Phil Steele: Top 25 Offensive Tackles for 2025 NFL Draft ahead of 2024 college football season

Posted by Admin July 4, 2024 NFL

The quarterback position may be the most important in football, but they are nothing without good protection up front. Especially at the offensive tackle spot where players are tasked with protecting the blindside and blocking today’s new age of elite edge rushers.

College football is loaded with tackles who are elite in pass protection and physical run blockers once they get downfield. This sets those players up to potentially receive a massive payday at the next level if they can maintain their production this upcoming season.

With that in mind, college football prognosticator Phil Steele ranked his top offensive tackle prospects for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft ahead of the college football season. A group of behemoths that could raise their draft stock even higher in a major this season and can be seen listed below.

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At LSU the No. 7 is usually given to a skill player who is the most impactful player on the roster from the state of Louisiana. But ahead of the 2023 season, Will Campbell was given the honor, wearing a No. 7 patch on his uniform that was rightfully earned.

Campbell is a two-year starter for the Tigers who has had a major impact on the team’s offensive success immediately when he joined the team. Earning Freshman All-American, Second-Team All-SEC, and Freshman All-SEC honors in 2022 followed by First-Team All-SEC recognition and a Joe Moore Award Finalist nod last season.

Emery Jones resides on the other side of LSU’s offensive line. This makes the Tiger duo undoubtedly the best offensive tackle tandem in the country on an offensive line that returns four starters heading into the 2024 season.

Like Campbell, Jones also stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 320 pounds with over 20 career starts in his two-year career. Jones received praise from head coach Brian Kelly who said, “He makes good choices, good decisions. He is never late to anything. He is reliable. This is a guy that we can count on. He is so reliable and that goes to his background, his family, and his high school. He is exceptional.”

Savaiinaea is the first non-Tiger on the list coming in at the No. 3 spot on Steele’s rankings. Savaiinaea will look to translate his dominance from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 this upcoming season for the Wildcats.

A two-year starter with 25 career starts under his belt, last season Savaiinaea allowed just two sacks in his 889 snaps, according to PFF. Savaiinaea also excels in the run game with an 81.7 run-blocking grade.

You aren’t going to find many offensive linemen bigger than Aireontae Ersery on this list. Ersery clocks in at 6-foot-6 and weighs 330 pounds as he heads into his sixth season with the Golden Gophers.

Ersery has become a mainstay on the Big Ten All-Conference Team in his career with First-Team, Second-Team, and Honorable Mention honors. Returning to college football as the highest-graded offensive tackle at 84.0, according to PFF, Ersery is set for a big season.

It’s hard to put a price on experience for an offensive lineman, but if you could, Wyatt Milum would not be going on sale any time soon. Milum has started in 32 of his 36 games for West Virginia heading into his senior year including 31 consecutive starts.

Milum was a major impact player on a Mountaineers’ offensive line that was one of the best in the nation, leading the Power Five in rushing yards per game and ranking No. 3 nationally in fewest sacks allowed. With Milum not allowing a single sack or quarterback hurry in his 753 offensive snaps last season, West Virginia fans have to feel confident.

Blake Miller is another offensive lineman on Steele’s list who enters his third season as a two-year starter. Miller is just the second Clemson offensive tackle dating back to 1986 to record multiple seasons with 950-plus snaps from scrimmage following his 27 consecutive starts.

Miller was a 2022 Freshman All-American and in 2023 became the fourth Clemson offensive lineman under Dabo Swinney to earn All-ACC honors as an underclassman. Known for his effort and aggression in the run game and long, patient arms in the passing game, Miller is crucial for the Tigers.

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Josh Simmons could become the next great Ohio State offensive tackle to make the jump to the NFL. With eight former Buckeye offensive tackles currently in the NFL heading into the upcoming season, it would be an elite group to join.

Like many others before him, Simmons boasts impressive athleticism for his size. Simmons shows improvement year after year as he enters the season with 26 consecutive starts between his time with Ohio State and San Diego State.

Nicknamed ‘Escalade’ by his teammates, Anthony Belton’s college career started off at Georgia Military College before making his way to NC State. Belton is now presented with the opportunity to keep driving up mock draft boards and into the NFL.

Tasked with replacing first-round draft pick Ickey Ekwonu at left tackle ahead of the 2022 season, Belton answered the call. Belton started in eight games that season and all 13 last year for the Wolfpack this past year to earn Third-Team All-ACC and tie the team lead with 51 pancake blocks.

Fa’amoe is one of the most fascinating offensive tackle prospects on Steele’s entire list. Fa’amoe appeared in just one game in his first two seasons at Washington State and converted from defensive line to offensive line during his career.

There’s no question that Fa’amoe has converted his physicality from his defensive line days to his run blocking on offense. And with impressive production in just two seasons at the position, there’s plenty of upside for him to continue showing next season and beyond.

Ozzy Trapilo rounds out Steele’s top 10 as he enters his fifth and final season with Boston College after redshirting as a freshman. Making starts at both right and left tackle throughout his career with the Eagles, Trapilo showed his versatility.

Trapilo made 10 starts at left tackle in 2022 before making 12 starts at right tackle this past season. Not allowing a single sack last year and representing the tallest tackle in Steele’s top 10 at 6-foot-8, Trapilo is poised for a big year.