Among a certain fraction of the fanbase, we’ve entered the “hand wringing” phase of the offseason. Despite having – by virtually all accounts – one of the most productive free agency and draft phases in the lead up to the 2024 NFL season, some insist on focusing on the empty space in the team’s proverbial glass, and for them, there’s no more unsettling vacuum than on the offensive line.
That consternation persists even though the team was quite active in free agency to bolster the line, used Day 2 draft capital to shore it up, and has a number of young players waiting in the wings, developing for potential impact roles across the offensive front.
In this piece, I don’t intend to focus on the obvious starters, as they’ve been profiled in greater depth elsewhere. So, for the time being, if you want to learn more about the right guard or center, click the links below:
At this point, Andrew Wylie appears likely to be the team’s starting right tackle, Nick Allegretti, its starting left guard, and Cornelius Lucas, the starting left tackle, but what about the players behind them?
Let’s take them one-by-one:
Alex Akingbulu (T)
Age: 26
Background: UCLA/Fresno State; Philadelphia Stars (USFL); Commanders (since 2022)
Strengths
Has the agility, technique, and size to contribute early in his professional career. Quick, active hands to latch on to defenders.
Gets everything out of his adequate size and frame with good length. Added bulk to his frame and flashes functional strength to get a good push in the run game.
A smooth mover and covers a lot of ground, working hard to mirror rushers; agile and keeps his feet moving.
Quick and nimble, light on his feet. Very athletic blocker on the move. Good slide and hand placement effectively shut down most speed rushers.
Finishes and doesn’t quit; competitor with a positive attitude and leadership traits that coaches admire.
Weaknesses
Drops his head too often on contact, which causes problems against swim moves.
A short-area blocker with limited range and doesn’t consistently get to the second level. Will play undisciplined at times, especially in space. Lacks a finishing attitude.
Flashes the ability to move his man with his hands, but is not yet consistent in this area.
Not explosive in any aspect. Lacks the quickness to redirect and handle cut blocks. Unable to complete most combo blocks. Gets an initial shove at the line but doesn’t move the second target. Poor body control and lacks accuracy blocking on the move.
He’s athletic and a pure left tackle whose high-hipped frame and waist bending might be exposed against pro pass rushers.
Mason Brooks (G)
Age: 24
Background: Western Kentucky/Ole Miss; Commanders (since 2023)
STRENGTHS
Plays with natural leverage and has the strength to anchor against the bull rush. Brooks also packs a violent initial punch that can stand up pass rushers.
Has the functional strength to hold up against the bull rush, and Brooks shows exceptionally quick and precise hands.
Shows excellent awareness when presented with stunts and blitzes, and he works well with teammates on combo blocks
Hand placement is excellent, and he shows a good understanding of angles when climbing upfield
Brooks does a nice job working with teammates to build the pocket, anchoring against bull rushers and displaying good awareness against stunts and twists.
WEAKNESSES
Not great in space and tends to lose power the farther Brooks has to move; he doesn’t finish as well on the second level as he does battle in the phone booth around the line of scrimmage.
While he probably fits best as a right tackle, he has an outside chance at surviving on the left side for a team with a power-running attack.
Lets pass rushers get into his body, catching them rather than using his considerable length to deliver a punch. Brooks is going to have some difficulty if he’s asked to block on an island early on.
He’ll occasionally stop his feet when delivering a punch, and he doesn’t play with ideal balance when moving back into his set. He’ll often struggle to mirror if he can’t win early on passing plays.
Braeden Daniels (OL)
Age: 23
Background: Utah; Commanders (since 2023, 4th round pick)
Active, athletic offensive lineman offering room for development at guard or tackle. Daniels is an impactful down blocker with the quickness to handle zone-blocking duties. Firing out and sustaining drive blocks, however, will require much better patience and footwork to keep from whiffing or falling off blocks. Small hands prevent him from latching in as a run blocker or in pass protection, but flurrying hands and a tenacious mirror help him stay in front of rushers. Position versatility and correctable issues could raise Daniels’ draft profile as a middle-rounder with upside.
Michael Deiter (IOL)
Age: 27
Background: Wisconsin; Dolphins (3rd round pick)/Texans/Commanders (since 2024)
Durable, capable guard/center prospect who knows how to play the game but might lack the athletic elements needed to become a full-time starter on the next level. Deiter’s experience in a variety of pro-style rushing schemes and his overall technique work are in his favor while his experience across the line offer flexibility that could lock him into an NFL roster as an early backup with the potential to step in and start if needed.
Julian Good-Jones (IOL)
Age: 27
Background: Iowa State; Eagles/Calgary Stampeders/Eagles/Commanders (since 2023)
Athletic four-year starter whose versatility could give him an advantage when it comes time to earn a roster spot. He has starting experience at tackle and center, but might find his sweet spot as a zone-scheme guard with position flexibility. He plays with lateral quickness and plus fluidity in space. He’s able to get to challenging angles on the go. He lacks length and is more tenacious than strong, which could impact his ability to stay connected to blocks. Good-Jones has the footwork to mirror athletic rushers, but needs to stay balanced and improve his use of hands in pass protection. Position versatility and athleticism could make him a quality NFL backup.
David Nwaogwugwu (T)
Age: 23
Background: Rutgers/Toledo/Commanders (since 2024; UDFA)
Versatility is the name of the game and David Nwaogwugwu from Rutgers provides it. He’s a well-traveled player as Toledo will be his third school in six years. In his time at Temple and Rutgers, Nwaogwugwu logged time as both guard and tackle, showing Toledo coaches that he will do whatever is necessary to get on the field.
The third time was the charm for David Nwaogwugwu. He came to Toledo after spending some time initially with Temple and then with Rutgers. With the Rockets, Nwaogwugwu was the starting right tackle all 13 games and helped pave the way for the MAC’s top offense. Before Toledo, he appeared in 12 games across five seasons.
Chris Paul (G)
Age: 25
Background: Tulsa/Commanders (since 2023; 7th round draft pick)
Paul has a guard body but played out of position at tackle over the last two seasons. There are limited downhill run reps over his last two years at tackle and his guard tape from 2019 is still a little raw, making his guard projection a tad murky. He’s highly intelligent on and off the field. Picking up technique and scheme will not be a problem for him. However, picking up twists and slants might be an issue due to a lack of foot quickness and reactive agility. Paul has the size, strength, football character and toughness to play NFL guard but the limitations could make it a short stay in the league.
Trent Scott (T)
Age: 30
Background: Grambling State/Chargers/Panthers/Steelers/Commanders (since 2023)
For Steelers’ fans who are crying (perhaps this is a universal occurrence) for them to add another offensive tackle before the beginning of the 2022 NFL season, they may have not realized the importance of the signing of Trent Scott in the middle of May. In four NFL seasons, Scott has appeared in 53 games with 19 starts. With plenty of experience at left tackle, Scott is a player who could step in if needs be. In 2019, Scott started the first seven games of the season for the Los Angeles Chargers when former Pro Bowl tackle Russell Okung was unable to play due to blood clots. Add in the fact Scott was getting glowing reviews from his coaches during mini amp and Steelers may already have another option at offensive tackle.
Ricky Stromberg (IOL)
Age: 23
Background: Arkansas/Commanders (since 2023; 3rd round pick)
What does show up on every rep is Stromberg’s tenacity, ability to explode off the ball, and consistency in finding the proper angle. If I’m a team that needs a rookie center to compete for a starting spot on Day 1, I’d be comfortable taking Stromberg sometime on early-to-mid Day 3. And if a franchise values his versatility even more and projects him better at guard, he could even sneak into the back end of Round 3.
Stromberg checks most boxes, has few glaring holes, and is simply solid all-around, which is what you want at the fulcrum of the offensive line — a steady hand. But he’s also scheme independent, although I believe he would thrive in a zone-heavy scheme.
