Olu Fashanu NFL Draft Scouting Report

Size:

Height: 6’6” | Weight: 325 lbs

Accomplishments:

Walter Camp Second-Team All-American • Second-Team All-Big-Ten

“Given Olu Fashanu’s physical tools and athleticism, he exceeds the standard for what’s necessary to be a dominant pass-protecting LT on the next level” 

Strengths:

• Prototypical size (height/length/wingspan)   
• Lateral agility to mirror pass rushers
• Strength in his lower half to anchor in pass protection
• Range to cover ground in the run game and screens 
• High motor

Concerns:

• Occasionally plays with high pad level 
• Limited movement at the LOS in the run game 
• Will occasionally overset in pass protection 

In-play Film Analysis:

Olu Fashanu is a left tackle prospect who checks all of the height-weight-length boxes with great body mass and is well-proportioned, which has aided him in being an exceptional athlete at the tackle position. This athleticism aids Fashanu in both pass protection and also as a run blocker, as he is able to execute a wide variety of blocks. 

In pass protection, Fashanu plays light on his feet and appears with ease to get great depth on his pass sets, often meeting or beating the defender to the apex point. This allows Fashanu to set up and begin to engage the defender by throwing punches and hand counters. Fashnu has good strength in his hands which is evident by how he is able to impact and slow defenders in their pass rush with his punches. Fashanu has also shown the lateral agility to react to defenders’ counter moves and retrace his steps to close the distance. In pass protection, Fashanu has a mixed bag of moves and can overwhelm defenders at times if he chooses to quickly set them and squeeze the rush by quickly getting on top of them and utilizing his mass and length in an attempt to win quickly. The strength of Fashanu is evident by his ability to anchor against pass rushers who opt to convert speed to power. He is able to anchor, preventing them from getting to the quarterback. 

As a run blocker, Fashanu showcases best when he can use his athleticism to execute reach blocks, working to the second level, and as a puller to get into space with the body control to locate defenders. Fashanu does a plus-level job of making contact with defenders and using his size to force defenders to have to work around him. 

While Fashanu has many high-level traits, there are detailed elements of his game that can use improvement. Fashanu occasionally plays with a high pad level which negatively impacts him in pass protection, allowing defenders to get leverage on him and drive him backward. It also impacts how well he can recover and retrace his steps to react to defenders’ inside-counter moves. Lastly, the pad-level issue shows in the run game. The high pad level occasionally prevents Fashanu from getting great leverage on a defender and being able to latch on and drive them back off the football. This reduces the power that he is able to generate and impacts his strength at the point of contact. 

Prospect Projection: Day 1 — Rare, All Pro

Written By: Keith Sanchez

Last Updated: May 30, 2023 

Exposures: Auburn (2022), Ohio State (2022), Michigan (2022), Minnesota (2022)

Olu Fashanu’s NFL Draft Scouting Report will be updated by Draft Network throughout the season. Add him to your big board here.