From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Penn State OT Olu Fashanu.
#74 OLUMUYIWA FASHANU/OT PENN STATE – 6060, 312 LBS. (R-JUNIOR)
Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Olumuyiwa Fashanu | 6060/312 | 8 1/2 | 34 | 82 5/8 |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 5.11 | 1.77 | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’1″ | 32 | N/A |
THE GOOD
– Ideal size for an NFL tackle
– Natural bend in his knees, strong base
– Good punch timing and placement, keeps hands inside
– Great latch stretch
– Solid anchor when he is able to latch on to defenders
– Solid get off on the snap, initial kick step covers a lot of ground
– Solid athletic ability with good short-area quickness
– Flexible athlete in his hips and core, helps absorb blows
– Good mental processing, recognizes stunts and reacts quickly
THE BAD
– Just adequate change of direction, susceptible to quick inside counters
– Center of gravity gets too far out ahead of him when moving forward which leaves him vulnerable to push-pull and other moves
– Doesn’t always fit into his blocks well in space or at the second level
– Feet get narrow when moving forward
– Not a finisher, doesn’t play through the whistle or have innate nastiness as a blocker
– Anchor falls apart when he doesn’t land his punches and gives up his chest
– Run blocking is a good deal behind his skills as a pass blocker
BIO
– Originally a four-star prospect out of Gonzaga College HS in Waldorf, Maryland
– 21 years old, will be 22 in December
– Started 21 games and appeared in 29 in four seasons at Penn State
– Missed the final five games of his 2022 season with an undisclosed injury suffered against Ohio State
– Received All-American recognition in 2022 and 2023, including an first-team AP selection in 2023
– Named Rimington-Pace Big Ten OL of the Year in 2023
– Academic All-Big Ten honoree in his final three seasons
– Allowed zero sacks in college
– Opted out of 2023 bowl game to prepare for the draft
– Team captain in 2023
TAPE BREAKDOWN
The strongest part of Fashanu’s game is as a pass blocker. He allowed zero sacks in his college career and he played against some great competition in the Big Ten East. He uses all of his tools well. His size, length, and athleticism give him what he needs for just about any occasion. He has really good flexibility in his core to help absorb contact and so long as he gets his hands latched onto a defender he has a solid anchor. This clip shows several different plays of him in his pass sets. The first one also shows off his mental processing as his guy dropped into coverage and he quickly picked up the next threat.
If a pass rusher is aligned as a wide-9, he has a good sense of when to open his hips and run to cut off the speed rush. He does well at the top of the arc and on the second-to-last play of this clip he showed a nice recovery when his punch got chopped away. His footwork while moving backwards in his pass sets is impressive.
His run blocking is not as refined, but he looks a little better when reach blocking than he does in big-on-big, gap blocking situations. He doesn’t finish his blocks or have that nastiness that some linemen possess and tends to angle his game towards sealing off defenders instead. His footwork when moving forward isn’t as technically sound and he has issues with getting too narrow and playing too tall while moving forward. Some of that results in center of gravity issues and makes him easy to shed at times.
The last two clips showed a lot of the good, this one highlights some of the bad. Those center of gravity issues get exploited by defensive linemen and he will lose his feet or leave himself open to a push-pull move. He also has some change-of-direction issues, so quick inside counters or well-executed spin moves can put him in a tough spot. His overall athletic ability is good, so he can recover sometimes, but he has a tendency to grab while trying to recover which can lead to penalty flags. His anchor falls apart when defenders get into his chest with a bull rush or converting speed to power.
Fashanu’s athleticism allows him to move well in space and pull. He doesn’t always finish on these plays or fit into his blocks well. He doesn’t engage with his hands as well out in space and that can lead to issues sustaining the block. Overall, he has the tools to develop into a weapon out in open space.
CONCLUSION
Overall, Fashanu has the tools to be a top tackle in the NFL. He didn’t start that many games overall and had a season-ending injury in 2022, but allowing zero sacks in 21 starts is very impressive, especially against the level of competition he was against. He will go in the first half of day one of the draft and with a good showing at the combine will solidify himself as a top-10 draft pick. He has a similar profile overall as one of last year’s top tackles, Paris Johnson Jr.
Projection: Early Day One
Depot Draft Grade: 9.0 – Year One Quality Starter (1st Round)
Games Watched: at Illinois (2023), at Ohio State (2023), vs Ohio State (2022)
