2021 NFL Draft – Guard Rankings

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – G:

You are currently viewing the best guards in the 2021 NFL Draft. Our top offensive line prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented blockers in college football. Even though no more than 15 will get selected in the draft, dozens more are signed as free agents, and many will receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft stars, OL sleepers, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2021 NFL draft guard prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 29, 2021)

2021:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Other than Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater has probably the most impressive mixture of strength and power in the class. His quick feet and advanced mechanics help him routinely square up his man and maintain prolonged blocks in the passing game, while having the power to open up big holes in the run game. His athletic profile gives him the potential to stay at tackle, where he played at Northwestern, but his strength would make him an ideal fit at guard. At only 6’4" this is probably where he’ll end up, but he could also play center or potentially stay at left tackle. Regardless of where he ends up, his powerful playstyle and football IQ will help him maintain a long NFL career.

2020 Stats

0 games, 3 years as starter at LT/RT

Alijah Vera-Tucker is yet another guard who played tackle in 2020, but his length and height at just under 6’4" will likely move him inside to left guard. Vera-Tucker has incredible athleticism and power, and negates pass rushers regardless of speed or size. He possesses a traditional rugged guard mindset and has seen steady improvement in pass protection. Despite not starting as a freshman, he burst onto the scene right away as a sophomore en route to PAC12 1st Team honors.

2020 Stats

6 games, 2 years as starter at LT/LG

Wyatt Davis got some pro looks as a redshirt sophomore last year, but returned to school to put on some strength. His 2020 tape wasn’t as impressive as 2019, but he still showed great power especially down the stretch of the season. Davis allowed four sacks and hits combined in his 2 seasons as a starter at right guard, playing against rugged Big Ten offensive lines. He meets power with power and has enough foot speed to take on quicker linemen, and can get out in screens to block in the open field. He’ll still need to work on diagnosing defensive packages, but has the football IQ to pick it up quickly.

2020 Stats

8 games, 2 years as starter at RG

Aaron Banks was part of an exceptional offensive line at Notre Dame, starting at left guard for 2 1/2 seasons and earning All-America recognition while playing in the ACC this past year. At 6’5" and 330+ pounds, Banks is a big guard with surprisingly quick feet and a lot of power. He allowed only a handful of pressures this past year, consistently improving his technique in pass protection over the years. His hips can be a little tight in the run game, but did a great job opening holes this past season.

2020 Stats

12 games, 2 1/2 years as starter at LG

Trey Smith was an elite prospect out of high school, and you can still see the talent every time he takes the field. At 6’5" 330 pounds with enough athleticism to play LT, Smith moved inside before his junior season and stepped up his play as a senior. Smith has excellent athleticism and enough power to block big defensive backs, while maintaining desired knee bend and a strong base. He dominated the college competition was gained All-America recognition in the process. The reason he isn’t a 1st-2nd round prospect right now is the medical situation. His sophomore season was cut short due to a dangerous blood clotting situation, and advanced medical reports will be key to determining his status as a prospect. It’s hard to say how far he’ll drop, and I doubt he’ll be the 5th guard taken. If he were to get a clean bill of health, he’s a top-75 talent.

2020 Stats

10 games, 4 years as starter at LG/LT

Complete 2021 G draft rankings

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2021: | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

The nature of interior offensive lineman is that there’s relatively little difference between a mid round prospect and a priority free agent. With less film to study, it becomes even hard to rank players outside the top 10 at the position. While it’s hard to say how much depth there is compared to most years, it’s pretty clear that the top of the class is nothing special in terms of true interior guys. However, classifying Slater and Vera-Tucker as guards makes the class look very solid at the top. Add in Wyatt Davis, the top true guard in the class, and you have 3 players who are good enough to go in the top 75. You’ll likely see a run on guards in the 4th round when their value matches up with most of the talent in the class. This year there seems to be more massive guards than normal, which is surprising considering the transition towards speed offenses. While 340lb+ guards can sound appealing, they very rarely have the foot speed to compete every play with the athletic defensive tackles across from them.