Daniel Faalele OT Minnesota: Scouting Report

Height: 6’8’’

Weight: 390

Overall

Daniel Faalele is a powerful right tackle in Minnesota’s run heavy offense. He decided to sit out the 2020 season due to COVID but returned for his senior season. In his 3 seasons of action, he played in 34 games, starting 31 of them. He plays with very good toughness and shows elite potential as both a run blocker and pass protector.

Pass Game

Faalele has good footwork in getting to his pass set but still has some room to improve in keeping a wide base and not overextend himself. When he gets his hands on his man he shows excellent hand usage and is dominant. He has the power to take advantage of edge rushers who play low as he is able to easily get them to the ground and eliminate them from the play. When he uses good footwork he has very good balance and is able to change direction well and redirect his hips to protect against stunt rushes. With his elite blend of size, power, and balance, he can develop into an excellent pass protecting right tackle in the NFL.

Run Game

In the run game, Faalele continues to show off his power and is a phenomenal down blocker with his ability to drive his man out of the play and open big running lanes for the ball-carrier. He plays with good aggression but with his size and strength, he should be able to dominate if he plays with more physicality. Even with his remarkable size, he is still able to get up field and make blocks at the 2nd level. He is an underrated athlete and has good enough movement skills to play in both a gap and zone scheme.

Last Word

Faalele projects best at right tackle in a balanced offense with a pocket quarterback. Although he solely played right tackle in college, he has the skillset to play left tackle as well. He is phenomenal at keeping the pocket clean but with his size, has some struggles to stay with his man when the quarterback scrambles to his size. He can be an immediate starter on the right side of the line and in the right system, can keep the quarterback clean on a consistent basis.

One-Liner: Daniel Faalele has elite size with the athleticism and technique to dominant in pass protection and make blocks at the 2nd level in the run game.

Grade: 6.7 (Solid Starter with 2 Position Flexibility)

Games Watched: 2021 – Ohio State, Nebraska

Team Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins