Dane Brugler has released his 2024 NFL Draft Big Board. The Athletic has also published their first 2024 NFL Mock Draft.
Offensive tackle has the potential to be one of the strongest positions in the 2024 draft class, but the interior of the O-line doesn’t have the same star power at the top. There isn’t a Quenton Nelson in this year’s group.
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Read Dane’s previous summer scouting reports here: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive tackle
However, the depth among the senior class — especially at guard — is very encouraging, with several players currently profiling as potential Day 2 or mid-round picks and future NFL starters.
(Note: An asterisk signifies a draft-eligible underclassman. Heights and weights are what NFL teams have on file — a “v” represents a verified measurement; all others are estimates.)
1. Zak Zinter, Michigan (6-foot-5 3/8 [v], 314 pounds [v], 5.30-second 40-yard dash)
What he does best: Alert and physical at the point of attack
Zinter checks a lot of boxes that NFL teams look for in a guard prospect. He moves well on his feet to mirror in small spaces or use his range as a puller. He prioritizes his technique and is clearly intelligent with the way he stays one step ahead and works in concert with his neighbor. And Zinter uses his long arms to deliver pop at contact, both in the run game and pass protection.
Between Olu Fashanu and Zinter, last year’s Penn State–Michigan tape is a good watch for those in search of NFL-worthy line prospects. In this clip, the Wolverines’ right guard uses his sharp punch and recoil to help out his neighbors without sacrificing his gap.
Must improve: Upright frame
For a taller blocker, Zinter is able to anchor and play with functional flexibility. However, his upright posture makes it difficult at times for him to bend, reset or dig out defenders. To improve his blocking batting average at the second level, Zinter also can do a better job controlling his momentum in space.
2023 season/2024 NFL Draft Outlook
According to Pro Football Reference, former NFL running back Zach Zenner is the only player in league history to have a first and last name begin with the letter “Z” — and Zinter will soon become the second. Michigan has found a lot of success recruiting in the New England area, and that includes finding Zinter, a three-star recruit out of Massachusetts who has outplayed most of the players ranked above him. He earned his way into the starting lineup as a true freshman and now enters his senior year with 30 career starts under his belt.
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Michigan has won the Joe Moore Award as college football’s top offensive line the past two years, and it has a strong chance of taking home that honor again this season. Despite the accolades, the Wolverines haven’t produced an offensive line prospect worthy of top-100 consideration over that span. But Zinter is on a different level than Olu Oluwatimi, Ryan Hayes and the blockers that came before him. He projects as a Day 2 prospect and has a chance to be the first interior blocker drafted in April.
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2. Cooper Beebe, Kansas State (6-3 1/4 [v], 331 [v], 5.25)
What he does best: Heavy hands at contact
Despite his lack of length (31 1/2-inch arms), Beebe is able to keep rushers from his body because of the power in his hands. He consistently gets movement on down blocks and peppers defenders as a pass blocker, creating knock back and holding his ground. Beebe’s aggressive mentality matches his physical hands.
In this clip against Texas Tech, Beebe (No. 50, at left guard) uses technically strong aiming points and heavy, insistent hands to halt the three-technique tackle and put him on his back. His competitive nature and controlled, powerful hands were a consistent theme on his 2022 film.
Must improve: Repositioning his feet in pass pro
Beebe is stout at the point of attack, and you won’t find many negative reps in pass protection on his tape. When he does have a misstep, though, it is often due to his overeager hands, which cause his eyes to drop and feet to be late getting into position. Because of his short arms, Beebe will attempt to overcompensate at times, leaving him overextended and off balance.
2023 season/2024 NFL Draft Outlook
In players like Dalton Risner and Cody Whitehair, Kansas State has a recent history of producing second-round guards with the talent to carve out decade-long NFL careers. Beebe is next in line. A three-star defensive tackle out of high school, the Kansas City native is entering his fourth season as a starter for the Wildcats, and he’s logged starts at left tackle, right tackle and left guard. Beebe was a projected Day 2 draft pick last season, but he returned to Manhattan for his fifth season in 2023, partly to play on the same offensive line as his brother Camden, a freshman.
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With his limited length and average athleticism, Beebe won’t be a combine star next February. NFL coaches will appreciate his tape, however, because it shows a fundamentally sound player with the power, grit and attitude required at the next level.
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What he does best: Explosive mover
As an athlete, Jackson is in the top tier of this list. He flies out of his stance and moves with bounce in his feet to match defenders. Jackson is rangy on the move, too, and has no trouble climbing and picking off second-level defenders in space. Even when he oversets or overextends himself, he can redirect and maintain his leverage because of his body flexibility.
Jackson (No. 74) was much more consistent using his athletic traits in the run game on tape last season. He is smooth on short and long pulls and does a nice job swinging his hips into position to seal linebackers.
Must improve: Counter and sustain skills
Though his initial movements and coordination are impressive, Jackson’s foundation starts to show cracks at contact. He could have the quickest feet in the draft, but it won’t mean much unless he becomes more comfortable repositioning his feet once engaged and resetting his hands to answer counters. The development of Jackson’s technical skill in 2023 will be the key to his draft status.
2023 season/2024 NFL Draft Outlook
Ohio State went into Texas and signed the top two recruits in the 2021 class. Quarterback Quinn Ewers (now with Texas) received most of the headlines, but luring Jackson to Columbus was a substantial addition for the Buckeyes. After spending his freshman season as a backup, Jackson started all 13 games at left guard last season, playing next to left tackle and eventual top-10 pick Paris Johnson Jr.
Jackson has the talent to be the first interior lineman drafted next April. He just isn’t there yet. He is an outstanding athlete with a long frame, natural strength and the mentality to be great, but his consistency was lacking on last year’s tape because of breakdowns in technique and vision. However, both areas should be improved in his second season as a starter.
4. Troy Fautanu, Washington (6-3 1/2 [v], 319 [v], 5.25)
What he does best: Wide base and low pads
A two-year starter at left tackle, Fautanu is quick in his setup without sacrificing his knee bend and pad level to square up rushers. He stays wide with his hands in pass protection and has the functional arm length (34 3/4 inches) to attack the chest of defenders mid-slide. Fautanu also uses his low pads in the run game to roll his hips and create movement.
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The UCLA tape from last season is a great example of Fautanu’s strengths as a player, but also of where he needs to improve. There are clearly areas of the left tackle’s game that need tidying up, but his wide base and low pads are a consistent theme and help him fire his hands, reset himself and tie up rushers.
Must improve: Oversetting in space
One of the key reasons Fautanu projects better inside is his tendency to overset in space. He allowed too many inside pressures in the games I studied, because of his focus on protecting the edge versus wide speed and his tardiness to redirect versus inside moves. Moving inside, where the space is more confined, will help him concentrate on his strike timing and hands to maintain leverage/control once engaged.
2023 season/2024 NFL Draft Outlook
A former four-star recruit, Fautanu bided his time before becoming a regular on the Huskies’ offensive line. After redshirting in 2019, he saw backup duty in 2020 and collected a few starts in 2021. It wasn’t until last season (his fourth on campus) that he became a full-time starter, winning the left tackle job and taking home All-Pac 12 honors.
A college left tackle, Fautanu falls in the category of “probably could stay at tackle but projects best inside” for the NFL. His foot quickness, body bend and strike power are the ingredients of a future NFL starter. The Washington offense is loaded with firepower, with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback and Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan at wide receiver. But keep an eye on Fautanu, who should continue to improve in his second year as a starter.
5. Zach Frazier, West Virginia (6-2 5/8 [v], 310 [v], 5.15)
What he does best: Mobility and grip strength
It was unsurprising to discover that Frazier was a four-time state champion wrestler in high school — he lost only two matches in his four-year high school career. He is a technician with his hands, but he also has the foot quickness and grip strength to latch and drive in the run game or cut off angles in pass protection.
Frazier was challenged against Texas’ defensive line, especially when lined up against Keondre Coburn, who was drafted this past April (Round 6, No. 194 by the Kansas City Chiefs). On this play, the Mountaineers’ center shows off his body quickness and hand strength to dispose of Coburn and win the matchup.
Must improve: Anchor
Something that also pops up on the Texas tape is Frazier’s struggle to sit down and anchor against power. Though he has the movement skills, fierce hands and smarts to establish leverage, he can be put in reverse once defenders gain the upper hand. Frazier doesn’t have ideal length and must improve his anchor strength to be the first senior center drafted.
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2023 season/2024 NFL Draft Outlook
The only center to make this list, Frazier made an immediate impact when he arrived at West Virginia, becoming the first true freshman to start on the Mountaineers’ offensive line in 40 years. He started at left guard in his first season before moving to center as a sophomore and junior. He’s taken home All-Big 12 honors each of the past two years.
There were a few other senior centers who put promising play on film, but Frazier was the most consistent of the group. Though he has the athletic movements to reach/pull, his competitive toughness and football IQ were just as evident. Frazier has the foundation of traits to earn starter-level grades from NFL teams.
Preseason top 20 senior interior offensive linemen
(Note: Heights and weights are verified for senior linemen listed below and estimates for underclassmen, unless otherwise noted.)
1. Zinter
2. Beebe
3. Fautanu
4. Frazier
5. Joshua Gray, Oregon State (6-4 3/8, 306)
6. Christian Haynes, UConn (6-2 7/8, 312)
7. Isaiah Adams, Illinois (6-4, 318)
8. Sataoa Laumea, Utah (6-4 1/8, 321)
9. Javion Cohen, Miami (Fla.) (6-4 1/4, 339)
10. LaDarius Henderson, Michigan (6-4 1/4, 310)
11. Dylan McMahon, NC State (6-3 1/8, 295)
12. Christian Mahogany, Boston College (6-3, 331)
13. Charles Turner III, LSU (6-3 1/8, 293)
14. Layden Robinson, Texas A&M (6-3 3/8, 321)
15. Trevor Keegan, Michigan (6-5, 312)
16. Kingsley Eguakun, Florida (6-3 3/8, 298)
17. Dominick Puni, Kansas (6-4 3/8, 317)
18. Xavier Truss, Georgia (6-7, 315)
19. Andrew Raym, Oklahoma (6-3 1/2, 310)
20. Jarrett Kingston, USC (6-4, 308)
Preseason top 10 draft-eligible underclassmen
1. Jackson
2. Tate Ratledge, Georgia (6-6, 323)
3. Miles Frazier, LSU (6-5, 343)
4. Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (6-4 [v], 315 [v])
5. Ajani Cornelius, Oregon (6-4, 310)
6. Marcus Tate, Clemson (6-5, 325)
7. Seth McLaughlin, Alabama (6-3 5/8 [v], 301 [v])
8. Jake Renfro, Wisconsin (6-3, 315)
9. Garrett Dellinger, LSU (6-5, 320)
10. Bryce Foster, Texas A&M (6-4, 325)
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: Getty; Peter G. Aiken,
G Fiume / Getty Images; James Black / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
