Position Group Breakdown 2023: Tackles

July 7, 2023

by Steve Thomas

Welcome to another edition of our annual Position Group Breakdown series.  This week, we’re going to  examine the tackle group, with the various positives and negatives of each player.  The truth is that Washington’s tackles leave something to be desired as compared to even league-average units, but we’re here to examine all of them.

Probable Starters

Charles Leno (6’3” / 305):  Leno was a seventh round pick in 2014 by the Chicago Bears out of Boise St.  He stayed with the Bears from 2014 through 2020, with 94 starts in 102 games, and made the Pro Bowl in 2018.  Leno then signed a 4 year, $37M contract, including $18M in total guarantees, with Washington.  He’s started all 34 games at left tackle over the past two seasons and is expected to be the unchallenged starter on the left side again this coming season.  Leno is certainly the best Washington has on the roster, but he isn’t a true plus-level left tackle in the spirit of prior Washington greats like Joe Jacoby, Chris Samuels, and Trent Williams.  Leno is serviceable and competent, and at age 31, will probably stay that way for a few more years.  Meh.

Andrew Wylie (6’6” / 309):  Wylie is a native of Michigan who played his college ball at Eastern Michigan.  He was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and was put on the practice squad, but then moved to the practice squads of the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers that season.  He eventually settled with Kansas City in January, 2018, and stay there on the active roster through the end of last season.  In total, from 2018 through 2022, Wylie played in 71 games, including 59 starts, left guard, right guard, and right tackle.

Clearly, new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy knows Wylie well and presumably played an integral role in his signing in Washington.  He signed a 3 year, $24M contract, including $12M in guarantees.  At this point, Wylie seems locked in as the starter at right tackle, and given the size of his contract, that makes sense.   Only Charles Leno has a bigger contract in the offensive line group, and Wylie isn’t a center.  Therefore, putting Wylie at the right tackle position, with Samuel Cosmi moving inside to guard makes sense.  Whether He ends up being an asset or simply another average tackle remains to be seen.

Primary Backup

Cornelius Lucas (6’8”/327):  Lucas, a 2014 undrafted free agent from Kansas St., was originally signed by the Detroit Lions, where he stayed through 2016.  From 2017 to 2020, he bounced between the Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears before landing in Washington.  He’s now in the final year of a 2 year, $6.5M contract.  In total, Lucas has played in 98 games, with 43 starts.  In Washington, he’s played 45 games and made 27 starts, with 12 coming last season.  Lucas is the team’s principal backup swing tackle and will most likely be the one to come into the game should Leno or Wylie go down.

Players with a real shot at the active roster

Braeden Daniels (6’4” / 294): Daniels was a fifth year senior from the University of Utah, including his redshirt true freshman year in 2018.  In total, he played 47 games as a four-year starter, initially at left guard, then right tackle, then left tackle for his 2022 season.  He earned All Pac-12 honors in 2022.  At the NFL Combine, Daniels ran the 40 yard dash in 4.99 seconds, the 3-Cone drill in 7.53 seconds, and the 20-yard shuttle in 4.6 seconds, and jumped 30.5 inches in the vertical leap and 9’1” in the standing broad jump.  Braeden did not do the bench press.  His arms were measured at 33 inches in length, which is considered to be short for an NFL tackle.

Scouts see Daniels as a smart, versatile, and intelligent lineman.  He’s known to have good athleticism and lateral quickness.  Daniels’ downside is his size – he’s not bulky enough by traditional NFL offensive lineman standards, either for the tackle or guard position, so he’ll need to put on some weight and strength.  It seems likely that Washington will view him more as a guard than tackle.  Given the mostly sad state of Washington’s guard group, he’ll have the opportunity to compete for a starting job immediately, although it is hard to see him winning the job in year one.

Trent Scott (6’5”/320):  Scott was originally signed by the Chargers in 2018 as an undrafted free agent from Gambling.  He stated with the Chargers through 2020, when he was waived and claimed by Carolina.  Scott then signed with Pittsburgh in the 2022 offseason, but was waived in training camp, then re-signed in September as a result of injuries.  This offseason, he signed a 2 year, $3.02M contract with Washington that included $655,000 in guarantees.  In total, he’s played 61 games, including 20 starts.  Scott has guaranteed money, so he’ll probably get a chance to prove himself.

Others

Alex Akinbulu (6’5”/300): Akingbulu played his college ball at Fresno St. and UCLA, then played for the USFL’s Philadelphia Stars in 2022 before signing with Washington in July, 2022.  Akingbulu bounced between the practice squad and the active roster.  He is signed to a minimum contract for the 2023 season.  He hasn’t yet played in a regular season game and most likely is a practice squad candidate.

Mason Brooks (6’6”/305):  Brooks is a 2023 undrafted free agent from the University of Mississippi.  Washington signed him to a 3 year, $2.73M contract, including $185K guaranteed.  Brooks spent three years at Western Kentucky before transferred to Mississippi for the 2022 season.  Brooks is most likely a practice squad candidate for 2023.

Jayrd Jones-Smith (6’7”/320):  Jones-Smith was a 2018 undrafted free agent from the University of Pittsburgh.  He was originally signed by the Texans, but since that time, Jones-Smith has bounced between the Dolphins, 49ers, Raiders, and Ravens, mostly on practice squads, before transferring to the XFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks in 2022.   Jones-Smith signed a 1 year, $895K contract with Washington back in May.  In total, he’s played in 6 NFL games, including 3 for the Raiders in 2020 and 3 for the Ravens in 2021.  He’s another practice squad-level candidate.

Aaron Monteiro (6’7”/320):  Monteiro was a 2019 undrafted free agent from Boston College who was originally signed by the Dolphins, then spent time with New England and Carolina before Washington.  He spent the 2022 on Washington’s practice squad and has not played in a regular season game.

Analysis:

As you can see, this is not an accomplished, experienced group.  One of head coach Ron Rivera’s poorest efforts in Washington has been his handling of the offensive line group, and the tackles are no exception.  This group is probably one of the worst in the NFL.  Certainly, Leno, Wylie, and Lucas are roster locks, and I anticipate Daniels will be around in some capacity as a result of his draft status.  Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess.