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All eyes on the SEC
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, so I thought it would be a good jumping off point for some summer scouting.
It’s far too early to know for sure what the New York Giants needs will be heading into the 2025 NFL Draft. But that doesn’t mean that it’s too early to start getting familiar with some of the (potential) prospects who will be on the field for this year’s college football season.
We’ve previously looked at some of the quarterback prospects for the 2025 Draft, but what about the other 10 positions on the field?
The Giants could be in the market for a new starting right tackle if Evan Neal doesn’t take a step this year. So let’s take a look at some players who could be the top offensive tackles in the upcoming draft class.
This isn’t in any kind of order, but I’ll start with a trio of Tigers — two from LSU, and one from Clemson.
Campbell is generally considered to be the top tackle in the upcoming draft class, and for good reason.
He has a compact, stocky build and his 6-foot-5, 320-pound (listed) frame seems to straddle the line between “guard” and “tackle”. However, Campbell certainly moves like an offensive tackle. He has quick feet with very efficient footwork that allows him to cover a significant amount of ground with little wasted movement. He has the agility and quickness to match up against speed and is surprisingly nimble for his size. Campbell has enough strength to play downhill in power run schemes, as well as laterally in outside zone schemes. Likewise, he’s a good blocker in space and a very reliable pass protector.
There might be teams that consider Campbell as a potential guard due to some length considerations. He doesn’t appear to have particularly long arms and can struggle a bit to win inside leverage — though he has fantastic grip strength when he does. Campbell also didn’t often appear to be overwhelmingly powerful as a blocker, and often relied on his feet, grip strength, and competitive toughness to lose slowly.
Jones is a big and thickly-built right tackle with obvious power in his upper and lower halves. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 322 pounds and honestly looks bigger than that on tape. Jones plays up to his size as a run blocker and pass protector. He’s capable of creating movement in the run game, driving his opponent off the ball when playing downhill. Likewise, attempting to bullrush Jones and beat him with power is a fool’s errand for most edge defenders. He’s able to weigh anchor and simply absorb most power rushes without giving much — if any — ground.
Jones can struggle some to match speed off the edge. He’s capable of covering ground when he needs to do so, but his feet can be heavy when he has to change direction quickly. Long, athletic, or technically sound rushers can give Jones problems in pass protection. The flip side of that is that it’s very difficult for pass rusher to beat Jones cleanly if he gets a hand on them. He’s a bloody-minded blocker who sticks with his assignment and fights to stay engaged and recover even if he doesn’t win right away.
[LSU offense vs. Alabama Defense]
(note: Since Campbell and Jones Jr. are bookends, this game can cover both)
Despite being a true Junior, Miller is one of the most experienced blockers in the country. The Clemson right tackle got the start as a true freshman and has played almost 2,000 (1,952, per PFF) snaps in his first two seasons.
Miller is a dominant, and Pro Ready, run blocker right now, though he’ll need to work on his pass protection to take the next step. He’s a tall tackle, listed at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, but plays with good pad level to harness his play strength when run blocking. Miller’s able to drop his hips and get under opponents’ pads to drive them off the ball as a run blocker.
The good news on the pass protection front is that Miller has an athletic frame and solid movement skills which allow him to get into space or match athletic pass rushers off the edge. However, he’ll also need to improve his hands as a pass protector. He lets defenders into his chest plate far too often, which allows them to counter his strength and length advantage. More efficient hands could solidify Miller as a first-round prospect.
[Clemson offense vs. Florida State defense]
As the saying goes, the more you can do, the more you can do. And USC’s Jonah Monheim can do a lot. The Giants value versatility in their offensive linemen, and Monheim is one of the more versatile linemen in college football, as well as one of the best.
Monheim is a returning team captain who’s played in 40 games coming into his red-shirt senior season. He’s started at both left and right tackle (12 and 18 games, respectively) as well as right guard (4 games). He listed at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, though he has a versatile frame that could be adapted to tackle, guard, or center.
He’s an elite pass protector who went the entire 2022 season without allowing a hit or sack, per PFF. Monheim moves very well on tape and is a natural knee-bender with quick feet. He gets into position very quickly against pass rushers and is an easy mover in space. Monheim also does a good job of using his hands to frustrate pass rushers, batting away attempted moves before they can leverage him. He’s able to execute man and zone schemes as a run blocker, though he may be a better candidate for zone-heavy blocking schemes at the NFL level.
Monheim’s versatility could wind up being his greatest question mark for NFL teams. Players who can be a “Jack of all trades” without excelling at any one role can lead teams to wonder where they’ll play them. Monheim could be viewed as a guard by some teams, a tackle by others, or even a potential center by teams. Those evaluations, as well as potential scheme fits, could lead to wildly varying draft stock.
USC offense vs. Washington defense
The 2024 NFL Draft was absolutely dominated by transfer portal players, and the advent of NIL deals will (probably) only reinforce the trend. Cornelius should be one of the transfer players to watch closely this year, as he could be among the first linemen drafted.
The Harlem native got his start at Rhode Island before becoming a highly sought-after recruit in the transfer portal. He ultimately chose Oregon and had a fantastic season as the Ducks’ starting right tackle. Cornelius didn’t allow a single sack or hit on his true pass sets and 11 total pressures on 519 pass attempts — a microscopic 2.1 percent per PFF.
Cornelius is listed at 6-foot-5, but appears to have long arms to go with good on-field athleticism. He’s quick, agile, and fast in the open field, wasting no time getting into position against pass rushers or when blocking for screens.
He plays with good pad level and a wide base, allowing him to deal with power rushers and seal off running lanes. However, he doesn’t have overwhelming power himself and could be more of a zone blocker at the NFL level.
Oregon offense vs. Washington defense
As mentioned above, this isn’t in any particular order. However, Banks is generally considered to be hot on the heels of Will Campbell for the top of the OT class.
Banks is going into his junior season after starting every game at left tackle for the Longhorns as a freshman and sophomore. He’s a great pass protector already and is equally effective against speed and power rushers. Banks moves well and plays with great leverage, and rushers often seem to simply bounce off of him. He has smooth feet and plays very under control, which allows him to stay calm when reps turn against him. He does a great job of using his feet to slow rushes and give him a chance to recover and neutralize the rush with a second effort.
How Banks measures could play a big role in his draft stock. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, and teams will be looking closely at his arm length. If he comes in under 34 inches, teams could view him as more of a guard or center convert. Banks has been a great left tackle for two years at Texas, and should be allowed to compete for a starting tackle job at the NFL level. However, some teams are very committed to their measurable thresholds, and that could be a problem for Banks.
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