer (PUDFA) - 6’5* - 318* - Kentucky - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional length and height
Long arms and legs
Good core strength, displacement, and hand heaviness
Good hand placement in both phases
Notably violent player in the run game
Cons
Horrible speed and fluidity athlete when pulling or playing in space
Heavy foot speed limit his ability to mirror in pass protection
Not strong or large enough to make up for his lack of lateral quickness
Poor awareness and recovery footwork against inside counters
Alex Harkey (PUDFA) - 6047 - 331 - Oregon - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great position size and height
Solid hand heaviness, core strength, and displacement
Solid foot quickness when mirroring in his pass set
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Accurate strike in pass protection
Cons
Short arms that are below OT thresholds
Likely forced to play IOL
Medciore lateral quickness and athletic tools in the run game
Leaner when engaging defenders in space
Passive player who is a constant catcher in space
Product of timing issues from shorter arms
Inconsistent hustle and effort
Some reps of high-level effort and some with poor effort
Fernando Carmona*** (UDFA) - 6040 - 326 - Arkansas - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional weight
Ok lateral quickness for a player his size
Good pulling technique and remains square at contact
Assignment sound player when picking up stunts or knowing who to help
Accurate hand placement in both phases
Solid hand heaviness
Good hip sinking technique to regain leverage when taking on power
Notably violent player in both phases
Cons
Extremely stumpy build with sub 32 inch arms
Easily locked out in the run game
Bad bodied with most of his weight being carried in his torso
Skinny limbs and a extremely broad torso
Leans when engaging blockers in the run game
Poor core strength and displacement ability in the run game
Average positional height and weight
Slow, awkward, mediocre athlete in space
Mediocre foot quickness laterally in pass protection
Balance issues and loses his footing often
*Old player that will turn 24 during his rookie season
**Intentionally attempted to injure a Texas Tech DB in 2024
Carver Willis (UDFA) - 6043 - 304 - Washington - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great speed, explosiveness, and quickness as a mover
Capable of reaching and playing in space at a starting level
Accurate and well-timed punches in his pass set
Quick footwork when mirroring in pass protection
Great athlete when in space or reaching in the run game
College OT who could provide positional versatility as a depth piece
Cons
Short with short limbs that limit his range in pass protection
Likely a IOL convert
Horrible displacement, hand heaviness, or core strength
Barely can generate displacement on the second level on LBs
Questions on how much more strength/size he could gain
Gennings Dunker (UDFA) - 6040 - 317 - Iowa - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional length with long arms and legs
Good awareness of inside counters and recovery footwork
Solid core strength, displacement ability, and hand heaviness
Good at picking up stunts at OT
Notably violent run blocker
Cons
Average positional height and weight
Very stiff lower body and plays high in his pads
Poor foot speed severely limit his range in pass protection
Likely forced to play IOL
Horrible set footwork with an inability to set vertically
Shallow, tight strides that struggle to get depth
Major issues with leverage in the run game due to stiffness
Gets locked out constantly
Constant leaner in the run game
Balance issues and loses his footing often
Passive with his hands in both phases and is a catcher in pass protection
Wide placement often exposes his chest to defenders
College OT and could have a learning curve at OG
Bruno Fina (UDFA) - 6045 - 306 - Duke - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good height with long legs
Good hand placement in both phases
Solid core strength and hand heaviness for a lighter player
Cons
Extremely undersized player who will need to gain weight in the NFL
Poor displacement ability in the run game
Timing issues that arise from having shorter arms
Poor recognition and reactive footwork to inside counters
Occasional heel clicker in his pass set
Lacks speed and quickness when playing in space
Heavier feet reduce his range in pass protection
Likely forced to play IOL
Questions on how much more strength/size he could gain
James Brockermeyer (UDFA) - 6030 - 293 - Miami - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great hand placement in both phases
Assignment sound player who calls out protections and knows who to help
Good grip strength for an undersized player
Sufficient quickness as an athlete
Capable of reaching and playing in space at an NFL level
Reliable, controlled snapper of the football with dead snapping
Good transitions going from snap to block
Cons
Extremely undersized player who likely cannot get better
Visually filled out frame
Been with several P4 strength & conditioning programs
Horrible play strength and can ruin plays when attempting to anchor
Liability when NTs are aligned on him without help
OC only player
Brian Parker II (Camp) - 6’5* - 300* - (RS) Jr
Pros
Good height with long legs
Multi-positional background with the potential to fill in at OG and OC
Played OC in HS
Cons
Undersized player who needs to gain weight in the NFL
Short arms that are below OT thresholds
Struggles to lock out defenders due to his height and arm length
Extremely poor play strength, core strength, and displacement ability
Heavy feet limit his range in pass protection
Likely forced to play IOL
Bad footwork with a tendency to heel click during his pass sets
Mediocre speed and quickness as an athlete
Bad combination of lacking strength and movement as a prospect
Hip bends when engaging blockers in space
Wide hand placement in both phases
Catcher in space who is passive with his strikes
Extremely poor power losses on tape
Questions on how much more strength/size he could gain
James Neal III (Camp) - 6046 - 319 - Iowa State - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional arm and leg length
Good heavy heaviness, core strength, and displacement
Good effort in the run game and tries to finish plays hard
Cons
Average positional height and weight
Horrible feet in his pass set that severely limit his range
Likely an IOL convert
Extremely stiff lower body leads to very high pads
Push-pulled constantly on tape
Balance issues that have him lose his footing during reps
Inconsistent timing in pass protection with a tendency to catch
Tendency to strike wide in pass protection
Constant hip bender when in space when engaging blockers
Slow athlete in space that is not going to be an asset in the second level
Bad footwork in his pass set with inconsistent strides and heel clicking
Poor awareness of inside counters and stunts when in space
College OT who could have a learning curve at OG
Albert Reese IV (Camp) - 6070 - 333 - Mississippi State - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional length, weight, and height
Flashes some saaviness with a snatch trap
Cons
Horrible movement athlete in space
Bad quickness when reaching in the run game
Heavy feet create major range issues in pass protection
Likely IOL convert
Wide strikes when striking in pass protection
Constant catcher with late strikes
Poor power loses and gets pushed back constantly
Concerning considering he is a power profile player without mobility
Needs better awareness against inside counters
College OT who could have a learning curve at OG
Chris Adams (Reject) - 6044 - 300 - Memphis - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional length for his frame
Ok hand heaviness
Cons
Short, thin frame that is undersized for the NFL
Slow, clunky feet create range limitations
Likely a IOL convert
Horrible displacement and core strength
Extremely poor lowlights in space trying to take on power
Catcher in pass protection
Stiff, awkward lower body and limited foot quickness
Wide with his hands and exposes his chest
Poor at recognizing and reacting to inside counters
Questions on how much more strength and size he could gain
College OT who could have a learning curve at OG
Date Published: 01/23/2025
Date Last Updated: 01/23/2025
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