NFL Draft: Teams Targeting a Move Up For Offensive Tackle

Even though there is a very deep offensive tackle class, rumors are swirling about teams looking to make a move up to secure one in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Mar 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame offensive lineman Joe Alt (OL02) during the 2024 NFL / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL Draft is a fascinating unscripted drama and it starts much earlier than the beginning of the first round. Rumors and speculation start swirling as early as January and continue throughout the process with some tidbits that are real and others that are smokescreen.

The element of the smokescreen is something that teams will do regularly. They are friendly with reporters who are more than willing to do their bidding. It happens every single year without fail but sometime, ,the reports are real.

This year, the deepest position in the NFL Draft is offensive tackle with upwards of 8-10 players going in the top 40 picks. Despite all of that talent in the class, NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes that based on his phone calls with teams, there is going to be a lot of movement for those players.

To summarize my last 5 phone calls- everyone is moving up for an OT.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) April 24, 2024

Why would teams want to prioritize a move up for an offensive tacke in such a deep class? Well, it's rather simple. These tackles don't all play the same style nor have the same strengths. If you want to run the ball with power, you likely want a mauler like J.C. Latham or Amarius Mims. Zone blocking teams likely want a great mover like Joe Alt or Troy Fautanu.

How the offensive tackles come off the board will be fascinating to watch on Thursday night.