Ravens Add Depth at Tackle, Select Minnesota's Daniel Faalele in 4th Round

Baltimore add depth to the o-line.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens added depth at tackle by selecting Minnesota's Daniel Faalele in the fourth round of the NFL draft.

Baltimore has six selections in the fourth round. Faalele was the 110th pick overall. 

“When I took my [Top] 30 visit to the Ravens, I had a really good feeling," Faalele said. "Coach ‘D’ [offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris] is an awesome coach. We had a great meeting. He talked about how he’s coached Orlando Brown [Jr.] and stuff before. He just gave me that confidence. I know I’m in good hands. 

"I had a good feeling there that we would be a good fit, and I’m just happy that everything worked out.”

Faalele, a native of Australia, is more of a developmental player but is capable of earning reps as a rookie.

Faalele and Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman were roommates at Minnesota. 

Big GUY !!!!!!

— Rashod Bateman (@R_bateman2) April 30, 2022

Here's a breakdown of Faalele

• Height: 6-foot-8

• Weight: 384 pounds

• Arms: 35-1/8 inches

• Hands: 11 inches

• Combine Results

• Bench Reps (225 pounds): 24

Honors

• 2022 Senior Bowl invitation

• 2022 NFL Combine Participant

• All-Big Ten First Team (2021, coaches)

• All-Big Ten Third Team (2021, media)

• Associated Press All-Big Ten Second Team (2021)

• Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Finalist (2021)

• Academic All-Big Ten (2021, 2020)

• All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2019, 2018)

• Outstanding Offensive Freshman (2018)

Career

Faalele played at right tackle and started 31 of the 34 career games. Minnesota was 23-11 in games he played in.

Pros

• His size and strength aren't common in the NFL. 

• Hus hands with vines for arms that can keep defenders off his frame. 

• Only has a few years of football experience and is on an upward climb. 

• He has solid mechanics, and he moves with a purpose without wasting steps. 

• He rolls power through his body. 

• Can generate driving power from a standstill. 

• Tremendous wingspan that is hard to get around. 

• He has tremendous power in his hands. 

• Hard to stall once he starts driving forward. 

• Can uses his sheer power to stall pass rush attacks. 

• Bull rushers will struggle to drive him back even if they get leverage on him. 

• He has good quickness laterally. 

• There are no doubts about the power in his punch to jolt defenders at the point of attack. 

Cons

• Faalele could do better at widening the arc against pass rushers. 

• He needs more patience with his hands. 

• He is a massive human that doesn't have great bend, which means he is open to leverage. 

• His climb to the second level is choppy, and he misses landmarks. 

• His reactive athleticism is limited. 

• He isn't the quickest of tackles, and sudden movement to change direction gives him issues. 

• While he has the ability and demeanor to finish blocks, he needs to use it more consistently. 

• His instincts as a blocker are lacking. 

• He opens the inside lane sliding too heavy on the outside.

• The depth in his kick slide needs to be more consistent. 

• He must stay strong on the inside and better balance between the inside and outside lane in his pass sets. 

• Could be limited in his scheme and limited as a right tackle only. 

Overview

Daniel Faalele is a massive human being that is still putting everything together to be an offensive tackle. His game has significant technical issues, and some aspects will be difficult to overcome. He has issues with his pad level and bend, and at his height, those issues can be even more drastic because of his height. 

— Nick Lee of All SeaHawks contributed to this report.