While the talk in the media always centers around quarterbacks in the NFL Draft, teams around the league value large athletic tackles in the early rounds to protect those signal callers and open up holes for the running game. And it looks as though they will be in luck next year, as there will be quality and quantity at both tackle spots, with as many as a dozen grading as Day 1 or Day 2 picks.

Jordan Seaton has been rated at the top of my tackle board since the start of the season, and he continues to impress me. Seaton is large and athletic, and more than anything else, he has shown consistent improvement in his game. He’s a terrific pass protector who also annihilates opponents blocking in motion. Seaton needs to improve his run-blocking strength, but he has the frame to get bigger and stronger.

Some have Trevor Goosby rated ahead of Seaton, but I disagree. Goosby is bigger than Seaton and probably a better run blocker. He moves incredibly well for a lineman estimated to weigh 325 pounds and is also a terrific pass protector. Yet his game lacks consistency as does his blocking lacks balance, and Goosby is all over the place at times. An argument can be made that he possesses more upside than Seaton, but he is far from a finished product.

Trevor Lauck is more comparable to Seaton, as he’s an athletic blocker with nice size, movement skills, and ability in pass protection. Lauck also shows a lot of skill blocking in motion and plays with a nasty attitude. Lauck likely won’t test as well as the other two tackles mentioned, but he has the potential to quickly start on Sundays.

One of the biggest movers at the tackle position is Lance Heard. A massive college left tackle, Heard has done a terrific job this season shutting down some of college football’s best pass rushers this season, such as Yhonzae Pierre of Alabama, Princewill Umanmielen of LSU and the pair of edge rushers at Texas A&M. Heard is massive yet fundamentally sound, and he does a great job using angles in pass protection. I’m not sold that he’ll be a left tackle on Sundays, but I do believe Heard will quickly break into a starting lineup.

There’s been some talk of Carter Smith switching positions at the next level, as many believe he’s a college left tackle who must push into guard on Sundays. I’m not sure, as Smith has been a really good left tackle the past four years at Indiana, blocking for a different quarterback in each of those seasons. He’s another who is quickly moving up draft boards, as despite Smith holding a second-round grade on my board, some believe he will end up in the first round of next April’s draft.

Austin Siereveld, presently injured, will be an interesting one to watch. He was a terrific left tackle for Ohio State before moving to guard this year. Since then, the Buckeyes offensive line has suffered, with multiple breakdowns in pass protection. Hence the reason I still have Siereveld graded on my tackle board, as he was better at the position.

The top small-school prospect in next year’s draft will most certainly be Desmeal Leigh, the athletic and mobile pass-blocking left tackle from Youngstown State. Leigh is long, lean, and moves incredibly well. Expect to see him at a postseason All-Star game, then in Indianapolis for the combine.

Stanford’s Niki Prongos gets a variety of opinions in the scouting community, with some believing he’s a definite Day 2 pick and others not grading him as a top-100 prospect. I agree with the latter, as Prongos, who missed time with injury early this season, needs a lot of work on his game and more consistency. A big lead-up to the draft could prove me wrong.