Ranking the 2022 NFL Draft's top 30 interior offensive linemen
Six interior offensive linemen earn top 64 projections
It’s here! We’ve finally entered the week of the 2022 NFL Draft. This year’s offensive line class offers a deep selection of day-one starters and two/three-year projects. Most of the emphasis remains on the tackles, but the guard and center classes feature plenty of converted tackles who could see their play skyrocket once they become comfortable in their new roles.
For this exercise, I classified Spencer Burford, Tyler Smith, and Nick Zakelj as offensive tackles. You can read my top 30 offensive tackle rankings here.
I provided in-depth profiles for the top 20 interior offensive linemen in this article, including comments on their physical measurements, production, and traits. Unfortunately, because of time constraints, I only included profiles discussing physical measurements and production for prospects outside of the top 20. I’ll try to revisit and fill in those evaluations later this week.
Feel free to tell me in the comments or on Twitter @Sam_Teets33 if you believe a certain prospect should rank higher. Let me know if I missed anyone.
*All player measurements come from NFL.com unless otherwise specified
Tier 1- Locked-In First-Round Selections
1. Tyler Linderbaum, IOL Iowa
Size: 6'2", 296 lbs. with 31 1/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Blew his pro day out of the park, two sacks and 19 pressures allowed in three years as a starter, only two career penalties, elite movement skills for zone schemes, finds and demolishes targets at the second level, lightning quick out of his stance, loose athlete, extremely physical despite size and will look to finish blocks, keeps his hands inside, surprising anchor, natural bend and flexibility, upper and lower body stay connected, explodes into defenders, pinned the larger Tristan Wirfs in wrestling,
Cons: Arm length and wingspan in the 1st percentile, lacking weight to work for every team, scheme specific center, no experience outside of playing center, needs to be perfect in pass protection or he’ll lose the rep, certain power rushers will break his anchor
2. Zion Johnson, IOL Boston College
Size: 6'3", 312 lbs. with 34" arms and 10 5/8" hands
Pros: Only six pressures allowed in 2021 with one penalty, true positional versatility, played right tackle (2018 at Davidson), left tackle (2020), left guard (2019, 2021), and center (Senior Bowl), arm length and wingspan, vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone, 20-yard shuttle, and bench press were all 89th percentile or higher, anchors against power, displaces defenders in the running game, sustains blocks until he finishes them or the play ends, natural leverage, identifies and takes out targets at the second level
Cons: Needs to tighten up his hands, likely only a guard/center with emergency tackle potential, can improve identifying threats pre-snap and adjusting on the fly, hands have pop,
Tier 2- Late First/Early Second Rounders
3. Kenyon Green, IOL Texas A&M
Size: 6'4", 323 lbs. with 34 1/8" arms and 10 3/8" hands
Pros: Experience playing everywhere but center, arm length and wingspan, only ten pressures allowed in 2019 and 2020, thick frame, heavy hands, creates movement in the running game, mobility in-game looked better than Combine results, wide base walls off defenders, turned 21 in March
Cons: Movement looked labored and heavy at the Scouting Combine, pure guard prospect, committed four penalties in 2019, four in 2020, and seven penalties in 2021, footwork is slow and heavy, allows defenders to win his inside shoulder
4. Jamaree Salyer, IOL Georgia
Size: 6'3", 321 lbs. with 33 5/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Played snaps at all five positions in college (primarily left and right tackle), only one sack and 14 pressures allowed in college career, hands create pop, excellent work with hands, wide body walls off defenders, never penalized in 2018, 2019, or 2020, generates movement as a run blocker
Cons: Only an emergency tackle in the NFL, pass rushers reach his chest too often, five penalties in 2021, base becomes too narrow at times, some stiffness in his lower half
Tier 3- Late Second/Early Third
5. Darian Kinnard, IOL Kentucky
Size: 6'5", 322 lbs. with 35" arms and 11 1/4" hands
Pros: Experienced college left and right tackle, one sack and seven pressures allowed in 2021, arm length and wingspan, powerful enough to deaden initial pass rush and displace defenders in the running game, throws defenders, anchor, finishes blocks, extensive experience at right tackle
Cons: Only two snaps at guard in college, won’t play tackle in the NFL, three penalties in 2021, below 40th percentile ten-yard split, 40-time, three-cone, and short shuttle, oversets which throws him off balance, hands aren’t active enough to keep space between him and the rusher, wide hands allow defender into his chest, gets beat on spin moves, footwork creates issues when mirroring the rusher
6. Dylan Parham, IOL Memphis
Size: 6'3", 311 lbs. with 33 1/8" arms and 10 1/4" hands
Pros: Added nearly 30 pounds over the past year or two, starting experience at left guard (2018, 2019), right tackle (2020), and right guard (2021), one sack and 19 pressures allowed in the past two seasons, converted tight end, elite speed and giddy-up for a lineman, wins the leverage battle, finds targets at the second level, has recovery and redirect quickness, significantly improved anchor
Cons: Committed 21 penalties over the past four years, arm length and wingspan, still lacking the mass to fit every scheme, no idea why some scouts view him as a center considering he’s never played there in a game, punch won’t rattle defenders
Tier 4- Third Round Selections
7. Luke Goedeke, IOL Central Michigan
Size: 6'5", 312 lbs. with 32 1/4" arms and 9 3/4" hands
Pros: Converted tight end with two seasons of starting experience at right tackle, zero sacks and seven pressures allowed in 2021, mauler mentality in the running game, drives defenders off the ball, finds action at the second level, loose lower half, hand placement is excellent for a lineman with smaller arms, footwork and lower body agility, monster on double teams, became highly proficient at tackle in such a short amount of time
Cons: Never played significant collegiate snaps at guard, still learning to play along the line, five penalties in 2019 and 2021, missed 2020 season with a knee injury, arm length and wingspan, gets drawn out of his stance by defenders, slow reacting to attacks on his inside shoulder
8. Sean Rhyan, IOL UCLA
Size: 6'5", 321 lbs. with 32 3/8" arms and 11 1/8" hands
Pros: Started at left tackle for three seasons, one sack and 13 pressures allowed in 2021, massive hands, plenty of pop in his punch, finds targets at the second level, has potential to become an elite finisher in the running game
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, four penalties in 2019 and six in 2021, limited to no experience at guard in college, not twitchy and slow to recover, often resorts to bending at the waste rather than sinking down, turns 24 in September
9. Cole Strange, IOL Tennessee-Chattanooga
Size: 6'5", 307 lbs. with 33" arms and 10 1/8" hands
Pros: Elite movement skills and explosiveness, starting experience at left tackle and left guard, he played some center at the Senior Bowl, one sack and five pressures allowed in 2021, made for a zone scheme, loose athlete with no lower body stiffness or leverage issues, finds targets at the second level on the move, will finish blocks against weaker opponents
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, ten penalties committed in the past two years, driven back by power, Travis Jones tossed him around at the Senior Bowl, needs to add mass, competition level, can’t reset once a power rusher gets into his pads, anchor is 50/50, turns 24 in July
10. Luke Fortner, IOL Kentucky
Size: 6'4", 307 lbs. with 33 1/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Five sacks and 22 pressures allowed in over 1,300 pass blocking snaps, starting experience at both guard spots and center, keeps his hands inside and uses them to win the leverage battle, high football IQ shows when handling threats, can handle the full playbook and protections from day one, finds work at the second level
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, turns 24 in May, five penalties over the past two years, not an elite athlete in any specific area, pads get too high, anchor and drive aren’t the strongest and will fail against larger defenders, not a twitchy athlete, range, power, and most physical traits are average at best
11. Ed Ingram, IOL LSU
Size: 6'3", 307 lbs. with 33 5/8" and 10" hands
Pros: Only three penalties over four seasons, experience at right and left guard, two sacks and 11 pressures allowed in 2021, heavy hands that pack a pop, upper body reaction time is insane, highly effective at identifying threats in pass protection
Cons: Arrested and suspended from LSU in 2018, fast but not explosive despite weight, turned 23 in February, lower body limitations stemming from stiffness and lack of mass, struggles gaining significant movement in the running game, lacks the athleticism to consistently hit second level targets
12. Zach Tom, IOL Wake Forest
Size: 6'4", 304 lbs. with 33 1/4" arms and 10 3/8" hands
Pros: Elite movement skills finishing above the 90th percentile in the 10-yard split, 40-yard dash, vertical and broad jumps, three-cone, and 20-yard shuttle, four sacks and 25 pressures allowed on over 1,000 pass blocking snaps over the past two seasons, starting experience at center and left tackle, finds and lands blocks in space, active hands, agility to recover and mirror counters and secondary rushes
Cons: Below average arm length and wingspan, eight penalties committed in 2021, lacks weight to play in every scheme, anchor fails against power rushers, will struggle to move 0-techs, puts too much of his weight forward at times
13. Cam Jurgens, IOL Nebraska
Size: 6'3", 303 lbs. with 33 3/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Elite speed and movement skills, one sack and 20 pressures allowed over the past two years, converted tight end, twitchy, he draws comparisons to Tyler Linderbaum, stuns defenders at the point of attack with the pop in his hands, quick get-off, loose athlete, feisty prospect who wants to finish blocks and deadens rushers with his anchor, ideal fit for zone schemes
Cons: Six penalties committed in 2021, no experience outside of center, arm length and wingspan are 41st percentile, lacks mass to consistently win against power rushers, scheme dependent, unnecessary urgency leads to missed blocks at the second level, once he loses leverage it’s over, limited ability to recover against power rushers
14. Marquis Hayes, IOL Oklahoma
Size: 6'5", 318 lbs. with 34 7/8" arms and 8 7/8" hands
Pros: Arm length and wingspan, five sacks and 27 pressures allowed in three years as a starter, violently finishes blocks, strength to maul, enough lateral agility for some pull concepts, stout anchor
Cons: Hand size, lacks explosive elements and not a good open field mover, eight penalties in 2019 and nine in 2021, played strictly left guard in college, turned 23 in February, lower and upper body aren’t synched, pad level rises too high, struggles to recover against counters, footwork needs significant attention
Tier 5- Fourth Round Selections
15. Logan Bruss, IOL Wisconsin
Size: 6'5", 309 lbs. with 33 1/8" arms and 10 3/4" hands
Pros: Five penalties on over 2,200 snaps, played right tackle and right guard, zero sacks and 13 pressures allowed over the past two years, craves contact, mirrors the pass rusher, active hands routinely stun the rusher, anchor, wide base, body control
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, pad level varies, lacks twitch to consistently recover, limited range, footwork falls behind at times, speed rushers can beat him around the edge
16. Joshua Ezeudu, IOL North Carolina
Size: 6'4", 308 lbs. with 34" arms and 9 1/2" hands
Pros: Experience at both tackle positions and left guard, two sacks and 31 pressures allowed in the past three years, loose athlete, athleticism to play in a zone scheme, good at identifying developing threats
Cons: Seven penalties in 2021, hand size, doesn’t have violent finishing power, struggles sustaining blocks, needs to add more mass throughout his body, an offensive line coach will help his hand usage
17. Lecitus Smith, IOL Virginia Tech
Size: 6'3", 314 lbs. with 31 7/8" arms and 9 5/8" hands
Pros: Two sacks and 18 pressures allowed over the past two years, converted tight end, plenty of bend to avoid leaning, quick feet, wide frame to wall off defenders, good initial burst out of his stance
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, five penalties, almost exclusively a left guard in college, turns 24 in July, tiny arms mean he’s almost always second to the initial punch, long-armed defenders can bull rush him, needs to tighten his punches, not always aware of secondary or tertiary threats
18. Justin Shaffer, IOL Georgia
Size: 6'4", 314 lbs. with 33 1/4" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Experience at both guard positions, made for power running schemes, finishes blocks, aggressive hands seek to overwhelm defenders, footwork keeps him between the defender at the quarterback
Cons: Four sacks and 20 pressures allowed in 2021, six penalties committed in 2021, turns 24 in June, arm length and wingspan, limited range, can’t execute pulls or consistently find targets at the second level, pad level rises, struggles to redirect and recover
Tier 6- Fifth Round Selections
19. Dohnovan West, IOL Arizona St.
Size: 6'3", 296 lbs. with 33" arms and 9 1/2" hands
Pros: One sack and seven pressures allowed over the past two years, four penalties in the past three years, starting experience at left guard, right guard, and center, finds targets at the second level and on the move, quick initial step, wins the leverage battle, excellent lateral mobility and GPS in space to find proper angles while maintaining body control, won’t turn 21 until May
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, lacks the playing weight to consistently beat NFL defenders, probably a scheme specific player, stunts and twists surprise him, will not drive larger interior defenders off the ball, not as quick or explosive as you want for a player his size
20. Thayer Munford, IOL Ohio St.
Size: 6'6", 328 lbs. with 35 1/8" arms and 10 1/8" hands
Pros: Arm length and wingspan, Experience at right tackle, left tackle, and left guard, two penalties over the past two years, one sack and 19 pressures allowed over the past two years, strong hands and arms to latch and drive defenders
Cons: Disappointing speed and explosive testing, massive decline from 2020 to 2021 after changing positions, exposed for seven pressures against Michigan (2021), bends at the waist, heavy footwork, lunges too often, struggles to recover against counters or quick defenders, loses the leverage battle, hands get wide and punches are inconsistent
21. Andrew Stueber, IOL Michigan
Size: 6'7", 325 lbs. with 34 1/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Primarily played right tackle but some experience at right guard, one sack and 11 pressures allowed in 2021, drives through defenders, great production in a grind it out conference, punches prove problematic for defenders
Cons: Four penalties in 2021, worst game of the season (2021) came against Georgia, turns 23 in July, missed 2019 with a torn ACL, agility and range are lacking
22. Chris Paul, IOL Tulsa
Size: 6'4", 323 lbs. with 33 5/8" arms and 9 3/8" hands
Pros: Starting experience at right guard (2018), left guard (2019), and right tackle (2020, 2021), some snaps taken at left tackle, 11 sacks and 45 pressures allowed as a four-year starter, high football IQ with his experience, power to maul and finish blocks
Cons: Turns 24 in November, 12 penalties committed over the past three years, lacks agility to protect the edge as a tackle, struggles to recover once beaten, oversets too often to project as a day one NFL starter
23. Cade Mays, IOL Tennessee
Size: 6'5", 311 lbs. with 34 1/8" arms and 10" hands
Pros: Arm length and wingspan, only two penalties in 2021, one sack and five pressures allowed in 2021, starting snaps at both guard and tackle spots plus some snaps at center in 2019, jarring initial punch slows defenders
Cons: Hasn’t played over 500 offensive snaps in a season since 2019, turns 23 on Tuesday (April 26), stiff lower half, losses to developed power and speed rushers
24. Zachary Thomas, IOL San Diego St.
Size: 6'5", 308 lbs. with 33 7/8" arms and 10 1/4" hands
Pros: Arm length is average but he has a massive wingspan, ten-yard split, 40-time, and three-cone were all above the 90th percentile, college snaps at every position but center, switched from starting at right tackle in 2020 to left tackle in 2021, zero penalties in 2020 and three in 2021, five sacks and 32 pressures allowed over the past three years, feet consistently fire throughout the play, pay level stays low
Cons: Fewer than 100 snaps at either guard position, turns 24 in May, doesn’t explode into contact, hand usage and punch lack violence and creativity, struggles against power
Tier 7- Sixth Round Selections
25. Cordell Volson, IOL North Dakota St.
Size: 6'6", 315 lbs. with 33 7/8" arms and 10 1/2" hands
Pros: Over 100 snaps played at left tackle, right guard, and right tackle, as far as I could find he allowed zero sacks and 15 pressures throughout his entire college career, anchor, moves people consistently in the running game, reaches the second level
Cons: Competition level, 18 penalties in the past three years, pad level gets too high, slow and heavy feet
26. Chasen Hines, IOL LSU
Size: 6'3", 327 lbs. with 33 7/8" arms and 9 7/8" hands
Pros: Experience at both guard spots and center, only four penalties over the past two years, creates consistent movement at the point of attack
Cons: Three sacks allowed in 2021 but only nine pressures, consistent injuries, concerns about his weight, struggles to redirect and recover
27. Jason Poe, IOL Mercer
Size: 6'1", 300 lbs. and 10 1/2" hands (Pro Day)
Pros: Arguably the fastest mover in this offensive line class, twitchy bowling ball of an athlete, natural leverage, tremendous get-off, fires into defenders, effortlessly climbs to the second level and erases defenders
Cons: Competition level, 31" arms, incredibly raw technique, two/three-year project if he plays guard, looks like a fullback or sixth lineman in a heavy formation as a rookie, needs to play under control more, turns 24 in July
28. Alec Lindstrom, IOL Boston College
Size: 6'3", 296 lbs. with 32 5/8" arms and 9 1/4" hands
Pros: Three-year starter at center, one sack and seven pressures allowed in 2021, high football IQ makes up for physical shortcomings at times
Cons: Arm length and wingspan, moves backward against power, struggles to displace defenders in the running game, only played center in college, 14 penalties over the past three years
29. Josh Sills, IOL Oklahoma St.
Size: 6'5", 330 lbs. with 34 3/4" arms and 9 7/8" hands (NFLPA Bowl)
Pros: Has taken snaps at all five positions, over 400 snaps at left guard, right guard, and right tackle, arm length
Cons: Six penalties committed in 2021, two sacks and 15 pressures allowed in 2021, turned 24 in January
30. Ben Brown, IOL Ole Miss
Size: 6'5", 312 lbs. with 34 3/8" arms and 10 1/4" hands
Pros: Starting snaps at right guard and center, one sack and 16 pressures allowed in the past two years, three penalties committed in the past two years, arm length
Cons: Turns 24 in May, missed most of 2021 with a torn bicep
Tier 8- Seventh Round/Priority UDFAs
31. Luke Wattenberg, IOL Washington
Size: 6'4", 299 lbs. with 34 1/8" arms and 9 3/8" hands
Pros: Starting experience at left tackle, left guard, and center, only three penalties in the past two years, one sack and 16 sacks allowed in the past two years, arm length
Cons: Turns 25 in September, struggles to anchor against power rushers
Honorable Mentions
Blaise Andries, IOL Minnesota
Ja'Tyre Carter, IOL Southern
Dawson Deaton, IOL Texas Tech
William Dunkle, IOL San Diego St.
James Empey, IOL BYU
Nick Ford, IOL Utah
Brock Hoffman, IOL Virginia Tech
Derek Kerstetter, IOL Texas
Doug Kramer, IOL Illinois
Michael Maietti, IOL Missouri
Marcus McKethan, IOL North Carolina
Tyrese Robinson, IOL Oklahoma