Arguably the second most important position on an NFL roster is offensive tackle, mainly because they’re tasked with protecting the most important position on an NFL roster; quarterback. This year’s offensive tackle class is void of an elite talent, but is full of very good prospects.

However, if you pick and choose the best traits from each, you can build an elite type of prospect that makes Joe Thomas look mediocre. An offensive tackle who thrive in space and in tight quarters, he has enough athleticism to get in the way of the best speed rushers, but also enough power to anchor the power rushers. In essence, we can build the perfect offensive tackle prospect and that is exactly what we are going to do.

Let’s take a look at how you could build the ideal offensive tackle prospect using players from this draft class.

Size: Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

An offensive tackle’s size is extremely important to their abilities to get the job on. First, the taller they are, the more leverage they can generate if they have the knee bend and hip flexibility to drop their pad level. Second, their weight helps them anchor against and power and finally, the longer their arms are, the quicker they can engage with defenders.

When you draw up an offensive tackle, he probably doesn’t look much different than Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi. Measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds with 35.875-inch arms, Ogbuehi has prototypical size for the position. If nothing else, the defenders have to take a long route to get around a person of Ogbuehi’s size. Furthermore, Ogbuehi’s size is in the perfect middle ground of not being too light to deal with power and not too big to limit his athleticism.

Athleticism: Jake Fisher, Oregon

While someone doesn’t need to be super athletic to play offensive line in the NFL, there is a requisite amount of athleticism required to be effective, especially at offensive tackle. Oregon’s Jake Fisher has that requisite athleticism, plus much more.

Fisher has the lateral agility to be effective in zone-blocking schemes, but also the quickness to quickly get to the second level and out on a screen. Fisher’s athleticism gives offensive coordinators a ton of flexibility because they can utilize any type of runs or screens without worrying.

Functional Strength: La’el Collins, LSU

Quite possibly the most important physical trait an offensive tackle needs to have is functional strength. Without functional strength an offensive tackle will be taken advantage of against every competent pass-rusher in the NFL. This is a huge reason why Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel have had a hard time adjusting to the NFL.

While he may have some trouble transitioning to the NFL, it won’t be because of a lack of functional strength for LSU’s La’el Collins. Unlike any others in this class, Collins creates movement in the running game because of his fantastic core strength. Collins does a great job of rolling his hips through contact and driving his leg to create push. Collins may have some warts to his game, but his functional strength isn’t one of them.

Footwork: Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

Another extremely important aspect of playing offensive tackle is footwork in pass protection and in the running game. A player’s footwork can cover up a lack of functional strength to an extent. This is especially true for Texas A&M’s Cedric Ogbuehi.

Ogbuehi lacks functional strength, has a very poor punch and hand usage; however, the reason he has been able to thrive thus far is his excellent footwork. Ogbuehi is not someone who gets a push in the running game, but he does a great job of shielding and turning defenders using his feet and movement skills. In pass protection, Ogbuehi easily mirrors and cuts off pass-rushers. Ogbuehi’s feet put him in position to make every block, even though his hands often fail to complete the job.

Use of Hands/Punch: T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh

The final trait we are looking for in building the perfect offensive tackle prospect is his punch and use of hands. This trait was what helped separate Larry Allen from the rest of the NFL. His devastating punch allowed him to stun defenders and take them completely out of the play.

While he may not be on Allen’s level, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings has a stunning punch as well. Clemmings uses his great length and power to punch defenders in the breastplate and initial contact first. Furthermore, once he gets his hands locked on the defenders chest, it is game over as his grip strength makes it incredibly difficult for the defender to disengage. When you have the hands and punch of a player like Clemmings, it compensates for any deficiencies with you footwork.