Jared Zhang's 2026 NFL OT 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 for 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). If a player is still not mentioned, then I most likely have not watched them.
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 note explaining the issue (Ex. I would put a note down for Josh Simmons due to his injury and 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. These players should have ready NFL bodies, while having high-end technical refinement. While they are not going to be perfect as rookies and will still lose reps, these should be coachable issues that should be fixable within the first few years of their rookie contracts. These players should have an All-Pro ceiling and an immediate high-end starter floor (Ex. Joe Thomas, Trent Williams, Orlando Pace).
Day One - Prospects who have an immediate ability to start while having high-end athletic tools. These players should have ready NFL bodies and enough technical refinement to be playable starters as rookies. Though they will have rough games and be inconsistent as young players, first-round OTs should be able to fix these issues within their rookie contracts (Ex. Christian Darrisaw, Taliese Fuaga, Anton Harrison).
Early Day Two - Either prospects who have first-round caliber physical tools who lack the technical refinement to be rookie starters, or prospects with day one starter floors who lack high-end athletic tools. Prospects with the ability to start with early day two grading need to still have the upside to provide above replacement level play. Even for prospects who need technical refinement, these prospects should be able to compete a swing OT job as rookies (Ex. Patrick Paul, Rob Havenstein, Luke Goedeke)
Mid-to-Late Day Two - Prospects with the starting level athletic tools who require physical development and/or major technical development before they can develop into starters. Commonly, the physical development is gaining weight to improve on play strength. While a lot of these prospects will not reach their potential, players with the right development have the upside to be franchise OTs (Ex. Terron Armstead, Charles Grant, Spencer Brown).
Early Day Three - Prospects who have starter-caliber bodies/tools, but require major technical development before being startable or immediate swing tackles who can develop into replacement level starters. The high-end developmental prospects in this tier are generally HWL/athleticism dart throws and should be the last players on the board with reasonable odds to develop into above replacement-level starters. (Ex. Giovanni Manu, Dawand Jones, Blake Freeland).
Mid-to-Late Day Three - Prospects who no longer have starting-caliber bodies/tools, but they can develop into capable depth tackles that can see the field in spot starts. Players in this tier could end up with starting roles due to injury or poor play from other OTs, but they are not going to be seen as realistic long-term starting options (Ex. Jaylon Moore, Asim Richards, Larry Borom).
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 are practice squad locks with a chance at a 53-man spot, UDFA are preseason T-90 locks with 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, PUDFA players could wind up as late round fliers (Ex. Luke Felix-Fualalo, Theo Benedet, Easton Kilty).
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 & DESCRIPTIONS
Players that I have listed at other positions:
Francis Mauigoa - Miami - OG
James Neal III - Iowa State - OG
Carver Willis - Washington - OG/OC
Chris Adams - Memphis - OG/OC
Albert Reese IV - Mississippi State - OG
JC Davis - Illinois - OG
Will be updated more as I go through more college OTs that project inside
Kadyn Proctor (Day One)* - 6’7** - 366** - Alabama - Jr
Pros
Elite positional size, height, and length
Great athletic ability for his size
Capable of playing in space and reaching at a starting level
Starting level foot quickness and range in pass protection
Sufficient redirection ability that is good for his size
Elite hand heaviness, displacement ability, and core strength
Good punch placement in his pass set
Great at driving defenders upfield when attacking outside
Cons
Weight issues appear on tape and create poor moments when heavier
Technique gets sloppier as he struggles to reach landmarks
Struggles landmarks against faster EDGEs due to worsened movement
Tendency to catch and fire late/low with hands
Gets away with it due to his core strength
Needs better awareness and reactionary footwork to inside counters
*Weight maintenance concerns and murmurs of character concerns
**Unverified
Max Iheanachor (Day One) - 6054 - 322 - ASU - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good foot quickness and range in pass protection
Good hand heaviness, displacement ability, and core strength
Great athlete with good speed and great explosiveness
Capable of playing in space and reaching at a starting level
Started playing football recently and has improved every year
HS soccer player who started playing OT in JUCO
Cons
Sloppy hands with a tendency to fire high and wide
Locked out in the run game despite having the tools to win matchups
Catcher in pass protection who often fire late
Overly relies on using his play strength to win pass protection reps
Average positional length, height, and weight
Lower body stiffness limits some of his mirroring and redirection ability
Caleb Tiernan (Early Day Two) - 6074 - 320 - (RS) Senior
Pros
Great positional height and weight
Solid foot quickness and starting level range in pass protection
Long legs give him larger strides in his pass sets
Good fluidity and quickness in space
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Solid core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement ability
Good punch placement in his pass set
Good hand fighting in his pass set
Constant use of flash technique
Great at recognizing and reacting to inside counters
Cons
Negative wingspan with below-threshold arm length
Range and quickness should let him stay at OT
Occasional timing issues due to having shorter arms
Longer EDGEs will give him issues
Average speed and explosion athlete
Leaner when engaging blocks in both phases
Height creates leverage issues in the run game
Hard time getting displacement due to his leverage disadvantage
Easy to lock out and push-pull
Monroe Freeling* (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’7* - 315* - Junior
Pros
Great positional height and length
Long arms and legs
Solid foot quickness and starting level range in pass protection
Good hand heaviness when striking
Flashes impressive hand fighting and placement for a first-year starter
Young player with untapped physical and technical development
Cons
Slim frame with mediocre core strength and displacement ability
Plays high in his two-point stance and leads to poor leverage issues
Locked out and push-pulled in the run often
Habit of leaning to engage blockers in the run game
Average movement athlete in terms of speed and quickness
Needs better recognition of inside counters when playing in space
Notable amounts of mental errors on the field
Occasional tendency to catch when in his pass set
*Injuries in 2025
**Unverified
Jude Bowry* (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’5** - 311** - (RS) Junior
Pros
Great foot quickness and starting level range in pass protection
Good speed, explosion, and quickness athlete
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Flashes of savviness with a snatch trap on tape
Flashes of hand heaviness when he makes contact
Improved techincally later in the season
Cons
Average positional height, weight, and length
Average core strength when anchoring down againist power
Needs to gain weight in the NFL
Poor displacement in the run game
Wide and with his punch placement in his pass set
Improved greatly later in the season
Tendnecy to catch in pass protection
Tendency to hip bend to egage defenders
*Injury issues that caused him to miss multiple games in the 2025 season
**Unverified
Caleb Lomu (Mid-to-Late Day Two) - 6’6* - 305* - (RS) So
Pros
Good positonal height and length
Long legs and arms
Ok foot quickness and starting caliber range
Long legs give him longer strides
Young player with untapped physical and technical development
Techinque improved greatly later in the season
Cons
Thin player and will need to gain weight in the NFL
Poor hand heaviness, core strength, and displacement
Average speed, quickness, and fluidity in the second level
Bad footwork with inconsistent strides and a tendency to heel click
Hip bender when engaging defenders
Poor awareness and reactive footwork againist inside counters
Better reps later in the season
Passive pass protector with a tendency to catch
Wide hand placement and exposes his chest in both phases
*Unverified
Austin Barber (Early Day Three) - 6067 - 316 - Florida - Senior
Pros
Good height and length
Long legs and above threshold arm length
Starting caliber foot quickness and range in pass protection
Starting caliber speed, fluidity, and explosion
Capable of playing in space and reaching at a starting level
Notable violence and finsh in the run game
Flashes a snatch trap on tape
Cons
Thinner frame with mediocre play strength
Needs to gain some weight in the NFL
Passive pass protector with a tendency to catch
Wide hand placement and exposes his chest in both phases
Passive pass protector that catches or fails to punch in his pass set
Poor awareness and reactive footwork againist inside counters
Needs better recovery footwork when resetting his feet against power
High-variance player in college with occasional disastrous games
Blake Miller (Early Day Three) - 6065 - 314 - Clemson - Sr
Pros
Great height with long arms and legs
Starting caliber foot speed, range, and redirection ability in pass protection
Good speed and fluidity when on the move in the run game
Notable violence and finish in the run game
Active hand fighter and aggressive pass protector
Proven ability to support more weight on his frame
Cons
Extremely thin frame with unplayable play strength
Horrible core strength, displacement, and hand heaviness
Sloppy punch placement with wide and high strikes
Questions on how much strength improvement is possible
Spencer Fano (Early Day Three) - 6’6* - 304* - Utah - Jr
Pros
Sufficient arm length for OT
Solid hand heaviness for an undersized player
Solid speed and quickness in the second level
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Solid foot quickness and range in pass protection
Enough to play OT in the NFL
Flashes of saaviness with flash technique
Flashes of hand fighting in pass protection
Cons
Shorter OT who is shorter than his listed height
Shorter legs reduce the length of his strides
Extremely undersized and will need to gain weight in the NFL
Not a great athlete for an undersized player
Poor displacement and core strength
Mediocre effort in the run game in 2025 and was more violent in 2024
Bad footwork with inconsistent strides and a tendency to heel click
Bad habit of oversetting and losing to inside counters
Poor recognition and reactive footwork to inside counters
Hip bender when engaging defenders
Tendency to miss high with his strikes in pass protection
Passive pass protector with a tendency to catch
Questions on how much strength/weight he can gain
*Unverified
Dametrious Crownover (Early Day Three) - 6066 - 335 - Texas A&M - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional size, height, and length
Great hand heaviness, displacement ability, and core strength
Major man mover in the run game
Notable violence and finish in the run game
New to the position with him converting to OT as a true freshman
Cons
Mediocre foot quickness, redirection, and range in pass protection
Potential IOL convert
Sloppy and wide hands that exposes his chest to defenders
Poor footwork with inconsistent strides in his pass set
Needs to improve his awareness and footwork on inside counters
Diego Pounds (Early Day Three) - 6055 - 337 - Ole Miss - Sr
Pros
Good positional weight, length, and height
Good core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement ability
Active hand fighter in pass protection
Good punch timing in pass protection
Good hand placement in both phases with accurate strikes
Good footwork with reliable stride length and balance
Cons
Average foot speed create range limitations
Sufficient enough range to stick at OT
Mediocre quickness and movement athlete in the second level
Unable to reach at an NFL level
Poor awareness against inside counters
Nolan Rucci* (Early Day Three) - 6’8 - 308 - Penn State - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Solid foot quickness and starter level range in pass protection
Good speed, quickness, and fluidity in the second level
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Cons
Undersized player who needs to gain more weight
Poor hand heaviness, displacement, and core strength
Bothered easily by contact in pass protection
Unbalanced and loses footing often
Awkward leverage issues in the run game
Push-pulled constantly
Wide and late hands when punching in pass protection
Habit of leaning to engage defenders in both phases
*Injuries throughout 2025
Drew Shelton (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6047 - 303 - Penn State - Sr
Pros
Solid speed and fluidity in the second level
Above threshold arm length
Good hand placement in both phases with accurate strikes
Active hand fighter in pass protection
Good punch timing in pass protection
Cons
Undersized player in terms of height and weight
Sufficent foot quickness and range in pass protection
Potential IOL convert
Average positional core strength and hand heaviness
Mediocre quickness for an undersized player
Poor displacement ability in the run
Low hands exposes his chest in both phases
Easily shed and locked out in the run game
Questions on how much more weight/strength he can gain
Isaiah World (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6052 - 321 - Oregon - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positonal length with long arms and legs
Good power when displacing defenders in the run game
Starting caliber foot quickness and range in pass protection
Good speed and explosiveness when climbing to the second level
Notably violent run blocker
Cons
Average positional height and weight
Extremely stiff, clumsy lower body makes redirection difficult
Plays very high in his pads and leads to a lot of poor leverage moments
Struggles to lock out despite his length
Easily push-pulled out of plays
Bad footwork with inconsistent strides and balance
Unable to execute reactionary footwork against inside counters
Passive pass protector with a habit of catching
Wide hands lead to defenders constantly accessing his chest
Poor awareness when identifying stunts and inside counters
Turnstile and liability on the field at the college level
Travis Burke (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6’9* - 315* - Memphis - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Great lower body flexibility lets him play low in his two and three point stance
Negates some of the leverage issues seen in tall OTs
Good quickness and athletic ability
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Quick feet in his pass set when setting or mirroring
Potential to have starter NFL range with proper footwork
Active hand fighter in pass protection
Good strike timing in pass protection
Cons
Very thin player with a narrow, lanky build
Poor play strength when punching or displacing defenders
Extremely poor core strength and has major loses againist power
Poor footwork in his pass set with inconsistent strides
Shuffles his feet instead of properly setting
Habit of leaning to engage defenders
Wide hands lead to him exposing his chest to defenders
Questions on how much more weight/strength he can gain
*Unverified
Shiyazh Pete (Mid-to-Late Day Three) - 6087 - 322 - Kentucky - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Great lower body flexibility lets him play low in his two and three point stance
Negates some of the leverage issues seen in tall OTs
Good quickness and athletic ability
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Quick feet in his pass set when setting or mirroring
Potential to have starter NFL range with proper footwork
Cons
Very thin player with a narrow, lanky build
Poor play strength when punching or displacing defenders
Poor awareness on stunts or when defenders attack his inside shoulder
Poor footwork in his pass set with inconsistent strides and balance
Unable to execute reactionary footwork against inside counters
Heel clicks in his pass set as he gets depth
Wide hands lead to him exposing his chest to defenders
Passive pass protector with a habit of catching
Questions on how much more weight/strength he can gain
Fa’alili Fa’amoe* (PUDFA) - 6051 - 318 - Wake Forest - (RS) Sr
Pros
Above threshold arm length for OT
Solid displacement ability, hand heaviness, and core strength
Good footwork in his pass set in terms of balance and stride depth
Good punch timing and placement for a college OT
Flashes of saaviness with flash technique
New to playing OT and converted from DT as a (RS) So
Cons
Average positional size with shorter legs and average height
Poor range in pass protection due to shorter legs and heavy feet
Potential IOL convert
Not quick enough to reach, while not having compensating size/play strength
Bad habit of leaning when engaging defenders
*Old player that will turn 25 during his rookie season
Corey Robinson II (PUDFA) - 6042 - 303 - (RS) Sr
Pros
Long arms and legs
Good hand fighting and strike timing in pass protection
Good punch placement for a college OT
Good effort in the run game and finishes plays hard
Ok hand heaviness and grip strength
Cons
Short, undersized frame creates play strength issues
Poor core strength and displacement ability in the run
Horrible losses to power when he misses wide with his punch
Ok footspeed leads to mediocre pass protection range
Sufficent enough to stick at OT
Hip bends to engage defenders in both phases
Needs better recognition and reactionary footwork against inside counters
Questions on how much more weight/strength he can gain
Paul Rubelt (PUDFA) - 6105 - 316 - UCF - (RS) Sr
Pros
Rare positional length in terms of height and length
Great flexibility that lets him play low in his three-point stance
Solid strike accuracy for a college OT
Good at using length to lock out defenders in the run game
IPP eligible player and still new to organized football
Cons
Very thin player with a narrow, lanky build
Poor play strength when punching or displacing defenders
Poor awareness when defenders counter inside
Mediocre footspeed creates range issues in pass sets
Poor balance and loses his footing a lot
Height creates awkward leverage moments in the run
Bad set footwork with poor stride length in his vertical set
Questions on potential weight and strength gain
Riley Mahlman (UDFA) - 6077 - 321 - Wisconsin - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height, size, and leg length
Good core strength and hand heaviness
Cons
Below threshold arm length creates timing and lockout issues
Heavy-footed athlete when in his pass set
Long legs helps mitigate some of the range losses
Extremely stiff lower body with a high-pad level
Poor leverage moments on tape in both phases
Easy to lock out and push-pull
Difficult time on base and drive blocks due to leverage issues
Late with his punches in pass protection and is a catcher in space
Wide striker with punches and exposes his chest
Balance issues that causes him to lose his footing often
Enrique Cruz Jr (UDFA) - 6’6* - 320* - Kansas - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great foot quickness and starting level range in pass protection
Good speed and fluidity in the second level
Capable of playing in space and reaching at an NFL level
Cons
Looks smaller on tape than listed measurables
Poor footwork with shallow strides in his pass set
Wide and late hands in pass protection
Poor core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement
Turnstile and liability on the field at the college level
*Unverified
Bryce Henderson (UDFA) - 6074 - 318 - Vanderbilt - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height, length, and weight
Solid core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement ability
Flashes of hand fighting throughout pass set
Extensive experience at LT and RT due to Vanderbilt’s scheme
Cons
Extremely stiff lower body that makes him play high
Constantly locked out and push-pulled
Awkward leverage issues in the run game
Balance issues and loses his footing often
Mediocre foot quickness create range and redirection issues
Slow and stiff athlete when in space
Poor recognition and reactive footwork against inside counters
Aamil Wagner (Camp) - 6’6* - 300* - Notre Dame - (RS) Jr
Pros
Good positional height and length
Long arms and legs
Cons
Extremely undersized player with poor play strength
Bad core strength, hand heaviness, and displacement ability
Mediocre range and foot quickness in pass protection
Extremely stiff lower body and plays high in his pad level
Gets locked out in the run game despite his length
Gets push-pulled out of plays in the run game
Poor footwork with inconsistent strides and a tendency to heel click
Questions on potential weight and strength gain
Jeff Persi (Reject) - 6072 - 308 - Pittsburgh - (RS) Sr
Pros
Great positional height and length
Long legs and arms
Solid hand placement in pass protection for a college OT
Cons
Undersized with horrible play strength
Major power loses consistently on tape
Horrible quickness athlete who cannot get depth
Stiff and incapable of changing directions
Incredibly clunky and uncoordinated lower body
Slow when pulling or playing in space
Stiff lower body creates pad level and leverage issues
Unable to generate displacement in the run game
Unable to perform reactionary footwork againist inside counters
Turnstile and liability on the field at the college level
Trevonte Sylvester (Reject) - 6’6* - 280* - Louisville - (RS) Sr
Pros
Good positional height and length
Good hand fighting and strike timing in pass protection
Good hand placement for a college OT
Cons
Solid movement ability is due to being undersized
Severally undersized athlete with major play strength issues
Cannot generate displacement in the run game
Instantly loses when players access his chest
Older player who has failed to put on any weight on his frame
*Unverified
Date Published: 11/30/2025
Date Last Updated: 01/15/2025
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