Daniel

Faalele

The first of the Ravens’ six fourth-round picks, Faalele (6’9/380) is expected to open the year backing up at both tackle spots. With Faalele under contract, second-round LB David Ojabo is the Ravens’ only unsigned pick.

Faalele (6’9/380) is arguably the most unique player in the draft. A former four-star recruit from the prestigious IMG Academy, Faalele grew up playing rugby and basketball in his native Australia before heading to the US to play football. After learning the sport for two years, he proceeded to start 31 of 34 games for the Golden Gophers. He missed the 2020 season after opting out due to the COVID-19 pandemic but earned first-team All-Big 10 honors from the coaches upon his return. Faalele’s game is built upon power. He has excellent grip strength and looks to drive defenders into the ground. He isn’t a statue either, showing good movement skills for a man of his size and stature. His size also limits him with lateral movements and balance. Smaller players can out-leverage him and drive him back into the pocket. He projects as a future starter at right tackle in a man/gap/power scheme where forward movements are prioritized.

Faalele (6'9/384) is one of the biggest athletes to have ever entered the NFL Draft. He has massive length and strength that help him maul every defender in his path. Unfortunately, with that size comes athletic testing that is suboptimal. All of his speed and agility scores were under the 10th percentile but he did redeem himself with a 29.5" vertical jump in the 75th percentile. In the NFL, he will be utilized best in an inside zone or man/gap/power scheme and likely be taken on day three.

When you talk about a player the size of Faalele (6'9"/380), there isn’t a comp that fits him perfectly. He is a true anomaly in that aspect, but from an athleticism standpoint, comparisons are out there. Former Oklahoma T Phil Loadholt provides an interesting comparison and potential future outlook for Faalele. Both players ran slower than 5.5 seconds, benched 24 reps, and both failed to jump eight feet. Loadholt was a true road grader in the running game, blocking for Adrian Peterson for years but struggled with his foot quickness in pass protection. As Faalele grows and develops in the NFL, Loadholt is a good starting point.

Faalele (6'9/384) was dubbed the heaviest player to ever pass through the combine a little over a week ago. He put up just 24 bench reps during combine week, and passed on all other exercises. However, at Minnesota’s pro day he posted a 29.5-inch vertical, and reportedly ran between a 5.4 to 5.6 unofficial 40-time. Faalele has been mocked in the first round of some drafts, and was on The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman’s 2022 Freaks List.

The Bengals needing offensive lineman is no secret and Faalele (6'9/384) is a mammoth of a tackle. Don’t let his size fool you, as he isn’t a boulder. He possesses the requisite athleticism to move around and block in space. What he doesn’t have that makes this fit slightly puzzling is his foot quickness. He doesn’t project best in an outsize zone scheme, but he can play in it if needed.

It makes Faalele the heaviest player in Combine history. Faalele’s arms measured at 35 3/8″ at the Senior Bowl with a wingspan of 86 inches, making it likely he remains at tackle in the NFL. Faalele isn’t in the same tier as top OT prospects Evan Neal, Charles Cross, and Ickey Ekwonu, but has potential to go in the first round of April’s draft. It would be a surprise if Faalele falls out of the top-50 picks.

Faalele (6'9"/384) is a big man and we already knew that, but now it’s confirmed he’s the biggest ever. The former Gophers’ tackle came in weighing 384lbs, the heaviest recorded weight ever recorded at the combine. It only dates back to 2003, but still, it’s amazing. What makes him a great prospect is he doesn’t play like a guy who’s on the cusp of four-bills -- there’s plenty of tape of him blocking and following his much smaller and faster defensive counterparts, including a video released by Jim Nagy last week at the Senior Bowl. This could be great for him as many experts already believe his stock is rising and with his size and athleticism, that’s coming true

You know the saying “it’s like running into a brick wall”, well the brick wall should be replaced with Daniel Faalele (6'9"/400). The enormously large tackle impressed at the Senior Bowl and Jim Nagy believes he has the traits to be a high-end starter at RT. The video shows him blocking the edge rusher throughout the arc and not letting him get through at all. With his size, if he can hold down NFL-quality edge rushers, this guy has a blindingly bright future ahead of him. Most mock drafts have going later in the first round or early second, but if he can put on an impressive predraft showing, watch his stock rise.

The Golden Gophers will be down multiple key players for Saturday’s season opener, including starting offensive linemen Faalele (6'9/400) and Dunlap (6'5/345). The good news for Minnesota is that the other three linemen are experienced, as all five starters from last year’s unit are back. Also sidelined for Saturday’s game are K Michael Lantz, P Mark Crawford and KOS Dragan Kesich to name three. While the offensive line may be fine, special teams could offer up more drama than HC P.J. Fleck would hope for.