NFL Draft prospects: Ranking offensive tackles heading into the 2023 NFL Draft (2024)

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to get underway. This year’s draft will be held in Kansas City, Missouri. The first round will be held on Thursday, April 27 followed by the second and third rounds on Friday, April 28, and the final four rounds taking place on Saturday, April 29.

One of the most sought after positions on the offensive line is offensive tackles. These players are tasked with blocking a quarterback’s blind side, setting the edge for a potential run to the outside and have to deal with some of the best pass rushers in the league coming off the edge. There is solid depth in this year’s class, with some notable names up front.

Likely first player off the board

Peter Skoronski will likely be not only the first offensive tackle selected in the 2023 NFL Draft but also the first overall offensive lineman. He put up the second-most bench press reps for offensive tackles (30) and had the fifth-most among offensive linemen at the NFL Combine. Skoronski won the Rimington-Pace Award this past college football season, given to the nation’s best offensive lineman. He projects as NFL-ready and should slot in as a starting offensive tackle to begin his rookie season.

Biggest names

Paris Johnson Jr. is heading into the draft listed as an OT, but he spent time playing guard at Ohio State. It will be up to his eventual team how they want to shape him at the next level, but he has the talent to play both positions. Johnson allowed just 10 pressures last season at Ohio State and was a solid reason why quarterback C.J. Stroud had such a productive season.

Darnell Wright played his college ball at Tennessee, blocking for highly-touted quarterback prospect Hendon Hooker. He allowed only five hurries and two hits last season and notably wasn’t credited with allowing a sack. There is slight concern that he relies on his size to fend off defenders and needs to put in extra work to become more well-rounded with his skills,

Broderick Jones won two national championships with the Georgia Bulldogs. He was initially a backup tackle, but after an injury to the starter in front of him, Jones took over in 2021 and never looked back. He has the size to contend in the NFL from the jump, but a team may want to ease him into action at the next level as they polish his technique.

Anton Harrison is the latest in a long line of Oklahoma offensive linemen heading into the NFL. He has a solid size for a tackle and has flexibility at the position, given his agility. Harrison allowed only four total knockdowns, which is sacks and hurries, over the last two seasons for the Sooners.

Sleepers

Jaxson Kirkland’s biggest knock is his age. He can’t help it, but he will be 25 years old when the season starts. If he played out a four-year rookie contract, he would be looking for his second deal at nearly 30 years old, when a number of careers begin winding down. Still, you are going to be hard pressed to find someone with more game experience than he had in his six seasons playing for the Washington Huskies.