Rankings and analysis for the top offensive linemen in the 2020 NFL Draft
This first group of 2020 NFL Draft offensive line prospects are the players who I think are legitimate first-round picks. This isn’t necessarily a prediction, but these are my favorite linemen that I feel deserve to be taken in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
1. Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Andrew Thomas is incredibly productive in the run game. He is big and powerful with great hands and great lower body drive. He is actually very mobile for his size. He is very aggressive and is effective at getting to the second level.
As a pass blocker, Thomas uses his length and his strong hands very well. He may not be the most technically sound with his footwork and can leave himself susceptible to counters and inside moves (which is why he has fallen down some boards a bit) but he always seems to get the job done. He rarely actually gets beat in pass pro and can clean those inconsistencies up very easily with good coaching at the next level.
One of the few true left tackles in this draft, his value could heighten for teams that need a player on that side of the line. Thomas is a very well-rounded prospect with a high floor and a high ceiling.
The fact that some evaluators think that he has weaknesses in his game just shows more promise to me as he continues to grow at the next level. If he gets even better in the coming years, he could become one of the most dominant tackles in the NFL and in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2. Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama
Jedrick Wills Jr. is a very smart blocker. He has great vision when it comes to stunts and blitzes and is good with using the defender’s momentum against him. He has sound footwork in pass protection with powerful hands and a strong core to keep the defender at bay.
A right tackle at Alabama, protecting the blindside of southpaw quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, there is no question in my mind that Wills can make a smooth transition to the left side if a team so desires.
As a run blocker, Wills is a mauler. He uses those powerful hands and a strong core to drive defenders back and turn them whichever direction he wants them. He moves fairly well and is good at getting to the second level in the run game.
Wills has a very, very high floor as a tackle prospect, regardless of which side of the line he plays on. He is great in pass protection and as a run blocker and has a very good shot at being the first tackle off the board in the 2020 NFL Draft.
3. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
Cesar Ruiz may be the most well-rounded interior offensive line prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has impressive size and even better athleticism.
He is a great mover who is very effective in space. As a puller, on screens and even just slipping up to the second level, Ruiz is very effective, exhibited by his 5.08 40 and sub-8.00 second 3-cone drill times.
He has quick and powerful hands and uses them well as both a run and pass blocker. He may struggle a bit against wider body defensive tackles as he is a bit narrow in the shoulders.
He would definitely benefit from having two big and powerful guards beside him like he did at Michigan. But overall, Ruiz shows the technique, athleticism and enough power to thrive at the next level and will likely be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
4. Lloyd Cushenberry III, LSU
Lloyd Cushenberry III is a very well-rounded prospect as a center in the 2020 NFL Draft. First, he earned the number 18 from LSU, given to selfless players who display sound core values on and off the field, playing “the Tiger way” (although as an offensive lineman he was unable to wear the number and had to settle for a patch). He is about as sound of a player as he is as a leader and a teammate.
He is very powerful in the center of the best offensive line of 2019, dropping a solid anchor in pass protection and being a driving force in the run game. He has very powerful hands, long arms and a strong core to keep defenders at bay. He isn’t the best mover and could get beaten by quicker internal rushers at the next level, but Cushenberry almost always seems to get the job done, most of the time completely on his own.
He is almost impossible to bull rush and uses that power and balance to drive and turn defenders in the run game. Cushenberry is a player that any team would want in their locker room and could even play guard if a team really wants him to. Cushenberry is right there with Cesar Ruiz at the top of the 2020 NFL Draft center board. Where Ruiz may have a bit more upside, it may come down to scheme fit for a team looking for a center, with Ruiz the better mover and Cushenberry the more powerful player.
5. Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Tristan Wirfs is an incredible run blocker. He is an outstanding mover as displayed in his incredible 2020 NFL Draft Scouting Combine performance. He is an outstanding puller and very effective when he can be a lead blocker into the hole. He is a nasty blocker who continues to drive his legs and run his feet until his defender is out of the play or on the ground.
Wirfs played primarily right tackle at Iowa but did start at left tackle when Alaric Jackson was out with an injury. That recent experience would help with the transition should a team want to play him at left tackle at the next level. While he isn’t the most sound pass blocker I’ve ever seen, he has tackle size and length and has some good traits to build on at the next level. He has good footwork, strong hands and a solid base to hold his ground against power rushers and to stay in front of speed rushers.
He certainly could still improve as a pass protecting tackle, and that learning curve would only increase with a move to the left side, but I think he has a future as a tackle in the NFL. While many evaluators see him more as a guard, where he would be able to use his movement abilities even more, I think that is just a fail-safe in the case that he doesn’t pan out at tackle for whatever reason out of the 2020 NFL Draft.
6. Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Mekhi Becton is an absolute athletic monster in the 2020 NFL Draft. He is 6-foot-7 and over 360 lbs and ran a 5.10 40. He put up 23 bench reps with nearly 36-inch arms. As an offensive tackle prospect, he is less impressive.
He has a lot of tendencies that are not desirable and will need time to improve his technique as a blocker at the next level. Becton wins with size, athleticism and force. He has decent footwork in his drop in pass sets but then relies on his size and upper body strength to shield his quarterback and throw defenders out of the way. At his size, he makes it easy for defenders to get into his body and drive him straight back.
He does have strong hands and good length when he does use them, but too often relies on force rather than technique. As a run blocker, Becton has shown flashes of being a dominant force. He oddly resorts to cut blocks very frequently when on the backside of the run but uses his athleticism and power well to open holes. He is good in space and getting to the next level and can move and turn defenders with his strong hands and length.
Becton is definitely a project, but one that will intrigue absolutely every team in the league. His blend of size, speed and athleticism is unheard of, and if they think they can coach him up, teams likely see a potential best tackle in the league. His upside will likely lead to him being a top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but I wouldn’t be so comfortable relying on him heavily early in his career.
7. Josh Jones, Houston
Josh Jones is a very intriguing, well-rounded left tackle prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. He is a great mover who is very effective as a run blocker. He has strong, effective hands and good drive to send defenders backward. He gets to the next level and finishes his blocks to the ground. In pass protection, he is efficient with solid footwork and strong hands.
He’s not overly athletic in his pass sets but gets the job done. He is an effective hand fighter and doesn’t allow defenders to get into his body. When an edge rusher tries to bend their way by him, he’s very good at using their weight and momentum against them, finishing them to the ground. He’s good at getting out in space and taking out a defender.
Overall, Jones’ upside isn’t quite as high as some similar prospects and his floor isn’t as high as others, but he is a starting-caliber left tackle who will excel in a more run-first, quick passing game, still with plenty of room to grow coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft.
8. Lucas Niang, TCU
Lucas Niang is an absolute people mover at right tackle. He is a dynamic force in the run game, with great strength and drive to make an impact when engaged and is a very effective mover when pulling and getting to the second level. He is always looking for a defender to put a hat on and is dominant once he is able to do so.
As a pass blocker, Niang could still use some refinement in his sets but is generally pretty effective. He is smart and is good at recognizing stunts and blitzes and putting himself where he needs to be. He needs to be a bit more sound and consistent with his technique, but he has agile, hand fights well to keep defenders out of his body and has the strength throughout his body to hold his own and keep defenders at bay.
Niang’s senior season was cut short after undergoing hip surgery, so his health is likely the main concern for evaluators. With everything going on, it may be hard to get good word on his physical, so the medical concerns may cause him to fall farther than he should, but there is still some first round buzz around Niang. Niang will probably stay put on the right side of the line, and is the best right tackle in the 2020 NFL Draft outside of the top four prospects.
9. Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
Despite having hip surgery in the Spring of 2019, Tyler Biadasz came back and was given the Rimington Award as the best center in the nation, and I see why. The leader of arguably the most dominant rushing game in college football, Biadasz does just about everything right as the center.
He moves incredibly well in the run game. He is an excellent puller and lead blocker and is great at slipping up and reaching the second level. He is a very smart player, baiting defenders into poorly positioning themselves and then using their own momentum against them to take and keep them out of the play. Once he gets engaged he is a good drive blocker with great upper body strength to throw defenders to the ground.
In pass protection, Biadasz exhibits his high football IQ, recognizing blitzes and stunts and adjusting accordingly. He has strong hands to keep defenders away from the quarterback but does struggle at times against powerful bull rushes and stronger internal defenders in pass protection and occasionally in the run game.
Maybe that is due to his hip surgery that has apparently caused him to fall out of the graces of most evaluators after being a top offensive line prospect beforehand but even given that weakness, Tyler Biadasz could be a very solid starting center (or guard) right away at the next level.
Again, I’m not sure why Biadasz is no longer viewed anywhere close to where he was in recent years, falling as far as the fourth or fifth round in many mocks. Maybe his medical reports are not clear. But he looked pretty healthy to me in 2019, and if that is the player I’m getting, I’d be fine with using an early second-round pick, or even a first as a center-needy team, on Tyler Biadasz in the 2020 NFL Draft.