The Chargers have a few positions that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft, but offensive tackle sits near the top.
Luckily, this year’s crop has starting-caliber talent from the first day of the draft until Day 3.
With that being said, here’s a tackle from each round that could fit in Los Angeles:
Round 1, Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
Mississippi State’s Charles Cross would be the guy slotted here, but I am trying to also keep this as realistic as possible with players that will still be on the board when the Chargers are on the clock, and I believe that Cross will likely be gone within the first 15 selections.
Penning checks off on the measurables, hovering at 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds with arms longer than 34 inches. Along with that, he possesses the athleticism, having run an elite 40 yard dash time of 4.89 seconds and 7.25 seconds in the three-cone drill.
On the field, while he needs to clean up his leverage and hand usage to avoid penalties in the NFL, Penning has the size, movement skills to match, and a nasty temperament in the run game to start opposite Rashawn Slater right off the bat.
I could easily post a bunch of Trevor Penning's pancake blocks – some of them are truly impressive – but these ones mean more to me watching him drive a defender several yards off the ball to create a crease for running back to explode through. pic.twitter.com/vn6tTjn8Kf
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 7, 2022
Round 3, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Ohio State
Petit-Frere made 19 career starts with the Buckeyes, with seven coming at right tackle in 2020 and 12 at left tackle in 2021. During his college career, he allowed 36 pressures and three sacks while earning PFF run-blocking grades of 72.7 and 84.3 in his final two years.
At 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds with 33 5/8-inch arms, Petit-Frere looks the part of an NFL offensive tackle, and he plays with athleticism, flexibility and lower body explosion, controlling rushers in pass protection and moving bodies in the run game, but he will need to develop his anchor.
The most casual snatch by Nicholas Petit-Frere (LT) pic.twitter.com/yAfzxWdScP
— Steven Haglund (@StevenIHaglund) January 19, 2022
Round 4, Max Mitchell, Louisiana
Mitchell led all FBS tackles with a 94.8 PFF grade, as he allowed only 13 pressures and three sacks last season while racking up the third-most big-time run blocks. In addition, he never committed a penalty or missed an offensive snap.
While he did not test very well at the Combine and will need to continue to get stronger, Mitchell is a tough-minded tackle, with the positioning and foot quickness to mirror and match, great hand techniques to keep rushers at bay, and run-blocking consistency at the first and second levels.
In what basically becomes a down block, Max Mitchell (RT) does a great job getting his hands to the LB's side and rides his momentum to the other side of the hash, creating a cutback lane for a TD. pic.twitter.com/Dxwcxq1KR4
— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) April 12, 2022
Round 5, Braxton Jones, Southern Utah
Jones started 30 games, primarily at left tackle en route to earning First-Team All-American in his final two seasons.
He has outstanding size and length at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds with 35 3/8″ arms coupled with above-average athleticism, as evident with a 4.97 40 time and 4.84 short shuttle.
Jones will need to continue to get stronger, but he has solid foundation traits, with flexibility, footwork, and hand placement to be effective as a tackle at the next level.
Round 6, Zachary Thomas, San Diego State
Thomas was a three-year starter for the Aztecs at left and right tackle. At his best as a run-blocker, Thomas had a 90.1 grade on that front in 2020, fourth-best among FBS tackles, and an 89.6 grade in 2021.
Thomas shows functional athleticism, quality strength/leverage, comfortability as a reach and second-level blocker, and a high level of intelligence as far as picking up stunts/blitzes goes. Further, he has the potential to play some guard at the next level.
Round 7, Jean Delance, Florida
Delance possesses the ideal measurables and resume for an NFL offensive lineman at 6-foot-5 and 303 pounds with over 36-inch arms coupled with 37 SEC starts under his belt, playing both tackle and guard.
Delance was a key member of Gator’s starting five, keeping rushers at bay with his athleticism and vine-like arms, all while paving the way in the run game, as they ranked No. 4 in the SEC in rushing offense in 2021.
