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DB’s Big Board: Ranking Top IOL in 2026 NFL Draft
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- DB’s Big Board: Ranking Top IOL in 2026 NFL Draft
Penn State guard Vega Ioane at pro day on March 18, 2026. -- Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The 2026 NFL Draft taking place in the great city of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania, is just over a week away, which means it’s time to finalize some more positional rankings. Today, we’re going over a decent interior offensive line class that is stronger at guard as opposed to center this cycle. That fact is particularly intriguing for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers who are in need of a starter on the left side of the offensive line following the departure of Isaac Seumalo in free agency.
Conventional wisdom has told us that the interior of the offensive line is critical to the success of the run game, and while that is still true, the difficulty of these spots has certainly increased in the modern NFL. Defensive coordinators are throwing the kitchen sink at them in the pressure game, with stunts and twists galore and more twitchy rushers aligning closer to the ball. Still, being able to control the line of scrimmage is the name of the game. Below are my highest graded players on my big board that will release in the coming days!
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1) Vega Ioane, Penn State
Penn State offensive lineman Vega Ioane during a game against FIU on Sept. 6, 2025. — Matthew Lynch / Nittany Sports Now
Vega Ioane scores high marks as a run blocker with his natural upper and lower body power to create displacement, with the finisher’s mentality to pancake defenders on the ground with regularity. Ioane plays with a wide base, firm base, possesses an impenetrable anchor that cedes virtually no ground to power rushers with the grip strength to end reps instantly. Long story short, his tape is dominant, even if he’s more of a good, but not great athlete by NFL standards.
2) Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa during a game against Pitt on Nov. 29, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Pittsburgh Sports Now
Francis Mauigoa is an experienced offensive linemen and skilled hand fighter in pass protection that can alter his approach, but still maintain consistent strike placement to keep rushers guessing and off balance. In the run game, he can torque defensive lineman out of their gap to create open lanes and works well to create movement on combo blocks when the Hurricanes got into their duo concepts. There’s a world where can survive at tackle; however, moving him inside would minimize some of his weaknesses, such as pocket range and recovery ability.
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3) Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Chase Bisontis (71) blocks the rush during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field on Dec 20, 2025 in College Station, Texas. — Miron / Imagn Images
A smooth moving pass protector that is always looking for work, with light feet that can be trusted to mirror agile finesse rushers on an island along the interior, paired with the balance and recovery ability that you search for at this position, Chase Bisontis has good snap quickness to reach his landmarks on zone concepts and the range to operate as a puller when called upon. He lacks ideal length, although he’s already developed ways to win despite his lack of reach with independent hand usage, core strength and a wicked snatch-trap move.
4) Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
National offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge (77) of Georgia Tech blocks during National Senior Bowl practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Jan 29, 2026 in Mobile, Ala.. — Vasha Hunt / Imagn Images
A tone-setter up front with cinder blocks for hands and legit knockback power that often send defenders flying across the front and he’s explosive into blocks, particularly on the double and climb assignments, Keylan Rutledge likes to win first contact with aggressive pass sets and a good anchor to stall out bull rushes, even if defenders access his frame initially. He’s a mauler in the trenches that coaches will surely gravitate towards and a solid starting caliber player with room to grow with improvements to his pad level.
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5) Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Oregon’s Emmanuel Pregnon, center, takes the field before the game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. — Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesCredit: Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Quintessential guard build: freakishly long arms to make first significant contact, massive hands to steer defenders against their will and tree trunks to uproot linemen, specializing in the vertical run game. Emmanuel Pregnon diligently works to refit his hands when facing power down the middle with the sheer mass that makes it difficult to push him off his spot. There are some technical flaws present, especially how frequently caught out over his skis, that will need to be cleaned up quickly.
6) Sam Hecht, Kansas State
A sturdy center, Sam Hect is quick off the snap, thrives in the zone blocking game with the short area burst to make difficult reach blocks and the body control to intersect targets when climbing to the second level. In pass pro, he has a firm initial punch, plays with good leverage throughout the rep with active eyes to sort out rush games. There aren’t a ton of impact blocks on tape because he lacks overwhelming power, but he plays assignment sound, reliable football across the board.
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7) Connor Lew, Auburn
One of the youngest players in the entire class at just 20 years old, Connor Lew has quick hands and is an advanced processor that handled all of the protection calls in Auburn’s system. He comes off the ball low with good initial pad level into blocks, shows a good radar for identifying and connecting with linebackers at the second level and still has some room to further grow into his frame. His redirect skills in pass pro are below average but it’s fairly easy to talk yourself into the idea of his best football still being ahead of him.
8) Keegan Trost, Missouri
The Tigers offense had enormous success running behind Keagen Trost on stretch plays due to his ability to seal off the front side of edge rushers or widen them out to create cutback creases. He was rarely challenged this year in pass protection, mixes up his set points/strike techniques and plays a disciplined brand of ball overall. His middling pocket range should be minimized along the interior, allowing him to prosper in a phone booth setting.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : DB’s Big Board: Ranking Top IOL in 2026 NFL Draft
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