The New York Jets selected Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu with the No. 11 pick in Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft. The Jets traded pick Nos. 10 and 203 to the Minnesota Vikings for Nos. 11, 129 and 157.
A skilled basketball player until his freshman year of high school, Fashanu was one of college football’s most athletic and powerful offensive tackles the last two seasons at Penn State. Fashanu has prototypical size for either tackle spot at 6-foot-6, 312 pounds with 34-inch arms and smooth movement skills.
Powerful throughout his frame, Fashanu — a Penn State team captain in 2023 — is a house of a man who is nearly impossible to bully or overpower at the point of attack. His hands, albeit a bit small, are fast and accurate. He’s a good climber in the run game and even a capable puller. Sometimes he’s dominant, sometimes he’s not.
Fashanu missed five games in 2022 with a meniscus injury and opted to return to school despite receiving first-round grades a year ago. He wasn’t as dominant as some thought he’d be in 2023 and has plenty to work on in pass pro technique. But Fashanu was 17 and inexperienced when he arrived in State College. He’s 21 now and should only get better.
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‘The Beast’ breakdown
Fashanu ranked No. 12 in Dane Brugler’s Top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“Though he flashes power and mobility in the run game, he tends to get overextended and struggles to sustain the point of attack (shows much better balance in reverse rather than moving forward). Overall, Fashanu is a work in progress as a run blocker but above average in pass protection, because of his body quickness, anchor versus power and attention to detail. He projects as a long-term starting left tackle in the NFL with Pro Bowl upside.”
Coaching intel
What an anonymous coach had to say about Fashanu in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“This is a big, great-looking dude. He comes off the ball well and is good with his hands, but there are times you’d expect him to finish better.”
Why he’s a first-round pick
A two-time All-American and the 2023 Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, Fashanu was also a finalist for the Campbell Trophy (the “academic Heisman”) last season. He’s made insane progress since his freshman year and has All-Pro traits.
Heavyweight Pass Rush Bout today:
Olu Fashanu vs. JT Tuimoloau
Fashanu’s allowed just 3 pressures and 1 hit in his last 11 games dating back to ’22, still likely OT1. Tuimoloau w/ 10 pressures and 3 sacks last two weeks.
Ohio State didn’t notch a pressure vs. Fashanu last yr. pic.twitter.com/udVXTXcuLi
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) October 21, 2023
Scott Dochterman grades the pick
In the debate between need and want, the Jets went with need. With a pair of thirtysomething free agents at the tackle spots, the Jets opted to lay a foundation for the future with Fashanu. He likely will get thrown in as a rookie, and could become an anchor for the next decade. As tempting as drafting tight end Brock Bowers was, the Jets made the right move. Fashanu is a left tackle, and that’s important for the Jets’ future. Grade: A
How he fits
When the offseason started, offensive line was the Jets’ No. 1 need by a longshot — and it’s why most of the initial mock drafts projected them to pick a lineman at No. 10. Then general manager Joe Douglas surprised many by filling three holes in the starting lineup with left tackle Tyron Smith, right tackle Morgan Moses and left guard John Simpson.
Smith (37 games missed over the last four years) brings plenty of injury risk, though, Moses is coming off pectoral surgery and neither is signed beyond 2024. Adding Fashanu gives the Jets an insurance policy at left tackle if Smith or Moses miss time — the Jets should always be planning for the worst-case scenario on the O-line at this point — while also providing a long-term solution after this year.
Rookie impact
Initially, Fashanu should be expected to jump right in as the Jets’ top backup at left tackle behind Smith. If the Jets feel he can play right tackle — he played only left tackle at Penn State — then he has the talent to at least push Moses for a starting job too. He would be a starting left tackle on a lot of teams but with the Jets he won’t have to play right away — unless (or until) someone gets injured. Fashanu didn’t allow a single sack in 681 pass-blocking snaps the last two years as well as only one quarterback hit. Pro Football Focus graded Fuaga as the fifth-best pass-blocking tackle in college last year but 41st in run blocking.
Depth-chart impact
Fashanu won’t be handed anything but he’s the early favorite to be the Jets’ top backup tackle. They showed last year (with first-round pick defensive end Will McDonald) that they are perfectly fine letting a rookie sit and develop, even as a first-round pick. Whether Fashanu will be the backup swing tackle depends on if they believe he can play both sides. Jets coaches are high on second-year tackle Carter Warren too.
They also could have picked ….
The Jets were tied to Bowers throughout the pre-draft process but ultimately that was just a smokescreen. New York wanted wide receiver Rome Odunze, and when he went at No. 9 to the Chicago Bears, the Jets pivoted to the offensive line.
Fast evaluation
It might not have been the most exciting pick, but for the Jets long-term, this was a pick that’s hard to nitpick too much. In an offseason when Douglas was doing a lot of win-now moves, this draft pick was more for 2025 than 2024. And since Fashanu won’t have to step in as a starter on Day 1, he’ll have time to sit, develop and learn from a future Hall-of-Famer in Smith — Mekhi Becton wasn’t afforded the same luxury.
(Photo: Joe Robbins / Getty Images)