My Favourite Day-3 Offensive Tackles

At this point in the process, the internet is saturated with the top 10s at each position, and as a result, you have heard their strengths, weaknesses, and have probably formed your own opinions. So, in this series, I will give you my top 10 at a position in a standard list, then go into depth on my favourite day 3 prospects at that position. The idea for this series came from Grandizer from the YouTube chat during the combine live stream, so shout out to you, my guy!  To ensure I am only giving you day 3 prospects, I will take their average position from two consensus boards, Mock Draft Database and Detroit Lions Podcast, if this average ranking is 110+ then I will consider them a day 3 guy.

We're starting with Offensive Tackles. I fully expect the Lions to take one early, but they may choose to double-dip to get a developmental option too.

My Top 10:

1. Spencer Fano - Utah

2. Francis Mauigoa - Miami

3. Monroe Freeling - Georgia

4. Caleb Lomu - Utah

5. Blake Miller - Clemson

6. Kaydyn Proctor - Alabama

7. Max Iheanachor - Arizona State

8. Caleb Tiernan - Northwestern

9. Aamil Wagner - Notre Dame

10. Jude Bowry - Boston College

Both Aamil Wagner and Jude Bowry are consensus day 3 picks, so we’ll start with them.

Aamil Wagner – Notre Dame – Average Consensus Rank: 144.5

The redshirt Junior has 35 starts at right tackle under his belt for the Fighting Irish, including a run to the National Championship game in the 24/25 season. The former 4-star recruit seems to tick all the boxes the Lions look for when it comes to the off-field aspect of the game, in 2025 he was named a team captain and was a finalist for both the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award and the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.

The first thing you notice about Wagner is his length, his Shrine Bowl measurements were 6’5’’, 302 lbs, which are nothing special, but his 34 ⅝’’ arms and 83 ⅝’’ wingspan really show up on tape. He uses this length well at times to initiate contact with the defender allowing him to gain the upper hand early in the rep. I would like him to add 10-15 more pounds to his frame, 302 is a tad light for my liking, but even at this weight he flashes some nice lower-body power in the run game. He seems to be a decent linear athlete who climbs to the second level in a hurry, his 5.01 40 time shows this too. However, sometimes he’s in too much of a hurry and makes it easy for second-level defenders to evade his block attempt. His kick-step looks a bit choppy at times, this may be how he has been taught or it may be an athletic issue, either way once he has set, he also struggles to redirect making him vulnerable to inside counters.

I have Wagner graded as a mid/high 4 round talent I can see him earning some snaps in his rookie year and becoming a starter in a few years. At worst I think he will be a high-end backup or swing tackle.

Jude Bowry – Boston College – Average Consensus Rank: 161.5

Like Wagner, Bowry is a redshirt junior, and he was also named a team captain in 2025. The left tackle appeared in 31 games in his collegiate career at Boston College, a program that is widely renowned for producing NFL-calibre offensive linemen, Bowry is the next one off that production line.

The best part of Bowry’s game is his explosion off the line, I love his footwork on his drop sets, it looks smooth and balanced. This usually puts him in a very good position to guard against any outside rush. This explosion was on show at the combine too, his 1.75s 10-yard split (10^th amongst OL) is very good, and his jumps were even more impressive, 34.5’’ vertical (4^th) and 9’7’’ broad (3^rd). This explosion paired with his 33 ¾’’ arm length, means he has all the natural tools to thrive in the NFL. He does have some issues though. Firstly, his anchor is not strong enough, speed-to-power rushers do get through his chest and walk back towards the quarterback too often. Secondly, the placement and timing of his punch is inconsistent, these things, in my opinion are coachable.

Jude Bowry has the potential to be a high-calibre starting left tackle in the NFL, there is also a chance that he doesn’t see a second contract. This variance is why he will probably be a day-3 pick although I would not be shocked if a team takes a punt on his upside late on day 2, comp pick area maybe? I have a mid-4^th round grade on him.

Trey Zuhn III – Texas A&M – Average Consensus Rank: 119.5

Any player that is a 4-year starter at left tackle in the SEC will appeal to me, the redshirt senior has played in 54 games for the Aggies with the vast majority of his snaps coming at left tackle, although he has had some at right tackle and centre.

Many people in the draft universe believe that Zuhn III will move inside to either guard or centre in the NFL, and while I agree that he’d be really good inside, I see no reason why you shouldn’t try him at tackle. He has shown for 4 years and 54 starts he has gone head-to-head with the best the SEC has to offer and for the most part, has come out on top. Although I don’t think he’s a top-end athlete, he is technically sound and mirrors edge rushers well, he maintains his balance throughout the play and shows a very good anchor. He’s not a mauler in the run game but seals off run lanes fairly well and, on the few times he was asked to do so, showed to be accurate in hitting his landmarks when pulling.

I firmly believe Zuhn III can hang at tackle and could become a high-level starter. I graded him as a mid-4^th round talent. The reason I am not higher on him is that I believe he is currently close to his ceiling, especially at tackle due to his lack of athleticism. Zuhn III will at least offer good depth across all five positions on the offensive line which is priceless in today’s NFL.

Drew Shelton – Penn St – Average Consensus Rank: 128.5

A pattern is starting to emerge here, Shelton is another experienced player having appeared at left tackle on 48 occasions for the Nittany Lions, including 5 starts as a true freshman in 2022.

Shelton is a decent linear athlete at 6’5’’ and 313lbs with a sub-1.8s 10-yard split. On tape he shows good strong hands, if he gets his hands on a defender, he often wins the rep. I also think he can redirect well to mirror edge rusher when they attempt an inside move. Now, although his hands might be strong, his anchor is not, or at least isn’t all the time, it’sinconsistent at best. There are occasions on tape where he ended up in the lap of the quarterback, there are also some plays in which he does show an anchor so this may be a technique issue or some really good edge play. Another weakness in Shelton’s game in my opinion is his inconsistent pad level. There are many occasions in the games I watched that he lost the leverage battle because the defender got under his pads, once that happens, unless you have an incredibly strong core, you have lost the rep.

Shelton screams career, high-end, back-up tackle which in the NFL is incredibly valuable. He is another tackle with a mid-4th-round grade. In an area of my board that is packed with offensive tackles, Shelton doesn’t really jump out at all.

Fa’alili Fa’amoe – Wake Forest – Average Consensus Rank: 148

The sixth-year senior started his college career as a defensive lineman before making the move to offensive tackle during spring practice in 2022 while he was still at Washington State. He played 29 games for the Cougars before transferring to Wake Forest this past season for his final year of eligibility. I’ll be honest, I was very close to listing Fa’amoe as a guard. I believe he has a much higher chance of success playing inside, but everything I have heard seems to indicate that the majority of the league view as a tackle.

So, what does he offer?  Firstly, length; Despite his sub-6’5’’ frame, he has nearly 34’’ arms and a wingspan of more than 80’’ - this length is why he’s still listed as tackle in my opinion. My favourite aspect of his game is his get off, he shows he can fire off the snap and get into the defensive line, which can result in some good displacement in the run game. This leads us to his first shortcoming – for a man that is clearly strong, he gets shed too easily, I think this is an overbalancing issue, anytime an offensive lineman loses his balance, it becomes much easier to get off their block. When Fa’amoe can keep his feet under him he looks like he can be a mauler in the run game, although when on the move or in open space, he often misses his target. In pass protection the Demon Deacon has a good anchor and rarely gets beaten through his chest, he flashes a good, strong punch but his feet can get stuck under him at times so redirecting can be an issue for him.

Fa’amoe has a lot of promise, but at 24 years old already, does he have the capability to fulfil that upside? I have a late/mid 4^th round grade on him. I think he has a chance to stick at tackle in the league, but for me, I’d feel much more comfortable with him as a guard.

Markel Bell – Miami – Average Consensus Rank: 156

This is one large human being! 6’9’’ 346lbs with over 36’’ arms doesn’t grow on trees and I can see a team falling in love with his size and length. Bell is a former JUCO prospect who transferred to the Hurricanes in 2024. In 2025 he played 440pass block snaps and did not give up a sack.

I’m going to start with his weaknesses here; firstly, as you might expect for a man of his size, his pad level often gets too high, it wasn’t a massive issue for him in college, but I think it may cause him some problems in the NFL. Linked to this, is his hand placement, which is often up at shoulder level and on occasions slips up and over the pads. Bell struggles to mirror against counter or inside moves, he seems to struggle to redirect his feet once they get set. He often gives up his chest in pass pro but does show the ability to sink his hips which leads to a decent anchor. In the run game, he's good on duo and double team blocks, but doesn't create any displacement one-on-one.

I have seen some draft analysts be much higher on Bell than I am, but I struggle to see a future starter here. But honestly, who am I to doubt a player that went up against Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor every day, iron sharpens iron right! I have a late 4^th round grade on Bell but think a team will take him late day 2 or early day 3.

Austin Barber – Florida – Average Consensus Rank: 115.5

The experienced left tackle has accrued 50 starts during his 5-year career as a Gator. He possesses good short area explosionwhich was demonstrated by his 1.77s 10-yard split, 32’’ vertical and 9’3’’ broad jumps at the combine. At 6’7’’ 318lbs, Barber clearly has the brawn, he also seems to have the brains, being a four-time SEC Fall Academic Honour Roll. Before we get stuck into his game, for the sickos out there, (Ash I’m looking at you) he does technically have a rushing touchdown, albeit just falling on a DJ Lagway fumble.

At 318lbs, you won’t be surprised to hear Barber has a good anchor in pass protection, but what I really like is the way he uses his hands, and in particular the way he reestablishes his hands after they get dislodged by the edge defender. These qualities mean that Barber’s floor as a pass protector is higher than most of the other tackles on this list. Now, his run game is where my opinion sours, there are too many times where he just leans into the defender, he doesn’t look like he's even trying to create a hole, whether if this is coaching or ability, I don’t know. Like a few of the others on this list, he struggles at times to find his man when on the move.

Barber, like every other Gator in 2025, had a down year. He gave up 17 pressures and 3 sacks in what was a pretty awful year for Florida in which their head coach got fired. But I still believe in the pass pro I saw in 2024, it seems that every year in the draft there is a day-3 tackle that everyone has forgotten about and ends up starting early in his rookie year, I think Barber could be that man. I have a high 5^h round grade on him which is quite a bit lower than where his consensus rank would suggest he’ll go.

Kage Casey – Boise St – Average Consensus Rank: 124.5

Another one that I considered listing as a guard, Casey has 46 starts for Boise State. The redshirt junior gave up 4 sacks in 2025 on 474 pass block snaps. Casey has that mean mentality that every team loves in their offensive linemen, especially in the run game.

So, let's start with the aforementioned run game; he fires off the snap, getting into the defensive lineman with good pad level allowing Casey to regularly get movement and create holes, especially in the power run game. I’m really not a fan of his pass pro tape, his lack of length, 6’5’’ with sub-33’’ arms, allows defenders to get into his chest, when this happens, he gets off balance and struggles to recover and reestablish his anchor. Most of the time though, his anchor is fine. I would like to see some stronger hands from him, both the initial punch and grip strength leave something to be desired.

Some teams will see Casey as a guard, others will see him as a tackle, ultimately, I think he will end up at guard, I can’t see an NFL future for him at tackle. He got a mid-round 5 grade from me, but I have seen some draft analysts be much higher on him.

Nolan Rucci – Penn St – Average Consensus Rank: 251

Another big man, Rucci arrived at the Shrine Bowl at 6’8’’ 310lbs with over 33’’ arms and 82’’ wingspan. The redshirt senior spent three years at Wisconsin where he appeared in six games, he then transferred to his parents' alma mater where he started 28 games for the Nittany Lions. He comes from a very athletic family, his grandfather played four seasons for the Baltimore Colts, his mum was a field hockey star at Penn State, his dad played football and was a second-round draft pick going on to play eight seasons for the New England Patriots, and finally, his brother Hayden played tight end for Wisconsin.

Apart from his pedigree, there are some things to really like about Rucci. I think he moves well, he doesn’t explode off the ball, but his foot movement looks very smooth and natural. However, his upper body work is not as impressive, his anchor and grip strength are inconsistent and worryingly seem to get worse later in a game. He’s not bad in the run game but can certainly not be put into the ‘people mover’ category.

Rucci had a good week of practice at the Shrine Bowl where he first caught my attention. He has the lower-half qualities teams look for in a tackle, but he needs to improve his technique with his hands and his overall play strength. I have a late-5^th round grade on Rucci, he’s an intriguing prospect.

Reuben Unije – UCLA – Average Consensus Rank: 342

The last on my list, and a player that I am much higher on than everyone else. I first watched Unije after I saw that the Lions met with him at the Hula Bowl. The Trojan is a 7^th-year senior whose college career has not been plain sailing, He was a high 3-star recruit and was sought after by the likes of Alabama, Oregon and Tennessee. He opted for Illinois where he enrolled in January 2018, but he left for personal reasons without playing a game. He then enrolled at Coahoma Community College at the JUCO level where he played for a year before transferring to Houston where he played for 4 years before again transferring to Louisville. He then entered the portal three months later ending up at UCLA.

It’s easy to see why some of the biggest programs in the country were after Unije, he has great feet on his pass sets allowing him to get width and depth quickly and in control. He is good at identifying and picking up stunts and blitzes. Unfortunately for Unije, that's where the positives end, his grip strength is non-existent and once he hits his landmark on his pass set, his feet rarely move again, this combination means he often gets beaten on counters even if he usually wins the initial contest.

Unije is an intriguing player who has experience at both left and right tackle. He needs a lot of work, but his feet are so good in my opinion that he has a chance of sticking around the league for a while. I cannot find his age anywhere, but considering his original recruiting class was 2018, he must be at least 25, which is concerning, given how much he needs to improve. I have a high-6^th round grade on him, but honestly, I expect him to go undrafted.

There are some fairly high-profile names missing from my list, namely Texas A&M’s Demetrious Crownover and Oregon’s Isaiah World. Crownover’s consensus rank is 95, so does not meet my thresholds for this series, even if he did, I am a lot lower on him than others, I just don’t see what they do, I have a mid/high 6^th round grade on him. World's consensus rank is 115 so I could have included him, but being an Oregon fan and watching World all season I want nothing to do with him, he is graded just below Crownover.

I’ll be doing Edge’s next. As always if there's a specific prospect you want me to highlight, let me know in the comments.