The NFL Draft will begin on April 25, 2024. We take a look at Olu Fashanu, a consensus top tackle and one of the better prospects to enter the draft in the last few years.
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Olu Fashanu played at an elite level and was rewarded with an all-American accolade in 2023. Some thought he’d enter the draft last year, but an injury during the second half of the season disrupted those plans. He came back for his senior season and was utterly dominant, not allowing a single sack all season while starting every game. Fashanu didn’t allow a sack last season, either, albeit in an injury-truncated eight-game stint. The former four-star recruit has done nothing but improve his stock while in college. He played sparingly as a sophomore before breaking out as a full-time left tackle last year.
Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State University
Name: Olumuyiwa Fashanu
Jersey: No. 74
Position: Left Tackle
School: Penn State
Class: Senior
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 317 lbs.
Strengths
Fashanu combines strength and athleticism with excellent technique at left tackle. He creates leverage with a low stance and low center of gravity. He also packs a heavy punch and has quick feet which he uses to repel pass rushers with aplomb. He is a wipeout tackle on pass sets and a true asset in the run game. Yet, what sets him apart and makes him elite is his ability to re-anchor.
Most tackles in the NFL have a hard time re-anchoring once they’ve been beaten, but Fashanu has a knack and the willpower not to give up on a play. He corrects using outstanding technique and repositions himself square to the defender. This allows for a recovery before the defender can reach the quarterback. This ability to recover makes him highly capable of picking up stunts. His athletic ability and low leverage are a huge asset in terms of the reach block and he’s one of the better tackle prospects I’ve ever seen do this. He is one of the best since Tristan Wirfs, hands down.
For a very large human being, Fashanu has truly phenomenal athleticism; his feet are extremely nimble and he explodes out of his three-point stance. His hands and feet work in unison, which is something that allows Fashanu to exploit his large frame and long arms consistently. He kicks back into a pass-blocking set very well and always stays in front of pass rushers. He uses high-level hand fighting to fend off pass rush moves and continuously shifts his weight and feet, mirroring their every move. This can only be achieved with both athleticism and top-notch technique.
Weaknesses
Fashanu is such an excellent prospect that any problems you have with his game are nitpicking. That being said, even star-level prospects have areas to improve and as a 21-year-old, Fashanu must continue to work at his craft. His biggest weakness is repelling the bullrush, as that has been the one method defensive ends used to exploit Fashanu at times.
His troubles with the bullrush stem from being a bit tentative in getting his hands on a defender and usually allowing them to make the first move. That was not a problem in the Big Ten but will be something he needs to work on in the NFL. Given his talent and technique, I do not expect this to be a problem for him moving forward and I fully expect him to nip this in the bud.
Fashanu was rarely asked to pull and was rarely used in the screen game. Therefore, it is hard to project those two aspects, even though he can seemingly be an asset in either. Finally, his balance and pad level, like any offensive lineman, could use a bit more fine-tuning and consistency. This is far from an issue but remains something he should improve upon. I’d also like to see a bit more violence from him as he isn’t big into finishing his blocks with nastiness.
Pro Comparison: Joe Thomas
Fashanu is a franchise left tackle. He has the large frame, long arms, athletic ability, awareness, and technique to not only succeed but to become a star in the NFL. He will probably be a top-15 tackle as soon as he’s drafted and will only get better. Joe Thomas was nearly identical in size when he was drafted and was also a true technician. He ended up going to 10 Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. That’s exactly the kind of career that Fashanu can have.
Draft Projection: Top 10 Pick
This year’s draft class is stacked at the top. There are several players talented enough to be in the discussion for No. 1 and Fashanu is among them. With so many talented quarterbacks, it is hard to project exactly where Fashanu will go, but I’d be shocked if he falls out of the top 10. Fashanu would have been the first tackle off the board in any of the last few drafts and is one of the better tackle prospects of the last decade. That being said, some may prefer Joe Alt over Fashanu in this year’s draft. That is not a knock on Olu but rather a testament to how good the tackle prospects are this year.
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