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2016 NFL Draft year one starters: Offensive tackle

By Will Lomas

Aug 30, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (78) waits between plays during the game agains the Rice Owls at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2014; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley (78) waits between plays during the game agains the Rice Owls at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame won 48-17. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Tennessee Titans now hold the 15th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and that means a few changes. Instead of having their choice at the best player at every position, they have to be more selective in who they choose.

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I believe that there are multiple above average starters at nearly every position in every draft, however that isn’t what I am looking for. What I am looking for here is how many players do I believe could come in and start for the Tennessee Titans tomorrow.

Offensive tackle is tough to come in and start well. You have to be able to deal with more power and speed than ever before while also being able to identify blitzes at the last second. You need to know which man is your assignment in the run game and which player is the biggest threat to a quarterback as a rusher in the passing game.

Combine that with the necessity to be able to get your hands on defenders, deal with veteran disengage moves and navigate the second level of a defense within an instant and you have a pretty tough assignment on your hands.

There are many players that could pick this up after a redshirt year where they take their lumps, but how many are actual starters in year one? Here is my take.

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    • 1. Laremy Tunsil OT, Ole Miss

    Clearly the top guy in this draft he has everything you would want. If not for some aggression concerns and an issue with his leg last year, he would be in the caliber of Joe Thomas.

    2. Ronnie Stanley OT, Notre Dame

    I think Stanley is a top-10 caliber OT in any draft and like Sammy Watkins vs Mike Evans a few years ago, sometimes you just get a guy who is rare that teams can’t pass up. Stanley can be great as a run blocker and has all the tools to be a good blocker in a passing game.

    3. Jack Conklin OT, Michigan State

    Conklin is an ideal right tackle in this league, he is the embodiment of the aggression and physicality that it takes to handle some of those run stuffing defensive ends on outside run plays. He wins with a lot of functional strength and I believe that his footwork is a product of the system he played in and with good coaching he will be able to put it all together.

    4. Taylor Decker OT, Ohio State

    Decker is a talented player who wins a lot of one on one matchups. He is great at backside run plays getting to the second level and walling off linebackers or putting defensive linemen in the dirt. He does have a big question mark from me in how he will do in an offense without the quarterback doing a lot of read option things that make it easier to pass block.

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    5ish. Germain Ifedi OT, TAMU

    My only fringe guy on this list, Ifedi is a strong player who just never had to develop a lot of technique. He has all the tools and has shown that he can be moved anywhere and pick it up quickly. I believe that he could be a starter in year one at offensive tackle, especially if Russ Grimm is a good coach which is something he will have to prove to me.

    And that is it. Shon Coleman is not on this list because I just don’t see how he is anything less than a worse version of Greg Robinson who has been bad at the NFL level.

    Jason Spriggs is big and has potential thanks to his athleticism, but he just comes across so soft on tape. If you don’t like Joey Bosa and you like Jason Spriggs, watch that game that they play against each other and come back and lie to me again.

    I can’t think of any other contenders for this spot. I think everyone agrees on the only other player that could be talked about Le’Raven Clark from Texas Tech. He has long arms and coaches will love that, but he has been as far away from an NFL blocking scheme as you can be and he has gotten exposed often at the college level.

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