Daniel Faalele NFL Draft Overview
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 384 pounds
School: Minnesota
Daniel Faalele 2022 NFL Draft Profile
Faalele enters the 2022 NFL draft as one of the most intriguing prospects eligible following a tremendous senior campaign at Minnesota. The former Golden Gopher is an enormous right tackle prospect with the sheer ability to overwhelm and move opponents due to his massive frame. Started 12 of 13 games in his final season and 31 of 34 overall for Minnesota in which the team went 23-11 in the games Faalele played in.
Faalele is a foreign-born player from Melbourne, Australia, and has only played four years of competitive football. Still has technique issues to clean up and mental errors to limit due to lack of experience. With all this being said, has immense potential to be a franchise right tackle for many years to come.
Strengths
- Rare overall size.
- Large hands and ideal arm length of 35 inches.
- Still has the potential high for a very high ceiling.
- Solid functional movement ability.
- Power transfers from hips to target.
- Sheer mass allows the ability to effectively move opposing players.
- Impressive quickness and first step.
- Bull rushers will have trouble overtaking him.
Weaknesses
- Limited bend and leverage due to size.
- Very mechanical style of play that limits instincts.
- Too many sliding-off blocks from defenders.
- Has trouble working in second-level of defense.
- Drifts in pass sets that allow rushers access to the quarterback.
- Has limitations in widening the pass rusher to the pocket.
NFL Comparison: Mekhi Becton
Teams With Need At Position: Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars
Projection: Late 1st / Early 2nd round
Bottom Line on Daniel Faalele
Faalele will project as a very viable option at right tackle to begin the 2022 season for a team and our projection reflects this. Plays in more of a graceful manner and still manages to move extremely well for a man his size. Some teams might want him to play with a little more fire at times and this might be asked of him at the next level. While some limitations do exist, Faalele only playing football for four years could be a positive factor for some teams. They might view his untapped potential and ability to improve a deciding footnote come draft day.
*Stats and research courtesy of NFL.com and The Draft Network (TDN).
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