See the previous part here: https://atbnetwork.com/2021/08/19/the-early-bird-list-part-4/
Early on this offensive line class looks deep at tackle. Maybe not as strong at the top as recent years, but deep. The center class though looks strong. Don’t forget this list is just alphabetical.
Offensive Line:
Daniel Faalele – Minnesota
He is a huge man. 6’8 370. Similar body type to Mechi Becton. Big hands and long arms. Faalele still could stand to loose about 20 pounds to help his agility to keep up with the pass rushers he will see in the NFL. Sat out 2020 season due to COVID. He is still raw after not playing in high school and coming over from Australia. Big and strong with raw power. His agility is lacking some. He may have trouble at the next level with quicker defenders. Still he is pretty athletic for his size. Technique needs refinement. Probably a one position player(right tackle).
Kenyon Green – Texas A & M
Two year starter. Green started the 2019 season at right guard. He then started the 2020 season on the left side. He has a tendency to get too aggressive, which throws off his balance. Green still could use some minor technique work on pass blocking. Strong lower body that shows up in the running game, a beast as a run blocker. Excellent overall athlete. He is quick, explosive, and strong. Probably the top guard in the class. The current Aggie could go in the 1st.
Darian Kinnard – Kentucky
Kinnard is another huge man with long arms and big strong0 hands. He is not as big as Faalele, but similar size and body type(6’5 345ish). He has 26 consecutive starts entering the 2021 season. Kinnard is Powerful but also surprisingly agile for his size. Plays with a mauler mentality. That might make him a better fit inside? Kinnard can be inconsistent with his hands. Comes out of his stance too high and sometimes leans too forward throwing off his balance. Could shed weight and stay at tackle.
Zion Johnson – Boston College
Position versatile. He has experience at both OT and OG. Decent size at 6’3 315. He has big strong hands. Plays a physical and aggressive game. Great in the run game. He switched to OT in 2020. His NFL future is at guard though. Has experience pulling. Johnson lacks the length to play tackle at the NFL level. He wasn’t as comfortable playing in space in 2020 versus 2019 when he was at guard.
Jaxson Kirkland – Washington
Big offensive tackle at 6’7 310. Follows in the tradition of recent UW tackles. Definitely a left tackle at the next level. Not an elite level athlete. But he still moves well. Also he plays with excellent technique. Patient and has a high football IQ. Kirkland’s anchor is just average. He could struggle against powerful bull rushers at the NFL level. If he can add some weight/strength that would help him against bull rushes. Even though he still lacks some power on film he shows up in the running game. Could stand to play with a little more physicality. Kirkland has a high floor.
Tyler Linderbaum – Iowa
Came into Iowa as a defensive tackle. Converted to center in 2019. A little undersized at 6’3 290. Has the frame for more weight though. High level athleticism on film. Explosive, always keeps his feet moving. He can get to the second level and could be one of the rare centers that is used on pulling plays. Plays hard and physical despite his size. For being under 300 he shows surprising strength. Has a background in wrestling. Despite his surprising strength he could still use added strength and another 15 pounds or so. He has been knocked down by bigger more physical defenders. Still some obvious rawness to his game since he is so new to the position. Might need a year as a back up. Potential to be elite.
Alec Lindstrom – Boston College
3 year starter. Dad played in the NFL and brother currently plays in the NFL, so he has the bloodlines. Average size at 6’3 300. Shows great technique and footwork on film. Shows a high football IQ. Head is always on a swivel looking for work. Great in the passing game. Decent athlete. Has shown the ability to get to the 2nd level at times. Like Linderbaum though he still is a little lacking in anchor and strength. Can get overpowered. His length just average. Could be a starter if he added some strength.
Thayer Munford – Ohio State
Good size with a big wingspan. 34 career starts at OSU. Not an elite athlete, but good enough to stay at tackle. Has a habit of oversetting in pass pro. Fluid mover. Shows sufficient power on film. He uses his hands independently of each other. Still needs work on his aiming points though. He has shown improvement each season. Still has some room for growth from a technical standpoint. Needs to improve his anchor. It is mostly a technical issue. Able to block on the second level. He will be a right tackle at the next level with the ability to add some guard versatility to his game if he likes. Should be a solid player at the next level.
Evan Neal – Alabama
Another big athletic tackle in the Mekhi Becton mold. 26 career starts. Started 2019 at left guard and 2020 at right tackle. Elite athlete, especially for his size. 6’6 350 and is well put together. Shows great strength on film. Neutralizes bull rushers. Does a good job at dealing with speedy-bendy rushers even at his size. He is still a bit raw with his technique. Might take a couple years for him to reach his potential. Can get to the second level with ease. He has trouble with leaning too far forward, throwing off his balance and ending up on the grass far too often. He needs to watch his weight. As long as he doesn’t get any bigger he should be fine. Teams might ask him to drop a few pounds. Could be the first tackle off the board.
Sean Rhyan – UCLA
Good size at 6’4 320ish. A two year starter at left tackle. Has a big strong torso and lower body. Shows a lot of power on film. Explosive off the snap. Good strong hands. Shows good leg drive as well. Average athlete. Efficient in his technique. Aggressive, plays with a maulers mind set. Quick feet. Has the potential to play inside because of his size, strength and nasty disposition. His length is very average which may limit him to right tackle or guard long term. This causes him trouble with longer defenders. Still needs to refine his technique. Also needs to improve his pad level and his angles.
Jarrett Patterson – Notre Dame
Big for a center at 6’5 305. Also he played offensive tackle in high school. Two year starter at center. Expected to move to guard in 2021. This should add some versatility to his game. Smooth mover. Excellent in pass pro. He is tall and has good length for a center. Some teams could see him as a guard at the next level. Not a lot of power for his size. Also he could stand to add some strength and bulk if he is going to play guard as well. Patterson lacks aggressiveness in his game. He has the athleticism to be used as a pulling offensive linemen. Could also be used in the screen game. Could end up at guard or center at the next level.
Nicholas Petit-Frere – Ohio State
Elite recruit coming out of high school. A lot of improvements as a pass blocker in 2020. Great size and quick off the line. Good length and strength. He is also a good run blocker. Though there is still some rawness to his game. Mostly in pass protection. His draft stock could take a big jump in 2021. Could be a starting left tackle in the NFL by year two or three. Only one year of starting experience as a right tackle.
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