
Gene Clemons breaks down how he ranks the 2026 NFL Draft class of offensive linemen.
Building off of Freedman's skill-position rankings (linked below) for the 2026 NFL Draft, below is how I am ranking the offensive linemen in the draft.
If you missed our positional rankings that have been released to date, see below:
For all of our draft coverage, check out our NFL Draft Guide.
Ioane is like a bully in the middle of recess; he moves bodies around with ease. That is at the core of his powers. He is not perfect, but he is extremely effective, and the excitement behind him is that there is still room to grow. Power is his game, and he utilizes it very well.
He constantly wins at the line of scrimmage thanks to his strength and heavy hands. His initial punch jolts a defender and knocks him back on his heels. He then powers through to displace them from the line of scrimmage. Controlling the trenches has been why Penn State has found so much success with its rushing attack. Ioane's ability to gain the immediate advantage on the snap usually negates the speed and explosiveness of the defensive lineman he is charged with moving. We saw it on display throughout his career, but against UCLA this past season, he would use one hand to seemingly slap a defender off balance, then run him out of the hole like a bouncer removing a drunken patron from the bar.
Ioane is equally as good as a pass protector. Interior defensive linemen are more athletic today than they have ever been, and substitution packages have allowed defensive coordinators to line up pass rush specialists on the inside. The fact that Ioane has continued to dominate in pass protection in a conference filled with future NFL talent speaks volumes. It all starts with his ability to anchor. You can't bull rush him. He can sink his center of gravity and stonewall rushers who try to knock him back and off balance. Ultimately, it leaves them with only one option, which is to try and get on his shoulder and turn him open for a path to the quarterback. The problem is his hands are so strong and he exhibits such great placement that it does not allow the defenders to get into his body and control him.
He can play a little too high at times, but that is not a consistent flaw and clearly something an offensive line coach will address day one. We have seen him lose reps to elite interior defenders because of it. Current Cleveland Brown defensive tackle Mason Graham was able to get the best of him a few times because of his pad level, but when he has it correct, he’s a wall.
At the intersection of athleticism, technique and a little dash of nastiness is where you find Fano. Would you expect anything less from a Polynesian offensive lineman with a family history of playing the position at a high level? Absolutely not. Fano has that combination mixed with a 6-foot-6 frame with room for more mass. That’s why he is one of the top prospects in this year's class.
Athleticism on Fano looks like a big, fluidly moving mass of humanity that makes him the best pass-protecting offensive lineman in the draft. He has great short-area quickness, change of direction and balance. He is great at mirroring ends and edges in pass protection, which keeps him between the rushers and the quarterback. He also knows how to use his hands to fight off rushers and his center of gravity makes him a complicated problem to solve. On top of that, he has great eyes that allow him to identify stunts and delayed blitzes. Against BYU's Tyler Batty in 2024, he kept the now-Viking at bay in their battle by utilizing a quick and disciplined kick slide in pass protection to work Batty around the pocket and keep his quarterback safe. It was equally impressive watching him anchor down against the speed-to-power rushes coming from Cincinnati in their clash against the Bearcats. It's a mistake by defenders to believe that Fano is purely finesse in pass protection; he possesses the complete bag.
One of the reasons you know Fano is not solely a finesse player is how you see him show up as a run blocker. His athleticism allows him to get on a defender quickly and cover them up. It allows him to get movement at the first level. He may not be a mauler as a run blocker, but he knows how to clear the road efficiently and effectively. For him, it's all about a quick first step, hand placement and superior grip strength. Not only can he open a running lane, but he can also climb to the second level and block. He has the ability to connect, sustain and finish blocking the open field and in the box at the second level. He operated just as well in zone schemes as he did with base blocking and down blocks.
True four-tech power rushers could be an initial problem in the league as he continues to get stronger and put on more mass to what some would consider a slight frame for an NFL tackle, but that's not a long-term concern. Ultimately, his high football IQ and superior technique will be his north star and lead him to success in the league.
If you are talking about elite offensive tackles in this draft, regardless of the side they play, Mauigoa is freakishly athletic. A man who is 6-foot-6 and over 330 pounds should not be able to move like a tight end, but the 21-year-old right tackle has very nimble feet and surprising balance that allows him to change directions and pick up speed when he moves around. It makes him a nightmare to get around in pass protection, a mauler in zone and gap scheme run blocking and a bull in a China shop in space on the perimeter or at the second level.
As a pass protector, it starts with his massive frame. He would be hard to get around even if he never moved. Once you add in the long arms, you can understand why it’s a chore getting around him. When you factor in his athleticism, it makes him nearly impenetrable for defenders. He has short-area quickness and change of direction that allows him to deal with speed rushers on the outside and any interior B-gap attack from the end or a second-level blitzing backer. He has heavy hands that he uses to halt rushers in their tracks while anchoring down on defenders trying to bull rush. He rarely loses ground when he decides that he has given enough and has the ability to pass off rushers on stunts and recover to the outside looping defender.
In the run game, he is pure violence. He uses those heavy hands and low center of gravity to try to destroy everything he touches. On down blocks and base blocks, he is trying to knock the defender's head off his shoulders. His leg drive is explosive, and he does a good job of rolling his hips into the block to move defenders off the line of scrimmage, down the line of scrimmage or completely out of the gap. When he collapses gap integrity on defense, that’s when Miami breaks off long runs.
When he climbs to the second level, whether it is escorting a defender there via double team or just a free release climb, he blocks out defenders and running backs find him and look to cut off his blocks into the secondary. When pulling on gap schemes for kickout blocks or to pull through to the second level or when he attacks the perimeter in the screen game, he does so with the fluidity of a tight end but with the worst of intentions. At times, his aggressive nature can get him in trouble, but he will learn how to control his violence more in the NFL.
A simple way to describe a guard like Pregnon is that he is a man who moves bodies—a human bulldozer. He is a player who built himself from a zero-star guy to a potential Day 1 pick. He used heavy hands and a lot of hip explosion to move defenders out of the way. He can displace linemen a full gap, opening up run-through lanes for backs in man or gap schemes and cutback lanes in zone schemes. He is great at executing double-team and combination blocks. He has the awareness to know when to take over the block or when to release and attack a secondary defender. Against Indiana, he opened several holes by running defenders off the line or blocking them into the second level.
Pregnon has become an elite pass protector on the interior by refining his skills. He is especially talented at striking first and stunting the forward movement of the defender before he can get going. He has a strong core and utilizes that to keep his center of gravity lower to help stone wall interior bull rushers. In what turned into a rock fight against Iowa, Pregnon was a main cog in keeping a clean pocket for Dante Moore against a hard-nosed and aggressive defensive interior line. He also kept a clean sheet against Indiana, who found a lot of success in the pass rush sending linebackers, but no success was had from a defensive lineman against the veteran Duck.
Pregnon finishes blocks like he has something personal against the defender. Maybe it is the chip on his shoulder that he carries for being underestimated coming out of high school and even throughout his college football journey. Whatever it is, it makes him look to destroy defenders when he has them on their heels. Once he gets a defender moving against his will, he is looking to bury that guy in the dirt. This is not learned behavior; it has to be something that you have within you. It can likely be cultivated, but it is difficult to say that you can teach it; that comes from somewhere deep down inside him. That aggression can sometimes get the best of him as he will get too far over his center of gravity pushing defenders, and that is where he can be vulnerable to counters while moving. He can also stand to get a little quicker when changing directions, something he is definitely working on in the lab every day.
Let's get this out of the way: Brailsford is not going to impress anyone with his size, but there is a lot of fight in this dog.
Despite that, he’ll need to get stronger and put more weight on his frame at the next level. Now, if you want to talk about athleticism and explosiveness, then you have fallen upon the prospect for it. He has elite-level quickness, burst and change of direction, which is the key to how he wins in the trenches. He also has a violent punch and a competitive toughness that can't be taught. He takes pride in his shortcomings and does not allow them to stop him from achieving his objective.
As a run blocker, he has the explosiveness to get his body on you first. On many occasions, that short, quick shot can stun a defender and allow him to use his low center of gravity and already moving force to get a player out of the way in gap schemes. He has the quickness and speed to reach a defender on outside runs or to snap and still pull and block defenders either at the first level on kickout blocks or at the second level when he pulls through, looking for action like he used to do when he was at Washington with Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer. He exhibits quickness to double-team and combo-block to the second level or get out on the perimeter and block in the screen game. It’s the zone scheme where he operates the best. It allows him to use his athleticism and technique to get his body on a defender and angle them out of the path the running back is taking.
He has an extremely high football IQ, and he understands flow and movements from a defensive line. This is why he is so great at deciphering stunts and line movements, reacting to them and handling them so they don't become a problem. He does not chase defenders; he usually flows with them in pass protection, using his guards to determine when he needs to pass off a block, but his eyes are always scanning, looking for the return man. He understands that if one man is leaving my zone, someone else is likely replacing them. It’s why he has had such success against stunts.
Lomu is a young talent who has an athletic profile tailor-made for the NFL to combat the hyper-athletic defensive ends and edge rushers that populate the league. As a pass protector, he utilizes quick feet and lateral quickness to keep the quarterback safe. He has the ability in his kick slide to expand to wide nine-tech edge rushers without sacrificing his technique or shape. He also has the ability to mirror defenders as they try to pursue the quarterback. Lomu also uses his hands very well. He can knock defenders' hands down and reposition his hands to keep them at a distance. That's what allows his flexibility and balance to show; he uses that ability to recover quickly whenever he is out of position or gets beaten with an initial move. He can contort his body and recover to shut down a defender or make it more difficult to get to the quarterback. That ability to adjust also makes him great at handling stunts and twists up front.
As a run blocker, he uses his quick feet and explosiveness to get his body on defenders quickly and cover them up. He also uses great hand placements to help him control defenders at the point of attack, and climbs to the second level very well. He takes good angles to reach defenders and does a good job of covering up bodies there.
One of the knocks on Lomu is his functional strength and ability to anchor down against the bull rush. You also see the lack of movement he gets on defensive linemen in his run blocking, and it can be concerning, but as his body continues to mature and he gets into an NFL strength program, you will see those concerns dissipate. Ultimately, athleticism and improvisational adjustments give him the chance to be an elite pass protector, and those guys are gold in the NFL.
Monroe Freeling is one of those prospects who has been flying up draft boards during the offseason. It is easy to understand why: at 6'7" and over 315 pounds, people think his upside can be an elite tackle in the NFL. He has long limbs and the lateral movement to sustain blocks in pass protection and in run blocking. His initial burst gets him to the spot before the defender and helps him win early in a rep. You could see the progression from the beginning of the season to the end and how quickly he was able to pick up more techniques to help his game.
The knock on him is that he only has one year of experience, and the tape shows a talented and athletic guy who still needs refinement to become consistent at his craft. That's why taking him high would be a dice roll; however, it would be one worth the risk. He will also need to get stronger to hold up against the bigger 4-technique defensive linemen and to sustain the speed-to-power rushes from the edge monsters. This is an upside pick, and if it pays off for teams, it could mean finding a cornerstone tackle.
If you need bodies moved in disrespectful fashion, Proctor is your guy. He epitomizes the phrase “bully ball” on a football field. At 6-foot-7 and over 360 pounds, he is a physically imposing left tackle, and unlike the days of Nick Saban, when an offensive lineman would be moved around the line, Proctor has been on the left side since arriving in Tuscaloosa. With a frame that big, his game is violence—everything he touches is with bad intentions.
His abilities as a run blocker immediately jump off the screen. He can collapse an entire side of the line with devastating down blocks. Last season against LSU, he bulldozed a defensive tackle from one B-gap all the way to the other B-gap and collected everyone who was an obstruction along the way. The power he generates at his size, mixed with an elite explosive pop and extremely violent heavy hands, is quite impressive. He creates that level of push by how quickly he rolls his hips into a defender and continues to move his feet. He has a great base for blocking and uses it to force defenders off the line of scrimmage routinely, and he has no problem finishing the block with the defender on his back like a squashed roach when the boot lifts off them.
In pass protection, he has lived off his size and decent athleticism. He has been able to attach to defenders and keep them controlled. He shows an ability to mirror and keep his body between the defender and the quarterback. Right now, the pass pro is the weaker part of his game. He needs to refine his technique, which starts with better footwork and producing better balance. He is great against bull rushers because he can just fight power with power, but the moment finesse is added, he becomes a fish out of water, kinda flailing around. He has the physical tools, but he needs to lean into more of the technical aspects of pass blocking. What he does have is a desire to fight. He does not give up on the play.
Miller is as tough as an overcooked steak and as durable as the leather it tastes like. He has started 53 consecutive games at right tackle for the Tigers. The secret to his success is exactly that: his durability. That durability is built on flexibility and natural fluidity for a lineman of his size. He has the balance to recover quickly whenever he is put off balance or gets knocked around. If he finds himself out of position, it allows him to auto-correct rather quickly. This gives him the ability to fight in the trenches, especially in the run game, where the offensive and defensive linemen are wrestling for position or control. Miller is dogged and has a “never say quit” attitude. He simply does not give up on a rep.
He has quick hands that he uses to get on defenders quickly in pass protection. It limits their forward momentum and allows him to cut their angles off to the quarterback. He uses great inside placement to help control the defender or limit his ability to escape from his grasp. When he latches on to defenders as a run blocker, it’s difficult for a defender to break free of his grasp. If he is climbing to the second level, he is climbing with bad intentions. He was able to jolt several linebackers in ACC play and was able to make a few key blocks at the second level. He was also good at reach blocking. This season against South Carolina, the Tigers first touchdown came as the result of a seal block on the outside by Miller, where Adam Randall was able to run around the right side and get to the end zone.
Miller may lack the ideal power that you want out of an offensive lineman, but he can improve that aspect of his game at the next level. He will also add a few more pounds to his frame, which should help him anchor down against bull rushers even more easily. What you can’t teach is tenacity, and he has it.
Iheananchor is a poster child for athletic big men finding their way to football. He is a former basketball player and has a frame that can still carry more mass, which is crazy because he is already 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds. He has quick feet and understands how to move. He climbs to the second level easily. He also has the speed to pull and work to the perimeter or leak out in the screen game and get on defensive backs in the open field. While he still has work to do with his technique overall, he possesses the strength to hold up against NFL-caliber defensive linemen and the athleticism to deal with the speed merchants on the edge.
His performance against Texas Tech and their defensive line (lots of whom will all be playing on Sundays) is just one example of his ability to perform at the highest level. At the Senior Bowl, he was able to continue to show his abilities against the best competition.
In a draft that is void of cornerstone offensive tackle prospects, you could see a developmental guy like him go much higher than normal.
Bisontis could be described as a dancing bear on the field. He is light on his feet and that makes him really quick, especially in short areas, but he will also maul you once he puts his hands on you. He climbs to the second level well, he cuts off rush lanes to protect the interior pocket and cuts off run fits to open cutback lanes for his running backs. That helps the offense create explosive plays.
As a pass protector, his quick feet allowed him to adjust to defensive line stunts in the SEC against athletic pass rushers. He was able to pass off an inside rush and adjust to a defender looping around the outside. Against LSU, he was able to showcase this skill, defeating those defensive end and defensive tackle twists. Against wide pass rushers, he has the quickness to shield the quarterback and the size to make it difficult to move around him. He has great balance and constantly plays with a good center of gravity to combat bull rushers or edge rushers looking to go from speed to power on their rushes. He does, at times, open his hips to easily allow a defender to work back underneath on a counter, but that seems to only be at times when he gets a little lazy with his footwork. It feels like something that can be cleaned up at the next level.
He has violent hands that he uses to shock defenders and stun their pass rush, but in the run game, he uses them to get defenders to stop their feet or lose balance. Then, he covers them up with his massive frame and uses technique to keep them from detaching and making a play on the ball carrier. He’s able to control the defender throughout the rep, which is why he has such success.
Tiernan is a technician in a massive package. It’s the thing that makes him so attractive as a pro prospect. Rarely do you find linemen his size who do not cut corners because they are bigger than everybody else, but he has really invested in refining his skills. His technique is teach-tape-worthy. His hand placement and balance allow him to stay attached to defenders longer, regardless of what they try, and his size makes him near impossible to bully at the point of attack. He excels on based- and down-blocks because of it and he understands how to anchor down against the bull rush in pass protection.
He knows how to move in space when he is climbing to the second level, but especially on screen passes out on the perimeter. He understands how to burst into the open space, locate a defender, settle his feet and open his stance to make contact and run him out of the way. Too many linemen work out on pass protection and never reset their base; they keep it narrow and are not consistently effective in space, which allows the more athletic second- and third-level defenders to get around them. Against Illinois and Oregon, you can see Tiernan getting out in space and removing linebackers from the area like a street sweeper.
He is so good in the open field that it’s strange he’s not that quick in short spaces. His lateral quickness could use some improvement, not from the technical aspect, but the ability to change direction and explode quicker, especially shutting down inside moves, where his hand discipline is not always the greatest. It can get difficult for linemen of his size not to punch down, which allows a defender to roll with the punch or duck underneath it.
Smith is a professional tackle who will walk into the NFL and hang around for the next 10-12 years if he chooses. He just has an understanding of how to compete. He can be violent and poised at the same time. He does not get caught up in emotions or let them get the best of him while facing an opponent. He plays through the whistle and does not take plays off.
Against Oregon this season, he was locked in every rep and allowed his quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, to operate within the pocket without worry. He is explosive out of his stance and generates a lot of power. He has great hand placement and knows how to stifle defensive momentum with his strikes. He was named the Big 10 Offensive Lineman of the Year, which is a massive award when you consider how many NFL-caliber offensive linemen compete in the conference.
Smith is a great processor and is nimble enough to get to the second level and do damage. His second-level pancake block against Illinois, which sprung Gabe Jacas for a 25-yard touchdown run, is just one example of his prowess. He will need to improve his lateral quickness at the next level without ideal arm length, but his tenacity should be enough to make him stand up against speed rushers at the next level.
Laloulu brings the nastiness of an offensive guard to the center position without sacrificing the high football IQ, processing ability and positional awareness that we love in our centers. No, he isn’t tall, but who cares, especially at center. What he is is immensely dense. His lower center of gravity, mixed with a near 330-pound frame, means that bull rushing him is like bull rushing a fire hydrant. His elite anchor and resistance to power rushes keep the pocket clean where it matters the most for a quarterback—up the middle.
In the rushing attack is where you truly see the violence. Against shaded defensive linemen, it creates a natural angle for him to employ his violent hands and ability to plow a defender out of the way. If he gets a true zero, head up, it becomes a battle of wills, like two rams crashing into each other head to head until one folds. Laloulu rarely folds. This was on display against Iowa and its stout defensive line this season. The Ducks ran it down the Hawkeyes throat to the tune of 261 yards and an impressive 7.3 yards per carry. He may not be the quickest or have the football speed of some of the other centers in the draft, but he makes up for it with sheer will.
At 6-foot-8 and well over 300 pounds, World’s visage lives up to his last name. He causes an eclipse anywhere he steps, so imagine how difficult it is for defenders to get around such a tremendously large frame. As a pass protector, he uses his quick first step to align the defender's center mass and prevent them from attacking an inside or outside edge. Being covered up neutralizes any hope for getting around or underneath World’s blocking. That impressive lateral agility has helped keep his quarterback, Dante Moore, clean most of the season. Against Indiana, he was able to shut down the effectiveness of the Hoosiers wide-nine tech rushers, something Ohio State’s tackles were unable to do consistently enough. In the run game, he is a gap scheme dream. He can engulf the area on a down block, and when he pulls a kick or wraps to go to the second level, he creates a safe shield for the backs to run behind or cut off and explode through the hole. It’s probably not surprising that a guy his height still needs to work on his pad level, but he can definitely clean that up, along with his hand placement (yet another issue for taller tackles going against shorter edge rushers).
Once Casey gets hold of you, it’s normally a wrap for that play. One of his superpowers is understanding hand placement and how to utilize it to control a defender. He’s able to attach himself to a defender like a leech and cover them up, then just like the blood-sucking parasite, he drains the life out of the defender, allowing his ball carrier to gain ground.
Against Oregon State, he was able to record a clean sheet; they were not able to perform stunts or line movements because they could not detach from Casey. He has great pre-snap read recognition, which allows him to take angles to cut off defenders and diagnose stunts or blitzes early to be prepared to counter them. He also takes great paths to the second level to block linebackers and other defenders in space.
His backside run blocking opened up several holes in the Mountain West Championship against UNLV. When he gets undisciplined in his pass drop, he can be taken advantage of with counter moves due to some stiffness in his hips. Ultimately, that keeps him from changing direction quickly and getting his hands on the defender, because if he does, he neutralizes those attempts.
Length and the ability to use that length are a big part of what makes Goosby a legit prospect. He used those long, 35-plus-inch arms as a range finder to keep pass rushers at a distance, which then allows him to get his body in position to shield them from the quarterback. That’s a valuable asset in pass protection, because if a defensive lineman cannot get to the body of the offensive lineman, he cannot make them react, and that renders those counter moves useless.
This really showed up in his game against Georgia, where he was able to tame the Bulldogs pass rushers. It also helps that at the end of those long arms are really heavy hands that land thudding blows when he connects. He displays good hips in run blocking and can move defenders off their spot. His frame being so long allows him to cover up defenders so that they cannot fit and shed him when they see the ball carrier. He understands how to use his body to shield the ball carrier or quarterback from a defender. When defenders do get a chance to utilize a counter on him, they can have success as he continues to get better with his lateral quickness, but it is difficult to get him to that point.
Lew is like a boxer out there on the field; his feet and hands are always working in tandem. That is why he has the ability to mirror defenders in pass protection so well. It’s also why he can deliver a blow with his hands so effectively; he can generate power in his punch because his feet are always in an advantageous position for striking. His high football IQ is used to identify where he needs to throw his hands to slow momentum. He does not get consistent movement on the line of scrimmage, so in the league, he’ll need to improve his overall power and possibly add more mass to his frame to turn these stalemates into wins in the run game.
Parker relies on his tall frame and his quick feet to win on a consistent basis. His ability to move laterally is very impressive, and that is likely why he has such an explosive first step used to close down gaps and step on wide nine-tech speed rushes in pass protection. He uses that quickness to get to a defender in his run blocking to take away their initial burst. He’s also adept at climbing to the second level to block linebackers and safeties, as well as getting out on the perimeter to make blocks in the screen game. His quick feet help overcome his noticeably shorter arms, which the Miami rushers exploited by changing levels on him. It is why a kick inside will likely be in his future.
At the point of attack of Iowa's many impressive rushing performances was Dunker, who’s a violent run blocker. He’s a one-man car crash every time the ball is snapped. His strength and ball get-off allow him to generate force, which he uses to move bodies out of the way. He does a great job of latching onto defenders and displacing them from the line of scrimmage. In fact, in most cases, when he gets defenders moving, they usually end up with syrup poured on top of them. What he lacks in four speed due to some heaviness in his lower half, he tries to make up with quick, violent hands.
He's from Iowa, that's really all you have to say. Jones wins with quick-twitch explosiveness in the run game. He is the first to make contact, and therefore, he can dictate the fight on his terms. He seals the hole well by getting his body into the rushing lane. His athleticism allows him to work well on double teams; he does a great job of detaching and contacting a second-level defender. His performance against Penn State, Minnesota and Wisconsin helped the Hawkeyes dominate the game on the ground. He does well mirroring defenders in pass protection, but he will need to get stronger to avoid being pushed into the quarterback's lap in the NFL.
Slaughter is a talented center who relies on aggression and a high football IQ to win his matchups. He has been forged in fire playing some of the toughest competition over the past two seasons. He is elite in pass protection and can handle the powerful bull rushing defensive tackles at every school in the SEC, including stellar performances against Georgia in consecutive seasons. His game against Miami showed he was capable of handling multiple stunts on the interior by elite athletes. He sometimes forgets to bring his feet in run blocking, but when he is technically sound, he’s great in the run game.
