With the 2022 regular season now behind us, let’s re-examine the 2023 NFL Draft. Who are the Top 10 OTs in the class at the current moment? With his top challenger returning to school, does Paris Johnson Jr. rise up the podium?
Top 10 OTs in the 2023 NFL Draft
10) Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
The tape is more up-and-down for Jaelyn Duncan than for most prospects — especially prospects with multiple years of starting experience. But the reason you’ll see Duncan on so many top 10 offensive tackle lists is because the upside is worth banking on.
Out of all the tackles in the 2023 NFL Draft class, Duncan is one of the most athletic. He has an NFL frame at 6’6″, 320 pounds, and yet, he’s incredibly light on his feet, with impressive burst and recovery athleticism. He needs to drastically improve his hand usage, but the foundation is there.
9) Blake Freeland, BYU
Blake Freeland is one of one with his towering 6’8″, 305-pound frame. Very few tackles fit the mold that Freeland does, and that mold gives him rare power capacity — a trait only magnified by his high-end athleticism.
Being as tall as he is, Freeland does struggle with pad level and leverage. And he doesn’t have great hip flexibility to help counteract that. But with some more technical work, he can blossom into an impact starter with coveted top-end traits.
8) Jordan Morgan, Arizona
Jordan Morgan‘s 2022 season was unfortunately cut short by a torn ACL. That same injury complicates his decision to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft — a decision that has yet to be made, as of this writing. But if he declares, Morgan is a potential top tackle in waiting.
MORE: Top 10 Interior Offensive Linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft
The Wildcats blocker is still trending up on the operational side, but he quietly has a very enticing combination of physical tools. He’s a well-built lineman at 6’6″, 320 pounds, with solid proportions and knee bend, and he’s a very freely-moving athlete for his size.
7) Tyler Steen, Alabama
Alabama has a long, illustrious history when it comes to producing quality NFL offensive tackle talent. Tyler Steen likely won’t be the first-round selection we’ve been accustomed to seeing from the Crimson Tide, but it’s not unlikely that we see him start games down the line.
Steen has NFL size and length at 6’5″, 315 pounds, and complements it with impressive athleticism and foot speed off the line. He can play with more control and more measured leverage at times, but the flashes of balance and hand usage are tantalizing for developers.
6) Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
Few tackles went through a greater gauntlet than Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron this season. The Orange offensive tackle played three potential first-round picks in Myles Murphy, Jared Verse, and Isaiah Foskey. And while he didn’t emerge unscathed, he showed off his potential.
Hailing from Canada, Bergeron has some of the most enticing short-area athleticism in the 2023 NFL Draft OT group. You don’t often get to call tackles energetic movers, but that’s exactly what Bergeron is. He can get stronger and more disciplined with his technique, but he can match anyone.
5) Darnell Wright, Tennessee
PFN had an early-round grade on Darnell Wright heading into the season, and he did nothing but validate that grade over the course of the 2022 campaign. Wright is now a potential top-five tackle, and arguably the best natural right tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft.
A former five-star recruit, Wright is a gargantuan spectacle at 6’6″, 335 pounds. He almost looks impossibly big for a human, and then you watch him move, use his violent, calculated hands, and torque defenders into submission. He can lock down the right side at the next level.
4) Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
The discussion around Peter Skoronski will remain fascinating throughout the entirety of the 2023 NFL Draft cycle. He’s a top collegiate performer with a pedigree of success, and he has more than enough athleticism. But his size profile has been a source of polarization.
Skoronski’s lacking length does visibly limit his power capacity, and it’s not always an easy thing to counteract against larger defenders. But Skoronski’s ability to stay leveraged so consistently is rare, and his smooth footwork enables him to always have a steady platform. He can be a solid starter at multiple spots.
3) Broderick Jones, Georgia
Broderick Jones was an early candidate to take a leap across the 2022 campaign. While he didn’t undergo enough refinement as desired, Jones did show more than enough to solidify his place as a potential first-round OT in the 2023 NFL Draft.
MORE: 2023 NFL Draft Big Board
Another tackle with five-star pedigree, Jones has all the tools. His 6’4″, 315-pound frame sports a unique combination of natural leverage and proportional length. On top of that, Jones is explosive in space, strong at the point, and a relentless finisher.
2) Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
Anton Harrison is consistently listed as a top-five offensive tackle, and yet, he still might be a bit underrated in the eyes of the consensus. In our latest top 10 offensive tackles list, Harrison comes in as the second-ranked blocker — an endorsement of his high-level 2022 tape.
Like most here, Harrison passes the eye test at 6’5″, 315 pounds, with good burst, matching ability, and range as a puller. But Harrison takes things a step further, compounding his appeal with independent hand usage, composed footwork, leverage maintenance, and gnawing physicality.
1) Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
In the midseason iteration of the top 10 offensive tackles list, Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu was our OT1. He’s since returned to school, however, leaving the OT1 mantle up for grabs. As of now, that honor goes to Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr.
Johnson isn’t quite as clean as you’d like your top tackle to be, but he has legitimately everything in his toolbox. He’s the most explosive tackle in the class, has over 35″ arms, and elite power capacity. He’s incredibly flexible, alert, and tenacious in both phases.
Honorable Mentions
- Dawand Jones, Ohio State
- Javon Foster, Missouri
- Carter Warren, Pitt
- Warren McClendon, Georgia
- Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
- Connor Galvin, Baylor
- Ryan Hayes, Michigan
- Julian Pearl, Illinois