Offensive Tackle Outlook For 2024 Ravens
As I write this section of the offensive tackle position, I have tears running down my face (not really but I am sad) because of the reality we as Raven fans have to face about Ronnie Stanley. Unfortunately for Ronnie & the Ravens, it looks as if all of the injuries have caught up with our boy. Athletically, Ronnie still moves pretty well but his ability to anchor has severely been compromised & we see him get bulled back into the pocket more than he ever has. Major props to Ronnie for battling back from a catastrophic injury where moronic fans (maybe even a certain head coach) questioned his toughness or desire to play. This season he’s played through an injury that’s clearly hampering his ability to perform. As valiant of an effort Ronnie has been giving over the last few seasons, it’s becoming clearer and clearer the Ravens need to start planning for life after Ronnie. Looking at the cap implications with Ronnie & how difficult it would be to throw a late 1st round rookie LT into the starting line up if they do draft one, are major factors when thinking about moving on from him. Right now I believe it’s a better bet that he’ll stick around on the roster & the Ravens try to replicate a Tyron Smith/Tyler Smith like scenario the Cowboys have. For those who don’t know, the Cowboys were in a similar situation the Ravens are currently in where their top tier often injured OT, couldn’t be relied on to stay healthy. The Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith to be their insurance at LT if Tyron got hurt again but if Tyron stayed healthy, Tyler would be their LG. It’s been best case scenario for them as they now have one of the top left side of the offensive line in the NFL. This would obviously be the dream scenario for the Ravens.
Flipping over to the right side & theres less of a concern for the Right Tackle position going into 2024 as I see Morgan Moses being the starter. Beyond the 2024 season is where things get murky for RT & even the valuable swing tackle spot as Morgan Moses & Patrick Mekari are entering the last year of their deals. Daniel Faalele could still be in the cards as the future RT but the limited playing time he’s gotten this season has been less than encouraging. It would be quick to write him off completely as we’ve seen players develop in years 3 or 4 ie. Ben Powers, Pat Mekari, Matt Skura (before the injury).
Offensive tackles under contract for 2024
Ronnie Stanley
Morgan Moses
Patrick Mekari
Daniel Faalele
The Prospects
The 2024 OT class is shaping up to be one of the deepest ones we’ve ever seen. The most offensive linemen taken in the first 2 rounds of a draft happened in 1963 & 1966 where 12 were drafted. I believe this class could get to that number or pretty damn close. It felt nasty having to rank these players because they’re all so talented. You’ll see names at the bottom of this list who would typically be ranked somewhere between 4 & 6 in a normal OT class but this year is so rich with talent, you can legitimately see teams draft OT 10 & have a starter on their hands. Without further ado, here’s the preliminary look at the very exciting OT class.
1. Joe Alt, Notre Dame 6’7ft 322lbs (Junior)
- Son of former Chiefs offensive lineman & 1st round pick John Alt
- Team Captain and has over 30 games started dating back to his true freshman season
- Great size & build with more to add to his frame
- Very polished for a player who is still only 20 years old (Turns 21 in February)
- Plays with a sturdy base & anchors well against bigger defenders
- Uses his length well to lock out defenders or make run the full arc
- Is a bulldozer in the run game
- Looks like a stiff when he’s in his stance with his ass tooted up so high but he has surprisingly good athleticism
2. Olu Fashanu, Penn st 6’6ft 317lbs (RSJunior)
- Has 21 starts at LT under his belt before he turned 21 (12/9) & was a team captain
- Really great athletic build with more to add onto an already solid frame
- Lightning quick hands when having to reset them
- Uses his length & timing really well & not letting defenders get comfortable with the timing of his punch
- Smooth footwork with not only his pass sets but gets to his marks in the run game easily & efficiently
- Shows the ability to recover well when beat on a defender’s initial move
- Does struggle against power at times & setting his anchor down against stronger pass rushers
3. JC Latham, Alabama 6’6ft 360lbs (Junior)
- Former 5 star recruit who saw action from his true freshman season & secured the starting RT spot in his sophomore year, finishing his career with 25 starts at 20 years old.
- Massive & powerful player. Went to work on his body in the off season & added 26lbs of muscle while reducing his body fat.
- Isn’t your ordinary big powerful blocker. Also flashes impressive movements skills to pair with his freakish power
- Looks to have the ability to move over to the left side which is where he played at IMG Academy. The reason he didn’t this season according to Nick Saban was to keep offensive line continuity
- Has one of the strongest punches who’ll see from an offensive lineman
- Plays very balanced in his pass sets & gets out of his stance quickly, displaying the footwork of someone who’s 315lbs rather than 360lbs
4. Talise Fuaga, Jr, Oregon st, 6’6ft 334lbs (RSsenior)
- 25 Starts at RT over the last 2 seasons & was named team captain in 2023
- Massive powerful tackle who has a bear like punch
- More nimble than you would expect for someone so big. Mostly played OG in HS & only RT in college but could have some physical tools to be a swing tackle
- Had the knack for elevating his game when it was crunch time to close games out late in the 4th quarter
- If you watch his HS tape he was the type of player who only relied on being big but the progression he’s made at Oregon St, you see a player who had improved tremendously with a better understanding of leverage & angles to pair with his incredible power
- Has to do a better job of staying patient & trusting his length instead of lunging at pass rushers
5. Troy Fautanu, Washington 6’3ft 319lbs (RSsenior)
- Has 28 starts at LT but has a handful of LG starts under his belt in both the 2021 & 2022 seasons
- Has the body type better suited to play guard & his skill set will most likely translate best at LG when projecting to the pros but has legit arm length with 34 3/4 arms according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler
- Made a considerable jump with his LT play from 2022 to 2023 & although he could be a better LG, I do believe he can play LT in a pinch with the way he’s performed in throughout the 2023 season
- Very active & abrupt hands. Prefers to strike 1st & strike often when hand fighting with defenders
- Good athleticism & footwork when having to pull
- His pass sets aren’t always pretty but they get the job done in a blue collar scrapping tooth & nail
- At times can dip his head when he’s engaged with a defender & causing him to lose his balance
- Can have frantic feet sometimes. Would love to see him be more patient with his feet
- Worry about his ability to anchor against bigger pass rushers
6. Amarius Mims, Georgia 6’7ft 340lbs (Junior)
- 5 star recruit who has 8 starts over his career & earned a solid amount of reps as a reserve platooning the RT position for Georgia. Has only played RT in college but did earn a start at LT in 2021 during the Georgia spring game after being the number 3 ranked LT in country
- Limited playing experience. Was a part time player in 2022 then suffered a lower leg injury early in 2023 before ultimately getting hurt again against Alabama.
- Has all of the physical tools in the world. Great size, length & athleticism but the missing reps has limited the amount of growth we’ve been able to see from him. At only 21 he’s still just scratching the surface of what he could be
- Has the frame and natural power taylor made for what today’s OT is supposed to look like
- Moves well and has good feet for someone his size. Has the physical tools to possibly be an LT option
- Feet can sometimes get stuck in the mud when has to redirect while dealing with a secondary pass rush move
7. Graham Barton, Duke 6’5ft 315lbs (Senior)
- Barton has 34 starts at LT & 5 at C throughout his career Duke. Missed 4 games this season and battled through a lower leg injury through the middle of the season before coming back & finishing the last two games of season
- Very technically sound player who plays with patience
- Understands leverage & angles in order to help him execute his blocks
- Plays with very good balance
- Can get his hands outside of the defenders pads & grabbing cloth a bit too much
- Has some experience playing Center early in his career before moving to LT full time
- Doesn’t look like a LT or have the physical traits that pop off of the screen but is a technically sound player who will fight to the bone trying to win every rep
8. Jordan Morgan, Arizona 6’5ft 325lbs (RSsenior)
- Morgan has 37 starts at LT during his time at Arizona & has been a two time team captain for the squad
- Would’ve most likely already been in the NFL if he didn’t tear his ACL in November of 2022
- Great build on a solid frame with length
- Has the quickness and footwork to get out of his stance quickly to protect against speed rushes
- When he stays square, he does a good job setting his butt down & anchoring
- Shows nice strength & leg drive in the run game. Has some mauler in him when getting dirty
- Has a tendency of playing upright which can sometimes get him in trouble when stronger rushers shift his weight with rips & pulls
- Looks like a better linear athlete than one who can redirect quickly
9. Patrick Paul, Houston 6’7ft 315lbs
- Two time team captain with a ton of experience. Has 44 starts over his career
- The younger brother of Commanders OG Chris Paul
- Massive size and length with the ability to use it well, forcing defenders to run the arc
- His punch and hand placement can be all over the place. Sometimes getting well outside the defenders pads, leading to him getting very grabby
- Very powerful run blocking. He doesn’t just rely on his size but he will drive defenders well out of their gaps
- Plays with good flexibility, looseness & movement for someone his size
10. Kingsley Suamataia, BYU 6’6ft 325lbs (RSsophomore)
- Former 5 star recruit & Oregon Duck before transferring to BYU in 2022 where he became a team captain in 2023
- He’s the cousin of Penei and Noah Sewell & High school teammate of Puka Nacua
- Played right tackle exculsivley in 2022 before moving over to Left tackle for the 2023 season
- Plays with a mean streak and to the echo of the whistle
- More of a tackle who depends on strength and likes to impose his will
- Moves well and has nimble feet for a player his size
- Just scratching the surface of what he can be. Thought he could’ve been a candidate to go back to school to improve his stock and get some more seasoning but which ever team selects him could be getting a massive value for where he’s taken
11. Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma 6’6ft 327lbs (RSjunior)
- Former TCU left tackle & H-Back before transferring to Oklahoma in 2022. In 2022 Guyton had 1 start at LT & 4 at RT. In 2023 he locked down the RT spot, starting 9 games.
- Freakish build & athletic ability. You quickly see the natural agility & movement skills he has
- Packs power with his punch & uses his length very well
- Still a bit raw with his pass pro technique, mainly sustaining blocks & keeping his hands inside but you can see a clear jump from his 2022 tape to his 2023 tape
- Can clear things out in a hurry in the run game
- Has the physical tools to be possibly flip to the left side
12. Kiran Amegadjie, Yale 6’5ft 326lbs (Junior)
- Has been a starter throughout his collegiate career with 10 starts at RG in 2021 and 14 starts at LT in 2022 & 2023
- Very physical player in the run game
- Heavy & violent hands to jolt defenders with his 36 3/4 arms
- Wasn’t facing the hardest level of competition while at Yale but the tools are there to mold into a very solid player
- Has good athleticism & power to possibly make a nice transition inside to OG
- Footwork was a bit all over the place coming out of his stance
- Can be a bit grabby, getting his hands on the outside of a defenders shoulder pads
- Suffered a season ending quad injury in the forth game of the season & won’t be able to participate in the Senior Bowl
DeepCoverPod Blog 
Thank you. I would be happy to take 2 Ts, age n injuries lead to inconsistent performance, get ahead of the curve. All these prospects make it a great opportunity to do so.
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