2023 NFL Draft Offensive Tackles Rankings

With Chicago Bears Lenses

With the Bears not adding anybody to the offensive tackle room in free agency, many fans believe they must take one with the 9th overall pick. It’s hard to argue with their reasoning. The offensive tackles were shaky last year and they are basically rolling into 2023 with the same group.

There are still some capable starting level veterans out there. However, it would be nice to get off the offensive tackle marry go round and start finding some long term answers. We are still trying figure out if Braxton Jones can be one of those guys, but the Bears need an alternative opposite of him.

Luckily for Ryan Poles, there are a handful of options in this class where the value at the position aligns with the their top pick. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus best guy, yet everyone seems to like the top of this tackle class.

I also like the top of the class and think there are multiple players who the Bears could take. It’s going to depend on what they are looking. I would be looking for the guys who are going protect Justin Fields at a high level.

I know the Bears focus on getting guys who fit their mobility thresholds for their run scheme. But, pass protection is the most valuable asset that separates the top tackles. The guys that can live on an island and keep edge rushers in front of them on 3rd and longs are the ones that I want.

My list largely reflect which ones I believe will be high end pass protectors and the other elements of their game followed suite. So without further ado, here are my 2023 NFL Draft offensive tackle rankings!

13. Blake Freeland, BYU, Late 4th/early 5th round grade

6’ 8” 302 lbs, Senior

BYU’s Blake Freeland might be the most athletic offensive tackle we have ever seen test at the combine. Luckily for him, the testing confirms his tape. He is so silky smooth at reach blocking in BYU’s outside zone running scheme.

His knack for tracking defenders in space is really impressive and even more so for how tall he is. As a run blocker, he is a perfect fit for the Bears. As a pass blocker, I have some concerns. The first and main one being his weight to height ratio.

To be that high cut at 6’ 8’’ and barely clear the bar of 300 lbs is a worrisome combo. That size is blood in the water for speed to power rushers in the NFL (see Senior Bowl). He should not see the field until his anchor and play strength are addressed. Meaning, more than likely, he will need a redshirt year.

Lastly, he is pretty advanced with his hands and defending his chest in pass pro. I just didn’t see the same feathery of feet in the pass game. BYU did an intentional job of limiting his range as a pass blocker with their scheme.

You rarely see him take deeper sets and the results aren’t nearly as good the further he has to go. I don’t think he is an incapable mover in that regard but it’s hard to imagine that ever being one of his strengths.

Bears Role/Outlook

Developmental tackle that has some serious work cut out in the weight room. Has ideal traits to thrive in the Bear’s running scheme but pad level and pass set mobility issues make it difficult to see as high of ceiling.

12. Wanya Morris, Oklahoma, 4th round grade

6’ 5” 307 lbs, Senior

After a solid Senior Bowl and above average combine, Wanya Morris has a been a riser as of late. His ability to generate movement in close quarters as a run blocker is where his appeal starts. He loves to mix it up and use his power for being lighter guy.

That strength applies to pass protection as well. He packs some mustard behind his 35 inch punches. That length and thud is tough for defensive lineman to deal with. Morris has natural movement skills moving backwards in his sets but his weight distribution can be debilitating.

He has a poor hunched over posture that makes it difficult for him to incorporate his lower half under his opponents. That, and some erratic feet get in the way from him staying in front of edge rushers. The feet can be fixed, his posture seems a bit more damning.

Bears Role/Outlook

Back up tackle who could develop into a capable starter. I don’t know if high level play is in his fortunes but he could be potentially your 4th or 5th best starter down the road.

11. Braeden Daniels, Utah, 4th round grade

6’ 4" 294 lbs, RS Senior

Braeden Daniels meets Poles’s criteria in that he is lighter and athletic. It’s very easy to fall for how he glides to linebackers in the run game. That athleticism shows up in pass pro as well. He is an explosive setter that matches his opponents speed up the arc.

He flashes some decent thump with his hands. He just needs to get more precise with them. For all of that there is like with Daniels physically, he is too light weighted (2nd percentile) at sub 300 lbs. Being bumped off course on contact is a reoccurring theme.

I know the Bears want their guys a little more light in the pants, but Daniels won’t hold up in the NFL at his current size. He must put on some heft and get a better feel in pass protection to see game day action any time soon.

Bears Role/Outlook

Swing Olineman early on who has experience at LG, RT and LT. Won’t be a preferred back up at tackle without adding some strength. Has starting traits but also needs some technical refinement with his strikes before he can be relied upon as a starter.

10. Tyler Steen, Alabama, 4th round grade

6’ 6” 322 lbs, Senior

I try to keep these rankings serious but there isn’t a more accurate description than this gif of how I felt when watching Tyler Steen’s tape. Let’s start negative and finish positive. For starters, Steen has one of the weirdest builds you’ll ever see.

He is 6’ 6” but still looks stocky with a tick below 33 inch arms. To those out there that subscribe to the idea that arm length is overrated at tackle, watch Steen’s tape and get back to me. The amount of times he lunges over his skis to make first contact is a case study.

I admire his awareness to compensate but he gets himself so off balance by doing this. He must get comfortable with striking later in the rep/finding other ways to combat the stubbiness. If he can do that, there is a lot like about him as a tackle.

He can cover ground in his sets in a balanced fashion, unlocks his hips to anchor and moves people in the run game. You just wish he was more consistent. Some teams won’t entertain him at tackle but I would be willing to give him a shot.

Bears Role/Outlook

On the hoof, Steen doesn’t look like a tackle the Bears would be interested in. However, he had excellent combine that may have earned more of their consideration. He seems like one of the better swing OL options in this class. Probably won’t ever be a high end starter at tackle because of the lack of length

9. Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland, Late 3rd round grade

6’ 6” 306 lbs, Senior

My toxic scouting trait is falling for tackles like Jaelyn Duncan. The fleet of foot, limitless movers in pass protection are the guys I will overlook all of their other flaws for. Duncan’s innate mirror and match skills are so tempting.

He is an effortless mover who can really sink into his blocks and bend on contact. That’s a premium combination of traits to be a quality level pass protector at the pro level. That said, the production is too rough to ignore.

There just seems to be a lack of awareness and physicality to his game. I saw too many lapses where he will conceit reps on his tape. I can’t explain it. He seems more content with doing enough than definitively winning his matchup.

In addition, he needs enhance his play strength. He struggles to stay latched with his opponents because of a weak grip and erratic hand placement. I love the idea of Duncan, but he is far from a finished product.

Bears Role/Outlook

Duncan has already been scheduled for a top 30 visit with the Bears and that should not be a surprise. He has athleticism in spades and we all know that’s what they are looking for. I am just curious to see how much they like him.

I believe he is some ways away from being a starter, but he might be thrusted into action if they take him with one of those 2nd round picks.

8. Carter Warren, Pitt, 3rd round grade

6’ 5" 311 lbs, 6th year Senior

If I had to put my stamp of approval on a sleeper OT in this class, Pitt’s Carter Warren would be my guy. That is because I know what he is, a savvy composed pass protector. There aren’t many tackles who are as advanced with their hands in this class.

Warren does an excellent job of varying his strikes with independent hands. His plus 35 inch arms (88th percentile) also ensures that he is the victor in the hand battle more times than not. He is not the rangiest in terms of his set mobility but is still very controlled in his movements.

He rarely bails on his technique and uses his length early in reps to aid his lack of depth. Warren seems limited athletically, especially in the run game. Meaning, he is much more of a floor player than a ceiling one. However, he has enough prowess in pass pro to hit the ground running or at worst, be a great swing tackle.

Bears Role/Outlook

Warren tore his Meniscus this past season, so I would assume he goes a lot lower than I have him. There were reports that the Bears had conversations with him at his pro day. Warren doesn't seem like their type but if it would only cost a day 3 pick to land him, I would have to think they’re interested.

7. Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse, 3rd round grade

6’ 5” 318 lbs, Senior

There are many parallels between Warren and Matthew Bergeron in terms of play style. Bergeron is similar in that plays under control and leans on his technique. He has the leg up in that he offers more physically.

The Canadian product has some legit pop in his hands that opposing pass rushers feel. He is a guy that wants to win sooner in the rep by making first contact. If he can stay square with his opponents, they aren’t rushing through him either. He might have a calm demeanor is pass pro, but he wants to grade people in the run game.

Having said that, he is a pretty average athlete in space and that more so shows up in pass pro. He has just enough range to live at tackle but mirroring is never going to be the primary way in which he wins.

Bears Role/Outlook

Bergeron has starting caliber qualities but clear limitations that cap his ceiling (at least as a pass protector). He seems athletic enough to draw some interest from the Bears though. I would imagine him being one of their top day 2 options if they go a different direction at 9.

6. Broderick Jones, Georgia, Late 2nd round grade

6’ 5” 311 lbs, Junior

Broderick Jones is the ultimate boom or bust tackle prospect in this class. The tangible athleticism, young age and raw power is what offensive line coaches live for. They will look at him and whole heartily believe they can turn him into a star.

I tend to take more of a face value perspective and when looking at Jones’s current body of work, it becomes difficult to envision a player that will translate seamlessly to the NFL. The high end of his game comes in the run game. Here is where he can show his graceful ability to move in space and brute force to drive defenders out of gaps.

The pass game is where I disconnect from the consensus. There weren’t many games where Georgia had to drop back and pass. When did they, however, is when my concerns with Jones showed up the most (Mizzou and OSU).

For all of the movement skills that he has, Jones has noisy feet in his vertical sets that make it tough for him to drop his anchor on contact. He has a bad habit of shuffling his feet together before engaging with his defenders, which gets him off balance.

This is also paired with him playing top heavy. There are too many times where he gets caught lunging forward when trying to stay connected. Because he is not balanced in these situations, it’s hard for him to be precise with his hands. He puts more effort into scrambling to his landmarks than initiating contact. Leading to some ugly reps.

When Jones is able to stay balanced and squared with defenders, it looks textbook. That just doesn’t happen enough and that is scary to extrapolate to the NFL. Georgia’s OL played in one of the most protected schemes/game scripts that can’t be recreated in a successful NFL offense.

In addition, OTs that can take care of business on an island in must pass situations are the ones that hold the most value. That’s why I struggle with Jones in the top 10. He obviously has the physical ability to improve but the projection is murky when he has struggled at such an important part of the position at the college level.

Bears Role/Outlook

Jones clears all of athletic bars the Bears want in their OL but that doesn’t really separate him from the pack. Most of the top options in this class are also great athletes. It’s going come down to what type of play style traits the Bears value.

If they want the tackle with the most potential to move people in the run game, Jones will likely be their choice. But, if their focus is on keeping Justin Fields upright, give me the field.

5. Dawand Jones, Ohio State, Late 2nd round grade

6’ 8” 374 lbs, Senior

Dawand Jones’s tape was a revelation to me in a lot of ways. I say this because I generally don’t like the huge lumbering tackles that can barely move. When I heard 6’8” 375 lbs, that’s what I assumed Jones would be. Boy, was I wrong.

He isn’t fleet of foot by any means but his mobility is more functional than your average big man. He moves well enough for the style he wants to play and that is with his length and strength. Jones doesn’t have to go very far to get those 36 inch vines on his opponents. And once he does, they don’t go anywhere.

It’s rinse, lather, repeat on his tape with often he stuns d linemen in their tracks. Jones allows no free passage under his pads and good luck trying to bull rush that tonnage. His kryptonite is more so speed.

It’s difficult for a man that big to keep up with extremely twitched up edge rushers. Every now and again, he will get got. That is something teams will have to live with (similar to Orlando Brown). But all in all, Jones is appealing because he knows how he wins and can win that way at a high level.

Bears Role/Outlook

Jones seems like the embodiment of the polar opposite type of tackle this regime is looking for. I think his lack of mobility in the run game is a tad overblown but that’s definitely not his strength. That said, I can’t see him being one of their first choices.

He would have to take a pretty big tumble down the draft board into a range that the Bears would be comfortable taking him. He is better served with a true gap/power team.

4. Anton Harrison, Oklahoma, 2nd round grade

6’ 4” 315 lbs, Junior

Anton Harrison feels like the forgotten man of this tackle crop. That is pretty in line with how he plays. He is an extremely steady mover in pass pro that consistently gets the job done. There is nothing really flashy about his tape but his strengths are super valuable.

He has one of the bests feels at reading pass rushers and taking away how they want to attack him. For only being a full time stater for two years, he has shown that he can already use his hands independently as well. There is many pro ready qualities to his game but he must get stronger.

His anchor is adequate enough in pass pro but he gets held up in the run game too much. Harrison is much more of finesse player when it comes to run blocking. He can frame his body to get in the way but he doesn’t generate enough movement.

You obviously would want his game to be more complete, but his movements skills, awareness and hand usage in pass protection can take him a long way without ever being a great run blocker.

Bears Role/Outlook

Harrison might not be the best fit for the Bears 2022 run heavy offense, but if the focus is improving Fields’s protection, he is a great candidate. The problem is I don’t know where it would make sense to draft him.

9 seems too rich and I don’t think he makes it to 53. He would either be a trade down candidate or be someone they traded up for if he fell in the 2nd round.

3. Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State, 1st round ground

6’ 6” 313 lbs, Junior

If you could build a tackle in a lab, they would look like Paris Johnson Jr. He has the ideal fame that could carry even more muscle than he currently has. Not to mention, that he also has plus 36 inch arms (96th percentile) that are such a luxury on the perimeter.

With him being such a lanky guy, there is nothing awkward about his movements. He gains so much depth in his sets and has fluid redirection skills that allow him to change course on the fly. That mobility really shines in the run game though.

He is so graceful when he gets on the move in OZ or pulling. Johnson is a heat seeking missile from the moment he explodes out of his stance and flies to the second level. Any team who loves to get their OL in space (hint: DA BEARS) is going to fall in love with him.

The downfall in Johnson’s game is that he is so new to the position. He is only 21 years old and has one full season at tackle. The inexperience shows with hands the most. Wide hands are a reoccurring theme on his tape. There are too many times where he hugs because he shoots his hands outside of defenders’ frames.

When he does gets his hands inside the chest plate, there isn’t a lot of pop in his punches, and he struggles to stay gripped. His hand placement needs some polish but he also just needs to get stronger in general.

Johnson won’t be drafted highly because he is a finished product. He will be drafted highly because you aren’t going to find the high end physical ability he posses anywhere else. It might take some time until we see his best football but he could be a top 5 tackle in the NFL once he reaches the peak of his powers.

Bears Role/Outlook

I would say it’s fair to expect a learning curve early on for Johnson given all of the reasons outlined up above. However, the reality is that he has a larger margin of error than your average tackle because of the tools he can fall back on.

He could probably be okay right away. Once he can marry those tools with technique though, watch out. I would assume he is very high on the Bears board and strongly in consideration at 9.

2. Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, 1st round grade

6’ 4’’ 313 lbs, Junior

This one pains me. If we are solely grading these prospects on tape, Peter Skoronski is the best tackle. Hell, he posted the 2nd best tape in entire 2023 class in my opinion. I just really know where you can poke holes in how he plays the position.

He has the most diverse repertoire of strikes, the best feel for set depth and is clearly a student of the game with how he takes away his opponents’ best stuff. I mean it’s legit teaching tape type of production, and I can’t say that for any other OT on this list.

Unfortunately, traits matter in the NFL. The 32.25 inch arms (4th percentile) are something teams must to take into account because it’s a total outlier. There were only three players in 2022 to takes snaps at tackle with below 33 inch arms. THREE!

Skoronski does a great job at countering the lack of length by being so crafty with his hands. I just have questions if that will be as effective at the next level. On top of that, Skoronski seems like more of a good athlete on film than a great one.

He would profile as a fluid pass setter vs. an explosive one. I wish he showed a tad more juice to outweigh some of the length concerns. All of that to say, I would still be comfortable giving him a shot at tackle because of how good he is.

The problem is I couldn’t feel as comfortable drafting him SOLELY to be a tackle with no other recourse. Positional value is important and interior o linemen are less valuable than tackles. If Skoronski is only an IOL (a damn good one at that), I find it much more difficult to draft him in the top 10.

Bears Role/Outlook

If the Bears decided that Skoronski was too good of an offensive linemen to pass on, I couldn’t be mad. He is a good tackle prospect and a blue chip interior offensive line prospect. That is what they will have to figure out though.

Is being solid at tackle worth more than being elite at guard? That will be question that will define his outlook in the NFL. Regardless, you are getting a quality starter wherever he plays from day 1. He is the safest player in the draft in my opinion.

1. Darnell Wright, Tennessee, 1st round grade

6’ 5” 333 lbs, Senior

Darnell Wright is excellent. The end. In all seriousness, Wright’s rise up draft board is probably happening later than it should’ve. He took a noticeable step forward this season posting some of the best tape against the toughest slate of competition.

He got the better of some of the top edge rushers in college football like Will Anderson Jr., BJ Ojulari, Brenton Cox and more. Wright has some of the lightest feet at such a plus size. He is an easer mover in sets that can mirror his opponents as the wall of the pocket.

What’s even more impressive about his profile is his anchor and core strength. That’s where he has a leg up on all of the top prospects in this class. He is physically ready to play the NFL game, which is very rarely the case.

Bull rushes go to die on Wright. You aren’t getting to the QB by going through him. Those attributes also apply to the run game. He can displace people at the LOS. If there were any deficiencies in his game, it would be the modest arm length that shows up every now and then.

He sometimes is too over aggressive in trying to get hands on his opponents and bends at the waist. That issue would be much worse if he didn’t absorb contact so well but it’s something he could clean up.

If I had to pick a tackle that would hit the ground running the fastest, my choice would be Wright. He has the polish and traits to be one of the better right tackles in the NFL.

Bears Role/Outlook

Everyone was hesitant to link Wright to the Bears because of some athletic concerns, but he blew those out of the water at the combine. He is plenty athletic to play in this system, he just wasn't really asked to get out on the move in college (only 21 snaps of OZ in 2022 per PFF).

I would be willing to bet on him figuring out that part because of what he offers on an island in pass protection. At the end of the day, protecting the QB is what it’s about and Wright does that at such a high level.