To get you guys ready for the 2020 NFL Draft, I’ve been hard at work at putting together a draft guide that will serve as a one-stop shop as to how hundreds of college prospects fit with the Chargers and how I think they will project at the next level all together.
I’m putting the final details to the guide and am aiming to release it in the next few days. But while I do that, I wanted to give you all a sneak peak as to what’s inside.
With that, here are my rankings and reports for the top-20 offensive tackles in the upcoming draft:
| Ranking | Player | College | Round |
| OT1 | Jedrick Wills | Alabama | 1 |
| OT2 | Tristan Wirfs | Iowa | 1 |
| OT3 | Mekhi Becton | Louisville | 1 |
| OT4 | Andrew Thomas | Georgia | 1 |
| OT5 | Josh Jones | Houston | 1-2 |
| OT6 | Ezra Cleveland | Boise State | 1-2 |
| OT7 | Austin Jackson | USC | 1-2 |
| OT8 | Ben Bartch | St. John’s | 2 |
| OT9 | Lucas Niang | TCU | 2 |
| OT10 | Isaiah Wilson | Georgia | 2-3 |
| OT11 | Matt Peart | UConn | 3 |
| OT12 | Prince Tega Wanogho | Auburn | 3 |
| OT13 | Saahdiq Charles | LSU | 3-4 |
| OT14 | Hakeem Adeniji | Kansas | 4 |
| OT15 | Jack Driscoll | Auburn | 4-5 |
| OT16 | Tyre Phillips | Mississippi State | 5-6 |
| OT17 | Charlie Heck | North Carolina | 6 |
| OT18 | Alex Taylor | South Carolina State | 6 |
| OT19 | Trey Adams | Washington | 6-7 |
| OT20 | Yasir Durant | Missouri | 7 |
1. Jedrick Wills Jr. | Alabama | #74 | Junior | Lexington, KY | 6042 | 312
40-Yard Dash: 5.05 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 34.5 inches
Broad Jump: 113 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.84 seconds
Career: Strictly played right tackle for the Tide. Started 29 games for Alabama in three years with the program.
Red Flags: N/A
Strengths: Uses a quick kick step to get into his sets. Displays sound footwork to mirror outside speed rushers. Slides laterally and moves feet in all directions with ease. Bends the knees and sinks hips. Maintains leverage and positioning throughout the play. Patient, coordinated movements. Shoots hands with tenacity, controlling opponents’ movements. Sets up run blocks with a quick first step out of his stance. Keeps pads low and can deliver some movement on first contact. Can pick up blocks on the move and stun with a striking punch. High football IQ and aware blocker. Recognizes stunts and blitzers. Nasty competitor.
Weaknesses: Base can get too wide in pass protection. Hands can wonder, leaving his chest open at times. Tries to go for the home run punch at times. Susceptible to inside moves.
Final Word: Wills is a good athlete who is light on his feet with impressive play strength and a competitive demeanor in the running game to overwhelm his opponents, but will need to continue to refine his hands in pass protection, projecting as a starting right tackle with All-Pro upside.
Fit Likelihood: Medium
2. Tristan Wirfs | Iowa | #74 | Junior | Mount Vernon, IA | 6047 | 320
40-Yard Dash: 4.85 seconds
Bench Press: 24 reps
Vertical Jump: 36.5 inches
Broad Jump: 121 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.65 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.68 seconds
Career: First true freshman starter in Kirk Ferentz era. Started 33 games (28 at right tackle, 5 at left tackle).
Red Flags: Arrested for DWI in 2018 and suspended for a season opener. Cited for being underage at a bar in 2019.
Strengths: NFL caliber build and very impressive movement skills. Shows a high football IQ at tackle. Powerful finisher and shows impressive toughness on the edge against power moves and in the run game. Light on his feet—a dancing bear—and is able to slide laterally or get depth with his kick-step. Balance and length are pluses to his game, and he can get low and play with leverage in the run game as needed. Heavy hands and punches with great placement at the chest. Athleticism and nasty streak at the second level.
Weaknesses: Doesn’t always bend naturally at the knees, and he tries to use his length to reach and often overextends at his base, leading to a lunge against speed rushers. Can use his head and shoulders to absorb contact.
Final Word: Even though his lack of length has some projecting him to kick inside, Wirfs is a freakish athlete who possesses solid movement skills, lower-body strength to move bodies in the run game, refined hands and very good competitive toughness projecting as a long-term starting tackle or guard.
Fit Likelihood: High
3. Mekhi Becton | Louisville | #73 | Junior | Highland Springs, VA | 6073 | 364
40-Yard Dash: 5.10 seconds
Bench Press: 23 reps
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Career: Started as a true freshman for the Cardinals. Started over 30 games during his college career.
Red Flags: N/A
Strengths: A long, massive, unbelievably huge person. Wins with power and athleticism. Can beat defenders up with his size and will get low to push through defenders and bulldoze them out of the play. Exceptionally nimble feet to get depth when moving laterally. He uses his size well and can win with length on the corner. Mauler in the run game, will eat up defenders when climbing to the second level.
Weaknesses: Needs to monitor weight over professional career. Weight control over the course of his career. Does carry it and move well, but you want that number to continue to creep lower, not higher for the sake of conditioning purposes. Can lean into contact, forcing him to lose balance. Doesn’t consistently use proper hand techniques.
Final Word: Becton is a large blocker who is an excellent pass protector and run-blocker, possessing a rare combination of power and athleticism, but he will need to refine his hand technique in pass protection and clean up some overaggressive tendencies, projecting as a solid starter at left or right tackle.
Fit Likelihood: High
4. Andrew Thomas | Georgia | #71 | Junior | Lithonia, GA | 6051 | 315
40-Yard Dash: 5.22 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 30.5 inches
Broad Jump: 109 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.58 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.66 seconds
Career: Started 41 career games while garnering all-American honors in 2018 and 2019. Stepped in as a true freshman at right tackle for the Bulldogs.
Red Flags: Dealt with a minor ankle injury in 2018 but hasn’t missed time on the field.
Strengths: Solid size and athleticism. Good initial quickness. Can get to and block effectively at the second level. Flashes violence in his initial hand punch to control defenders. Good recoil and settle in pass protection. Can absorb the bull rush and anchor effectively. Flashes foot quickness and balance on the perimeter and in space.
Weaknesses: Oversets in pass block, inconsistent knee bend. Hands can get too wide. Flashes nastiness, but needs to play with more consistency. Overextends at times, often losing balance.
Final Word: Thomas is a high-end athlete who possesses adequate footwork, heavy hands, intelligence and toughness to make an impact as a pass protector and run-blocker, but he needs to clean up the balance and mechanical issues, projecting as a starting tackle in a zone scheme.
Fit Likelihood: High
5. Josh Jones | Houston | #74 | RS Senior | Richmond, TX | 6050 | 319
40-Yard Dash: 5.27 seconds
Bench Press: 24 reps
Vertical Jump: 28.5 inches
Broad Jump: 109 inches
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Career: Started 45 games during his career. Stepped into the starting job as a redshirt freshman.
Red Flags: Dealt with minor injuries in 2017 and 2019 but never missed significant time.
Strengths: Gifted athlete. Effortless lateral quickness with light feet. Rarely allowed a rusher to wrap his outside shoulder, shutting down the corner on tape. Flexible hips to react to inside moves. Uses his length to meet rushers mid – shuffle. Aggressive run blocker, latching and running his feet. Mean streak and plays with an attitude. Doesn’t give up much ground. Athletic and does an adequate job getting into the second level.
Weaknesses: Clunky technique and often finds himself out of position. Needs to get stronger at the point of attack. Flat steps in his kick slide. Caught leaning and doesn’t have a firm grasp on timing. Needs to tighten up his punch and handwork, leaving his chest open for rushers and sustaining in the run game.
Final Word: Jones is a quick-footed blocker who possesses reactive athleticism, good body control, flexibility and the range and mobility to block in the open space, but there are concerns with his anchor and sustaining in the run game, projecting as a starting left tackle in a zone scheme.
Fit Likelihood: High