Nicholas Petit-Frere NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 315 pounds
School: Ohio State
Nicholas Petit-Frere 2022 NFL Draft Profile
The left tackle from the most prolific offense in college football last year was Nicholas Petit-Frere. The number one offensive tackle prospect coming out of high school in 2018, Petit-Frere had lofty expectations coming into Columbus. After redshirting his freshman year, Petit-Frere broke the rotation in 2019, primarily as a right tackle. In 240 snaps, Petit-Frere allowed just three quarterback hits and a single quarterback hurry. Ohio State won the Big Ten thanks to his play on the right side and benefited from him not allowing a sack.
Those expectations ballooned leading up to the 2020 season. In the seven games Petit-Frere appeared in, he logged 512 snaps, all of which were on the right side. He was tasked with keeping Justin Fields upright and he succeeded with flying colors. Petit-Frere, in well over twice as many plays, ended with the same stat line as the year before: just three quarterback hits, a single pressure, and no sacks. His play earned him Second-Team All-Big Ten honors and he was starting to get first-round hype. He came back to Ohio State and switched to the left side. Compared to his time on the right side, Petit-Frere struggled. He allowed 22 pressures, two quarterback hits, and two sacks in 768 snaps.
All in all, his final year in Columbus was tumultuous. He dominated against sub-par competition and floundered against top defenders. 14 of his 22 pressures occurred in two games. Despite that, he was named Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big Ten.
Strengths
- Very solid footwork in pass protection
- Great size and length
- Fast and violent hands, establishes leverage early
- Adept at zone blocking schemes
- Significant experience at both tackle positions
Weaknesses
- Can get top-heavy and get off-balance
- Needs to get better at judging space
- Looked very bad against competent defenses (Michigan, Penn State)
- Took a step back in 2021 compared to 2020
- Can be impatient and lunges with outside hand
- 6.26 RAS
NFL Comparison: Chukwuma Okorafor
Teams With a Need at Position: Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers
Projection: Late Second/Early Third Round
Bottom Line on Nicholas Petit-Frere
If Petit-Frere had entered the NFL draft after the 2020 season, he would likely have been a first-round right tackle selection. Instead, getting smashed in the CFP National Title Game left a bad taste in his mouth. So, he switched to left tackle and may have hurt his draft stock in the process.
In his entire body of work, Petit-Frere is a solid tackle prospect in a very top-heavy draft class. The fact that he already has significant experience at both tackle positions will have him higher on draft boards. At the start, he will likely be a backup swing tackle. Petit-Frere has the tools and potential to be a solid starting right tackle in the NFL. It’s been noted that he has a competitive fire about him. Considering his final game at Ohio State was him getting manhandled by a pair of Michigan defenders, he will be eager to prove himself against NFL talent.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
