2025 NFL Draft OL takeaways, favorite classes and 10 favorite individual selections

Reviewing the draft results before breaking down my favorite OL classes and 10 favorite individual OL selections

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books I sat down to review the results, contrast those with my board and identify some of my top takeaways and favorite additions.

Overview

Teams have gradually been spending more premium draft capital on the offensive line over the last 20 years. In the 2025 class, 19 offensive linemen were selected in the first three rounds. This is six less than last year’s 25 (highest since at least 2007), but it falls into the trend of teams placing an increasing premium on the position by using day one and two draft capital. From 2007-2011, teams drafted an average of 15.2 OL during the first three rounds. Over the last five draft classes (2021-2025), teams have drafted an average of 20.4. During the nine years between 2011 and 2020, teams drafted an average of 18 OL in the first three rounds.

Part of this steady increase is due to the position being magnified over the last five or so years due to the advent of social media, specialized coaching and general credit for team success pushing big, talented players more to the offensive side of the ball instead of the defensive side at earlier stages of their careers. This trend is helping usher in more talent to the position with an ever-increasing acceptance between the correlation of controlling the trenches and team success.

The results of the 2025 class fit into this narrative and were perfectly encapsulated by Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh before the 2024 season:

Favorite OL Classes

Eagles

Boston College C Drew Kendall - Selected in Round 5 - Late Round 4 Grade

Michigan OT Myles Hinton - Selected in Round 6 - Round 4 Grade

Texas OT Cam Williams - Selected in Round 6 - Round 3 Grade

The Eagles drafted three offensive linemen between rounds five and six. Two of those three (Drew Kendall & Myles Hinton) came from NFL bloodlines with fathers who started a combined 365 games on the offensive line.

Kendall was added for depth at the position behind newly re-signed starter Cam Jurgens. Kendall brings 37 games of starting experience at center predominantly inside a run-heavy, zone-based scheme that is similar to what the Eagles run. He is a sticky run blocker with a firm grasp of leverage, angles and enough play strength to seal off lanes and die slowly in his anchor. This should win him the backup center job outright. Kendall also adds flexibility to the interior in case Jurgens needs to kick back out to right guard if Kenyon Green, Tyler Steen or Trevor Keegan fail to lock down the job.

Williams and Hinton represent two shrewd, high-upside swings at addressing the swing tackle role and adding additional right guard competition. If either hits, they could become the long-term replacement for Lane Johnson after he retires. Both players are massive, easy movers who are inexperienced with underdeveloped, raw skill-sets. They landed in the ideal situation to reach their best possible outcomes as pro players inside Jeff Stoutland’s renowned developmental pipeline.

Lions

Georgia OG Tate Ratledge - Selected in Round 2 - Late Round 2 Grade

LSU OG Miles Frazier - Selected in Round 5 - Round 3 Grade

Detroit added two guards with above average or better play strength, physicality and anchoring ability who will each have the opportunity to win starting roles during camp. With wily veteran Graham Glasgow and second-year hammer. Christian Mahogany already in place, the Lions are preparing for a highly competitive battle for the starting guard spots. The Lions have almost certainly secured quality guard depth entering Week 1 of the 2025 season with at least one long-term starter coming from these two players.

Raiders

William and Mary OT Charles Grant - Selected in Round 3 - Late Round 3

Texas Tech IOL Caleb Rogers - Selected in Round 3 - Round 4

Charles Grant and Caleb Rogers provided solid value relative to my board, but what their presences add to the totality of the offensive line room in Las Vegas is more appealing than the sheer value. The Raiders needed an injection of young, quality depth pieces who could compete for starting jobs. Grant provides that and should push incumbent second-year third-round selection Delmar Glaze for the starting right tackle job while Rogers should outright win the left guard job. The team enters camp with a depth chart that should produce quality depth entering Week 1. There’s a strong chance of at least one rookie starter emerges from this duo.

10 Favorite Individual Picks

Ohio State OT Josh Simmons to the Chiefs in round one (pick 31)

Simmons was on track to be my highest-graded tackle in the class before he went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 6 against Oregon. The Chiefs signed Jaylon Moore in free agency this off-season. Moore can serve as a bridge to Simmons being fully healthy and likely taking over as the starting left tackle.

For more insight into Simmons, you can view my film room with him here.

Purdue OL Marcus Mbow to the Giants in round five (pick 154)