Dalton Wagner, OT Arkansas: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Wagner was a three-star recruit from Richmond Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill. in the class of 2017
Arkansas Razorbacks right tackle Dalton Wagner put together the best year of his career this past season. The six-year college veteran projects as a borderline draftable talent in the 2023 NFL Draft. A shortage of quality tackles could push Wagner as high as the sixth round.
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Dalton Wagner, OT Arkansas: 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Sixth year redshirt senior right tackle from Spring Grove, Ill.
Background: Wagner was a three-star recruit from Richmond Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill. in the class of 2017. He was the No. 604 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 646 for On3.com. Wagner was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. He committed to Arkansas over offers from Cal, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Purdue, Syracuse, Utah, Virginia, and other well-regarded programs. Wagner was a three-year starter along Richmond-Burton’s offensive line. He was selected for the 2016 U.S. Army All-American Combine in San Antonio. Wagner earned All-Area First-Team honors from the Northwest Herald in 2015 and 2016. He was a member of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 4-A All-State Team and the All-Kishwaukee River Conference Team. As a high school senior, Wagner also contributed 14 tackles, a tackle for loss, and half a sack on defense. Wagner’s father (Brad) played along the offensive line at Western Illinois. His brother (Bryce) was an offensive lineman at Southern Illinois for five seasons. Wagner was born on Oct. 5, 1998.
2022 Production: 12 games, 2 sacks allowed, 2 penalties committed
2021 Production: 10 games, 3 sacks allowed, 4 penalties committed
2020 Production: 8 games, 2 sacks allowed, 3 penalties committed
2019 Production: 12 games, 5 sacks allowed, 2 penalties committed
2018 Production: 11 games, 0 sacks allowed, 1 penalty committed
2017 Production: (Redshirt Year)
Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a foot injury in 2017, missed one game in 2018, missed two games in 2020, required finger surgery in 2021 missing three games, missed one game in 2022
Awards: 2018 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2020 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2021 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, 2022 Arkansas Team Captain
Pros: More than 2,700 offensive snaps, carries his weight well, no real negative weight, good arm length, quick enough kick slide to hit landmarks, lateral movement allows him to stay in front of most pass rushers, punches stall defenders in pass pro, sufficient anchor to stall bull rushes, usually identifies and passes off stunts well, feet remain calm but active to avoid getting stuck in the ground, buried Byron Young twice when caving in the defensive line vs. Alabama (2022), power to seal rushing lanes and generate vertical displacement
Cons: Age, no significant experience playing anything but right tackle since 2018, surrenders natural leverage battle, not much bend in his knees, sometimes late to recognize stunts, clamp strength should be better, doesn’t display much independent hand usage, inconsistent hand placement, allows defenders into his chest, pad level prevents him from generating more displacement in the run game, could be a nastier run blocker, defaults to leaning as a run blocker, not an ideal open field athlete, lacks the agility to mirror defenders in space, lacks the footspeed and agility to be a pulling lineman
Overview: Wagner took official measurements at the Shrine Bowl. He’s 6083 and weighs 321 lbs. He has 10 1/4-inch hands, 34-inch arms, and an 83 7/8-inch wingspan. With more than 2,700 offensive snaps under his belt, Wagner is one of the most experienced players in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has an excellent build with little to no negative weight. Wagner has good arm length and thickness for the tackle position. His kick slide and lateral movement skills allow him to hit his landmarks and stay in front of most pass rushers. Wagner’s punches stall defenders in pass protection, and his anchor is strong enough to halt bull rushes. The college veteran usually identifies and passes off stunts well, but there are times when he’s late to react. His footwork is calm but active to avoid getting stuck in the ground. The sixth-year redshirt senior buried Alabama’s Byron Young twice when caving in the defensive line last season (2022). Wagner’s power allows him to seal rushing lanes and generate displacement when he gets vertical. He’s at his best in the ground game when allowed to fire downhill and put his full mass into defenders. Wagner is one of the draft’s older prospects, and he possesses no significant experience playing anything but right tackle. At his size, the Illinois native often loses the leverage battle. He doesn’t have much bend in his knees. Despite his large hands, Wagner’s clamp strength often fails him. He doesn’t display much independent hand usage. The former three-star recruit suffers from inconsistent hand placement and allows defenders into his chest. Wagner’s pad level prevents him from generating more displacement in the ground game. He often defaults to leaning as a run blocker, which creates balance concerns. Wagner isn’t an ideal open field athlete. He lacks the agility to mirror defenders in space and the footspeed for pull duties.
Overall, Wagner is a well-built, highly experienced right tackle prospect with some attractive physical traits, but his hand usage and movement skills are subpar. Wagner’s size could attract an NFL team as early as the late sixth round, but there’s also a chance he lands on the UDFA market.
Role & Scheme Fit: Right tackle in an inside zone scheme
Round Projection: Late Sixth to UDFA
Player Comparison: N/A
Submitted: 02-17-23