{"id":268062,"date":"2026-03-07T14:30:33","date_gmt":"2026-03-07T19:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=268062"},"modified":"2026-03-07T14:40:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T19:40:16","slug":"caleb-tiernan-2026-nfl-draft-profile-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/03\/07\/caleb-tiernan-2026-nfl-draft-profile-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Caleb Tiernan 2026 NFL Draft Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>A four-star prospect from Livonia, Michigan, offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan chose Northwestern over Big Ten conference rivals Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State. Drawn to the school\u2019s \u201cfamily atmosphere&#8221; and emphasis on a balanced academics and athletics program, Tiernan confidently <a href=\"https:\/\/247sports.com\/article\/caleb-tiernan-commits-to-northwestern-wildcats-pat-fitzgerald-kurt-anderson-college-football-recruiting-145483857\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announced his decision.<\/a>\u00a0\u201cI&#8217;m extremely honored and blessed to say I&#8217;m 100 percent committed to Northwestern University! Go Cats!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p>However, will his decision to play for a less successful NCAAF program impact his NFL Draft standing?<\/p>\r\n<h2>Caleb Tiernan 2026 NFL Scouting Report<\/h2>\r\n<h3><b>Measurables:<\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Height:<\/strong> 6\u20198\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Weight:<\/strong> 323 lbs.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>Position:<\/strong> offensive tackle<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>School:<\/strong> Northwestern<\/p>\r\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-draft\/profiles\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">More 2026 NFL Draft Profiles<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n<p>A big-bodied, multi-sport athlete who played high school basketball, Tiernan is a versatile offensive lineman with experience playing both tackle spots.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><b>Background:<\/b><b><\/b><\/h3>\r\n<p>Logging over 3,000 snaps throughout his collegiate career, Tiernan was twice named to PFF\u2019s National Team of the Week in 2025. He had an eight-game stretch in 2025 where he didn\u2019t allow a single sack. Finishing the year with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pff.com\/ncaa\/players\/caleb-tiernan\/145042?\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">82.7 pass block grade,<\/a> Tiernan gave up only three sacks and four QB hits in 788 offensive snaps.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>In 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailynorthwestern.com\/2025\/11\/28\/lateststories\/football-calm-and-collected-the-offensive-lines-mentality-heading-into-the-battle-for-the-land-of-lincoln-trophy\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">head coach David Braun praised Tiernan<\/a> as a team captain, locker room leader, and elite mentor. Highlighting his exceptional work ethic and &#8220;calm and collected&#8221; demeanor, the coach exemplified Tiernan as the desirable standard for younger teammates.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Known for his reliability and consistency, Tiernan is listed as the 61st overall selection on the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/prospects\/caleb-tiernan\/32005449-4517-4859-9d7e-6d7dd53ebd28\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> LWOS NFL Draft Big Board<\/a>. At the NFL Combine, Tiernan earned a 74 in his Production score, ranking fourth among offensive linemen.<\/p>\r\n<p>In addition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfl.com\/prospects\/caleb-tiernan\/32005449-4517-4859-9d7e-6d7dd53ebd28\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein<\/a> noted he \u201ctakes excellent angles on back-side\/ play-side cutoffs,\u201d and delivered &#8220;well-timed strikes with above average pop\u201d in pass protection. However, his relatively short 32 1\/4&#8243; arms for his 6&#8217;8&#8221; frame as a weakness that could &#8220;create issues with redirection and block seal.&#8221;<\/p>\r\n<h3>Strengths:<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Superior pass protection<\/li>\r\n<li>Precise hand placement<\/li>\r\n<li>Solid core strength<\/li>\r\n<li>Elite 35.5\u201d vertical jump recorded at Combine<\/li>\r\n<li>A good initial first step<\/li>\r\n<li>Basketball training allows him to move well in traffic\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<li>Team captain with strong leadership skills<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Weaknesses:\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Short arms could limit or hamper his production<\/li>\r\n<li>Better suited to an interior role, as playing on the outside is compromised by slow lateral moves\u00a0<\/li>\r\n<li>Inconsistent run blocking and slower reaction times<\/li>\r\n<li>Tight hips<\/li>\r\n<li>Average twist ability<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Final Thoughts:\u00a0<\/h3>\r\n<p>Nonetheless, Concerns about Tiernan&#8217;s lack of physicality in the run game persist. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nfldraftbuzz.com\/Player\/Caleb-Tiernan-OL-Northwestern\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Nfldraftbuzz<\/a> suggested he is better suited to an inside role. &#8220;<span>The leg drive is inconsistent, and his frame works against him when defenders get low and play with leverage. A move inside to guard is a real possibility and might suit him well. His core strength, punch, and processing translate to a tighter surface area where he does not have to cover as much ground.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p>Projected as a second-rounder, Tiernan is likely to be drafted between picks 50-60. Consequently,\u00a0as a dependable athlete who started every single game in 2024 and 2025, Tiernan will appeal to teams seeking a durable, reliable offensive lineman. In addition, his strong work ethic and leadership skills are matched by solid instincts and savvy patience in not over-committing. However, Tiernan&#8217;s pass protection skills far outpace his run blocking abilities. Therefore, he is best suited to pass-first offenses such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/bengals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Cincinnati Bengals<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/rams\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, or the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/category\/nfl-teams\/cowboys\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Dallas Cowboys<\/a>. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talented 4-star prospect, OL Caleb Tiernan, chose Northwestern over more successful conference programs. Will this decision hurt his draft? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5208,"featured_media":268277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1647,33760],"tags":[33533,34009,34008,1900],"class_list":["post-268062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-draft","category-profiles","tag-2026-nfl-draft","tag-2026-nfl-draft-offensive-lineman","tag-caleb-tiernan","tag-nfl-combine"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268062"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":268282,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268062\/revisions\/268282"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}