re: PFF: who’s OT#1 in this draft?

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Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State

Fashanu is the top NFL prospect on the OL Masterminds’ roster this year, and he’s also the top-ranked offensive lineman in this draft for several teams. How does he stack up against some of the other highly drafted linemen who’ve worked with Manyweather ahead of recent drafts, like Rashawn Slater, Creed Humphrey, Tyler Smith and Peter Skoronski?

“I think he’s right up there at the top, in terms of total package,” Manyweather said. “He reminds me of two guys. Physically, he reminds me of Tyron Smith. His demeanor and mindset, in terms of being cerebral and being an elite thinker, remind me of Rashawn Slater. Their makeup is very similar in that regard.”

The feedback from NFL scouts on Fashanu is a little split, which says more about the high-end talent at the position than the Penn State prospect himself. But Manyweather was encouraged by Fashanu’s development this season.

“I saw him make a jump in his run blocking, especially when you throw on the Michigan tape,” Manyweather said. “He had one rough game versus Ohio State, and that was more of a communication and eye-discipline issue and how it relates to picking up twists and different pressures. But that’s all coachable and fixable. I think his best football is ahead of him.”

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Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

“Oh man, we haven’t even scratched the surface with this guy,” Manyweather said, chuckling.

With his size, length and movement skills. Mims is a one-of-one type of player. He looks and moves differently than just about everyone else at the facility. But with only eight career college starts, his body of work doesn’t match the raw traits.

For Manyweather and his team, Mims’ training is about building a complementary skill set to match his unbelievable physical gifts.

“He’s so freaky and young,” Manyweather said. “But he’s also a smart football guy with a strong work ethic. We want to lay a groundwork of fundamentals and tools that will stay with them in any situation that they go to in the pros. I want guys to understand their superhero powers and build around that.

“And Mims has a lot of that — a lot to build around with what he has already.”

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Patrick Paul, OT, Houston

In terms of size and length, Paul is one of the most impressive players in the 2024 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, he has ridiculous arm length (36 1/4 inches) and wingspan (86 3/4 inches) and has always relied on his length to out-leverage opponents. But it won’t be that easy in the NFL, so Paul has been focusing on the fundamentals in Frisco.

“Stance and hands were the biggest things we wanted to work on with Patrick,” Manyweather said. “(We’re) getting these guys to understand that the more you can do with your hands, the better. It starts with a great stance because effective hand usage comes from efficient feet — and you can’t have efficient feet if you don’t have a functional stance. That was the starting point for us with Patrick.”

Paul will be in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl, and it will be interesting to see if the focus-on-fundamentals approach starts to show during one-on-one drills.

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