2025 Draft: Wait and see on IOL
Moderate talent level with some upside
It seems to be a running theme this year with several positions, but it’s going to be very difficult for this interior group to match what 2024 produced during this past draft. That speaks volumes about how loaded the class of 2024 was, and it’s clear next year’s class has an uphill battle ahead.
The 2024 class featured athletic freaks such as Jackson Powers-Johnson (Raiders), Troy Fautanu (Steelers), and Graham Barton (Buccaneers), who not only were technicians but provided exceptional versatility to play multiple positions on the offensive line. I don’t see that type of versatility within this next group of interior players, which is a big differentiator between the two classes; this group has a lot of size and power to control and dominate in the trenches.
The offensive line will always be a coveted position group in the NFL as teams look to bolster and improve it every year.
Kelvin Banks Jr (Texas), Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Tyler Booker (Alabama), and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) headline the 2025 Class group. One thing that I can say is that these guys are massive and physical between the tackles.
Let’s go ahead and take a look at each of them!
Kelvin Banks Jr- T/G, Texas, 6036, 324, Jr, 5.12 Forty (est). (13th Ranked Player & 1st Ranked OG on Hall Of Football).
Overview:
Kelvin Banks Jr is a 3rd-year junior at Texas. He made an impact since stepping on the field as a freshman, starting all 27 games in his college career, and is recognized as one of the best offensive linemen in the country based on his production over the last 2 seasons.
Banks is from Humble, Texas, where he went to Summer Creek High School. Coming out of Summer Creek, Banks was ranked No. 6 nationally, No. 1 overall in Texas by On3, and was All-America and a 4-time All-District honoree. He was part of an offensive line that rushed for 250 yards in 10 games, including over 400 yards in 4 games, rushing for at least 3 TD’s in 10 games and at least 6 TD’s in 6 games in 2021. He was also named Offensive Player of The Year in 2021. Awards he has won while at Texas include:
2022 Offensive Linemen of the Year Honorable Mention (Coaches)
2022 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of The Year Honorable Mention (Coaches)
2022 2nd Team All-Big 12 Selection (Big 12, Coaches, Associated Press)
2022 FWAA Freshman All-American
2023 All-Big 12 Offensive Linemen of The Year Honorable Mention
2023 First Team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele)
2023 First Team All-Big 12 (Coaches)
2023 Second Team All-American (AFCA)
Strengths:
He has great height for his position with a good overall wingspan to use effectively in pass pro and as a run blocker. In pass pro, he plays with a solid initial punch at POA, has sound leverage with proper footwork to maintain balance, and has the excellent physical strength to overpower opponents, anchor down, and stop rushers in their tracks vs. power moves. In pass pro, he displays satisfactory awareness of picking up stunts/twists from the front four. In the run game, he is a mauler. With his wingspan and power, he can move defenders off their spots and gap responsibility. As a run blocker, he uses sound hand technique and footwork in the trenches and maintains blocks on the interior when he is able to square up defenders. He works well on the interior-on combo and down blocks, where he can crash and seal opponents without opening his hips and getting lateral. At the second level, he is solid at locating and sealing off slower LBs and can manhandle smaller LBs and DBs when he is in position. Overall, he can hold and sustain blocks well as a run blocker, and he has good finish ability.
Weakness:
Unfortunately, Banks is cursed with stone feet to mirror and get enough depth against speed rushers on edge. His slow footwork forces him to play with his upper half and lean into blocks to sustain them, which makes him vulnerable compared to defenders, with great hand technique and multiple pass rush moves. Overall, he can climb to the second level and pull down the line as a blocker. Very stiff lower body and limited lateral quickness. At the second level, he always struggles to square up faster LBs and DBs, and they are often able to work around him.
Summary:
Kelvin Banks Jr is an intriguing player to project to the next level. He has taken all of his collegiate snaps at tackles, but there are many who view him as a guard in the pros. If I had to pick, I would say he best translates as a guard with his muddy feet and limited athletic ability, but his versatility could lean in his favor as teams complete their evaluations of him.
Tate Ratledge- G, Georgia, 6061, 310, rSr, 4.93 Forty (est). (37th Ranked Player & 2nd Ranked OG on Hall Of Football).
Overview:
Tate Ratledge is a 5th year senior at the University of Georgia. He struggled to see the field early due to the amount of depth at the position, But he stepped up and played a big part on that offensive line, starting 27 of 29 games over the last 2 seasons.
He attended Darlington High School in Rome, Georgia, where he was rated a 5-star prospect by rivals.com, ranked 37th nationally, and ranked as the 5th prospect in Georgia by 247Sports. Not only did he play offensive tackle in high school, but he was previously a defensive end and punter. Helped his team get to a 9-2 record and was the top seed of the Region 6 Class A-Private Playoffs in his senior season. He was also a unanimous All-State first-team selection and was named to the inaugural 2019 sports illustrated All-American first-team offense. In 2023 at Georgia, he earned second-team All-American (AP) and first-team All-SEC honors (AP, Coaches).
Summary:
At 6-6, Tate Ratledge has the elite height for an interior offensive lineman and exceptional athleticism to move fluidly in space for a man his size. When he is a pass pro, Tate plays with great hand technique to control his opponent, has the tremendous foot speed to get out of stance and get depth in kick slide and mirrors, and sticks with opponents vs. speed moves. He also has quality play strength to defend against power moves and sound technique when he has to anchor. He is very heads-up when picking up and stopping stunts and twists in pass pro. As a run blocker, his hand technique and footwork are polished as well, his upper and lower body work in sync, and he plays with great leverage to seal lanes. With his athleticism, he is able to pop out of his stance and get to the second level to locate LBs and spring running plays. He also has great lateral agility to open up and execute reach and scoop blocks on Zone concepts, get out on screen plays, and work as a lead blocker. As a run blocker, he is fantastic at sustaining blocks, controlling his opponents, and virtually taking them out of the play.
Weaknesses:
When quicker interior defenders can cross his face, he tends to get wide with his hands and is forced to grasp. He is not the most aggressive and physically imposing player, but despite his size, he lacks the chip on his shoulder to want to dominate opponents and finish them through the whistle.
Summary:
Tate Ratledge is a very complete player, he may not break the metrics with his test numbers or draw attention with his physical play but he is very technically sound to produce at a high level in both phases. I seem to be higher on Ratledge than others, but I believe he has a high enough ceiling to provide an instant impact in the pros and should be a 1st round pick next year.
Tyler Booker- OG, Alabama, 6045, 352, Jr, 5.25 Forty (est). (39th Ranked Player & 3rd Ranked OG on Hall Of Football).
Overview:
Tyler Booker is a 3rd-year junior at Alabama, playing in all 24 career games while rotating between guard spots to help the team wherever he is needed. His ability to find significant playing time early on, along with the amount of talent on Alabama's offensive line, speaks volumes about the caliber of the player he is.
He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and played his high school ball at IMG Academy. Coming out of high school, he was a 5-star recruit and ranked 10th in the country by espn.com. He played under former pro LB Thomas “Pepper” Johnson at IMG and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game his senior year. He ended up choosing Bama over Florida, Georgia, and Ohio State. Awards he has won during his time at Alabama include:
2022 Freshman All-American (PFF)
2022 Freshman All-SEC (Coaches)
2023 Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
2023 First Team All-SEC (AP)
Strengths:
Standing 6 foot 4 inches, Tyler Booker has tremendous height for an interior lineman, along with plus length/wingspan. As a pass protector, he shows quality hand technique/placement to establish early control, excellent physical strength at POA to stand opponents up, and very good anchor technique vs power moves. Versus stunts and twists from the defensive line, he displays good awareness to maintain his gap responsibility. He is a street sweeper in the run game, he relocates defenders effortlessly with his raw power, but has sound technique as well that gives him leverage advantage. Although a bit slow getting out of stance and to the second level, he is able to do it well enough to get to opposing LB’s before the ball carrier gets there. When climbing to the 2nd level in Zone or pulling across the line in Gap, he locates defenders well, takes out, and finishes smaller lbs and DBs on the perimeter.
Weaknesses:
Overall, he has adequate foot speed to cover ground in pass pro. Quicker defenders can cross his face and work under his initial punch, and defenders with speed/power combo can get him off balance and work through him. He does show good awareness vs stunts, but struggles to re-establish his feet and maintain balance when the defender beats him to the spot. Because of his slower feet, he struggles to execute scoop and reach blocks as a run blocker, and opponents with quick upfield bursts can shoot gaps on him. Has adequate hand strength to sustain blocks for an extensive time when run blocker versus defender with active hands and good stack-shed ability.
Summary:
Tyler Booker has exceptional size, which scouts and teams love. With his raw power, he can be a valuable contributor to a team's running game. His foot speed and struggles to sustain blocks consistently are worrisome to his potential as a player, but at the very least, he has the ability to serve as a quality backup and stick around for a while at the next level.
Donovan Jackson- OG, Ohio State, 6036, 320, Sr, 5.02 Forty (est). (76th Ranked Player & 4th Ranked OG on Hall Of Football).
Overview:
Donovan Jackson is a 4th year senior at Ohio State. Jackson is considered one of the top linemen in the country, started all 39 games for the Buckeyes the past 3 seasons, and has started 26 consecutive games at left guard for the team.
He grew up in Cypress, Texas, and attended Episcopal High School as a kid. Coming out of high school, he was a 5-star recruit and was the highest-rated lineman in Ohio State’s recruiting class in 2021. He was also ranked the number one player in the state of Texas and 17th in the country. In 2019, he earned offensive line MVP honors, was awarded an SI All-American, and was named to the All-USA high school preseason team in 2020. While at Ohio State, he has earned various awards such as:
OSU Scholar Athlete in 2021
2022 First Team All-Big 10 (Media)
2022 Big-10 Conference Distinguished Scholar
2022 OSU Scholar Athlete
2022 Academic All-Big 10
2023 Dan S. Petty/Cotton Bowl Scholar-Athlete Award
2023 Academic All-Big 10
2023 OSU Scholar Athlete
2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
2023 First Team All-Big 10 (Coaches & Media)
Strengths:
Donovan Jackson is a large human being at 6-3, 320 plus pounds and has a massive wingspan for his position. Jackson excels in pass pro with a powerful initial punch and overall fantastic hand technique, plays with great balance and footwork to defend against both speed and power moves, and has the raw physical strength to stall opponents and anchor against the bull rush. In the run game he is a productive contributor as well, he plays with great balance and footwork and excellent hand technique/placement as well in the trenches. Not only is he able to perform base/down/combo blocks, but he is athletic enough to carry out reach-and-scoop blocks in the run game. Overall, he is a good athlete and is fluid when climbing to the 2nd level or pulling down the line. He is very good at sealing lbs and DBs in space. He doesn’t just seal off smaller players well, but he plays with an edge and will look to flatten them if he gets his hands on them. As a run blocker, he sustains blocks very well with quality grip strength to maintain control of his opponent.
Weaknesses:
His lower half is a bit tight and his feet can become stagnant in paas pro, he can then get off balance and fall to the ground when defenders disengage from him. He has shown inconsistency when attempting to pick up stunts from defenders, which has resulted in free rushes at times. Also can struggle taking proper angles to attack LB’s at second level, more agile defenders have show the ability to work around his frame to affect the ball carriers path.
Summary: Donovan Jackson is a very polished football player, both as a pass protector and a run blocker. He is also a huge human being who can dominate at the POA with his size and power. I think his all-around game will impress teams during next year’s draft process, and I believe he presents a high ceiling to start early on in his pro career.
Next year’s projected class seems to lack the elite interior linemen that will result in several going early in the 1st and 2nd rounds. However, this group seems to have some meat and potatoes in the 2nd/3rd tier that show either a solid ceiling or a sizeable upside that will excite teams. I think, as of now, it’s likely Kelvin Banks Jr (Texas) will be the only interior lineman drafted in the 1st round next year, but guys like Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Tyler Booker (Alabama), and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State) are those guys that I believe teams will value in the middle rounds and we could see start early in their professional careers and see legitimate success and longevity at the next level.