Top Offensive Tackles in NFL Draft: Jedrick Wills

Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, who protected the blind side of Tua Tagovailoa, checks in at No. 4 in our ranking of the top offensive tackles in the NFL Draft.

Alabama’s Jedrick Wills, who protected the blind side of Tua Tagovailoa, checks in at No. 4 in our ranking of the top offensive tackles in the NFL Draft.

Jedrick Wills, who tipped the scales at 312 pounds at the Scouting Combine, once fancied himself a basketball point guard.

“I would put my head down and go to the basket and everybody would just move out the way. It would just open up for me,” Wills said.

His hoop dreams died as a sophomore, when he broke his foot. Fortunately for him, his mom had seen his athletic future years earlier.

“I started playing football when I was 7,” he said. “I was bigger than everybody else, so my mom kind of threw me in there. She was like, ‘You’re playing football, no matter what.’ Played football growing up. Got to high school, still played football, did a little bit of basketball. But once the offers and things came, it was kind of like, ‘It’s kind of real now. Dream’s coming true.’ I just tried to put all my effort into that.”

While he didn’t start immediately at Alabama, Wills earned ample playing time as a true freshman. He wound up starting the final 28 games of his career at right tackle – meaning he protected the blind side of left-handed quarterback Tua Tagovailoa – and earned second-team All-American as a junior in 2019. He also was academic all-district.

He won’t turn 21 until May 17. At the Combine, his 40 was fast (5.05 seconds), his 20-yard shuttle was so-so (4.84 seconds) and his arms measured 34 1/4 inches.

What we like

It’s easy to get caught up in the pass-protection metrics. After all, the NFL is a pass-first league and it makes game-planning a lot more difficult when the coaches can’t count on their tackles to win. Wills won – a lot – in college football’s premier league. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed one sack in his two seasons as a starter. It’s the run game where his dominance really showed up. According to Sports Info Solutions, the backs averaged 3.5 yards before contact on runs behind Wills with a positive run rate of 59 percent. Both of those marks are No. 1 in the class. “You’re going to get a competitor, a good offensive lineman who’s smart. I have a high football IQ. (I’m) a mauler in the run and pass game. I try to put people on the ground as much as I can.”

What we don’t like

While he allowed only one sack, he gave up four hits and nine additional hurries for 14 total pressures. His pressure rate of 3.1 percent was good but not great. He’ll need a bigger toolbox to combat advanced pass rushers. He was a penalty machine, at least in comparison to the other draft-worthy tackles, with two holds and five false starts.

Bill Huber’s Offensive Tackle Profiles

No. 1: Louisville’s Mekhi Becton

No. 2: Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs

No. 3: Georgia’s Andrew Thomas

No. 4: Alabama’s Jedrick Wills

No. 5: Louisville’s Josh Jones

No. 6: USC’s Austin Jackson

Nos. 7-16: Cleveland, Niang, Peart and more

SI.com: O-Line U