2021 NFL Draft rankings: Penei Sewell leads strong offensive tackle group

13. Alaric Jackson, Iowa
6-foot-6, 318 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fourth round

Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson is another player I am higher on than most people. All Jackson has done during his career is start 42 straight games at left tackle for the Hawkeyes, and be named to the All-Big Ten team three times. He was so impressive, that Iowa even kept Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round pick Tristan Wirfs at right tackle. Despite all of this a lot of draft pundits have Jackson rated as a sixth or seventh-round pick.

One thing Jackson has working in his favor is his athletic ability. He shows the feet to play left tackle in the NFL and has no problem blocking at the second level. He is an impressive pass blocker for the most part as well. However, in order to earn a starting role in the NFL, he is going to have to add some strength as he can be pushed around at times.

14. Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
6-foot-6 310 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fourth round

A prospect people are a lot higher than I am is Oklahoma State Teven Jenkins. While some have him projected as a top-20 pick, I would not even consider him until the fourth round. This is due to the fact he is a below-average athlete, who has poor balance. This causes him to spend a ton of time on the ground and makes it very hard for him to block in space. He also doesn’t have the quick feet to play either right or left tackle.

On the positive side, he does show good overall strength, which is where he was able to win as a blocker. He shows impressive grip strength as defenders were rarely able to break free once he got his hands on them. I could see Jenkins possibly earning a starting spot as a guard in the NFL, which is worth a fourth-round pick not a first-round pick.