The 2023 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and with the annual Scouting Combine and the individual Pro Days now in the books, the hype and excitement surrounding this year's event continues to heat up by the day.
In the weeks leading up to the draft, we'll continue to take a look at some position groups in this year's class while examining a handful of names to know.
We'll continue with some offensive tackle prospects to know in this year's class.
Chiefs Offensive Tackles Under Contract for the 2023 Season: Jawaan Taylor, Lucas Niang, Prince Tega Wanogho and Darian Kinnard
Four Names to Know
Depending on where you look, the various experts from around the web have identified a handful of offensive tackles who could potentially go in the first round. Two of those players – Northwestern's Peter Skoronski and Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. – are projected to be selected long before Kansas City is set to pick at No. 31 overall, and for the purpose of this Chiefs-specific breakdown, we won't discuss those two.
Outside of Skoronski and Johnson, however, there are several players who could go anywhere from the top 10 to late in the first round and beyond. Here's a look at several of those individuals, including where they currently rank among their peers according to the pundits.
Additionally, some players feature analysis from the folks at Pro Football Focus, NFL.com and The Athletic.
Anton Harrison - Oklahoma
Measurables: 6-foot-4, 315 pounds
Snapshot: Harrison surrendered just four total knockdowns (hits and sacks) over the last two seasons while tallying more than 800 pass-blocking snaps in that time. He allowed just one sack across more than 400 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 23 overall (No. 3 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): Not Ranked
Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Top 100 (March 29): No. 50 overall (No. 5 OT)
Expert Analysis:
Pro Football Focus: "He's incredibly smooth as a pass protector, posting an 86.6 pass-blocking grade over the last two years that ranked tied for 10th among Power Five tackles. Harrison only gave up one knockdown (sack/hit) on 425 pass-blocking snaps this season. He won't be a people-mover in the run game, but he's nearly NFL-ready as a pass protector."
The Athletic: "Harrison allowed a QB pressure (sack, hit or hurry) on just 2.0 percent of his pass-block snaps last season, best among Big 12 OTs."
For more on Harrison, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Broderick Jones - Georgia
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 311 pounds
Snapshot: Jones started all 15 games at left tackle for the Bulldogs' National Champion squad in 2022, yielding just two quarterback hits (and 0 sacks) in that time.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 25 overall (No. 4 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): No. 19 overall (No. 4 OT)
Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Top 100 (March 29): No. 15 overall (No. 3 OT)
Expert Analysis:
Pro Football Focus: "As the full-time starter at left tackle in 2022, Jones showed off his people-moving capabilities, as the junior's 12 big-time blocks in the run game were tied for second among all tackles in the country. While he is a bit stiff in pass protection, he still earned an 84.1 grade as a pass-blocker, which ranked eighth in the Power Five."
The Athletic: "Jones was the only SEC OT to allow zero sacks on 400-plus snaps with two or fewer penalties in 2022."
For more on Jones, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Dawand Jones – Ohio State
Measurables: 6-foot-8, 374 pounds
Snapshot: A mountain of a human, Jones didn't allow a single sack or quarterback hit last season in 12 games. He was exclusively a right tackle during his time with the Buckeyes.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 31 overall (No. 5 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): Not Ranked
Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Top 100 (March 29): No. 59 overall (No. 6 OT)
Expert Analysis:
Pro Football Focus: "Jones embodies "first man off the bus" to a tee, as he's freakishly large at 6-foot-8, 360 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan that broke the Senior Bowl record. At that size with good technique, he swallows opposing defensive linemen. He didn't allow a single sack or hit this year on 394 pass-blocking snaps, and his 1.3% pressure rate allowed led all FBS tackles."
For more on Jones, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Darnell Wright – Tennessee
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 333 pounds
Snapshot: A full-time starter at right tackle last season, Wright surrendered just two quarterback hits (and 0 sacks) across 507 pass-blocking snaps. He also has experience at left tackle, logging 920 snaps at that spot in 2021.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 70 overall (No. 7 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): No. 17 overall (No. 2 OT)
Dane Brugler (The Athletic) Top 100 (March 29): No. 24 overall (No. 4 OT)
Expert Analysis:
Pro Football Focus: "Wright switched from left tackle to right tackle for his senior season and had his best year yet. He didn't allow a sack and only gave up a pressure on 1.7% of his pass-blocking snaps this season, trailing only Dawand Jones and Peter Skoronski among Power Five tackles. At 335 pounds, Wright has some of the best functional strength in this class."
For more on Wright, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Two Names to Know Beyond Round 1
Cody Mauch – North Dakota State
Measurables: 6-foot-5, 302 pounds
Snapshot: A starter at left tackle in each of the last two seasons, Mauch allowed just four total knockdowns (quarterback hits and sacks) in that time. The experts at PFF believe that while Mauch has the ability to play tackle, his best fit in the NFL may be as an interior lineman.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 88 overall (No. 9 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): No. 35 overall (No. 5 OT)
Expert Analysis:
NFL.com: "Mauch had one of the most incredible body transformations in this class, entering North Dakota State as a 221-pound tight end before beefing up to 303 pounds to play left tackle this past season. Despite gaining over 80 pounds, he maintained his freakish athleticism. Mauch's 90.8 grade and 19 big-time blocks led all FCS offensive linemen this season."
For more on Mauch, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
Blake Freeland - BYU
Measurables: 6-foot-8, 302 pounds
Snapshot: A starter at left tackle in each of the last two seasons, Freeland allowed just five total knockdowns (quarterback hits and sacks) in that span. He didn't surrender a single sack across 462 pass-blocking snaps in 2022.
Big Board Rankings:
Pro Football Focus (Post-Combine): No. 105 overall (No. 10 OT)
Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com) Top 50 (March 9): Not Ranked
Expert Analysis:
Pro Football Focus: "Freeland is one of this class' most experienced tackles, as the senior's 2,690 career snaps are the second-most among tackles in this draft guide. He spent his first two years at right tackle before kicking out to left. While he's graded above an 80 in each of the last three seasons, he took his game to another level in 2022. He was the nation's second-highest-graded tackle, behind Notre Dame's Joe Alt (know his name for 2024). Both his 90.7 pass-blocking grade and 87.9 run-blocking grade stood third in the FBS, as well."
For more on Freeland, check out his draft profile at NFL.com.
