Every year there is an out-of-nowhere riser at left tackle—a player who enters the season as intriguing and develops into a superstar. The 2021 version of that player was Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw and the 2022 class' was Tyler Smith from Tulsa.
Both players rarely showed up in preseason mock drafts but ended up going in the first round and started at left tackle in week one of their rookie seasons. This year's Darrisaw and Smith is Arizona left tackle Jordan Morgan.
Coming into the season, Morgan was a prospect trending up. 2021 was his first season as a full-time starter for the Wildcats and he flashed next-level upside. When watching the tackle group, Morgan was a name I circled as someone who had all the tools to be great; he just needed more experience.
The first thing that stood out on his film from 2021 was his natural play strength. Younger tackles tend to struggle with their play strength. Whether it would be in pass pro getting bull rushed too easily or in the run game, where they don't lack the power to move defenders. Morgan's play strength was actually a plus to his game and it continually showed up throughout his tape.
Not only that, Morgan's natural quickness and ability to play low were really impressive, especially in the run game. Morgan showed the explosiveness and power to seal off defenders and make a significant impact in the run game at the second level.
When asked to move as a run blocker, good things usually happened. There were times when his hand placement was off, allowing defenders to avoid his block at the second level and get to the ball carrier. Outside of that, he was great in the run game.
In pass protection, Morgan displayed the quickness, knee bend and agility to mirror defenders. He just was inconsistent with his technique at times. He'd take a bad angle or misjudge his hand placement or timing, leading to negative reps.
All of his inconsistencies in pass protection and the run game were fixable. I knew that if Morgan had the character and work ethic to improve this past offseason, he'd turn himself into one of the best tackles in college football.
Not only has Morgan fixed the issues he had on film last season but he's also improved his strengths, putting him in the conversation to be the best tackle in college football so far this season.
It was evident against San Diego State in week one that Morgan would quickly rise up draft boards this season. He was taking fantastic angles, utilizing even better foot quickness and explosiveness out of his stance to mirror defenders.
The pass rushers he faced couldn't win reps against him and Morgan was just as dominant in the run game. He was sustaining blocks with excellent grip strength and hand placement to finish reps. Morgan put on a clinic in week one and his success has carried over each week this season.
Against tougher opponents such as Mississippi State and this past Saturday against Oregon, Morgan was the best player on the field. He has wow reps but his consistency is what separates him from a lot of tackles in the country. Yes, Morgan's tools are fantastic but he hasn't had bad reps on film this season.
When scouts and evaluators turn on his film, there will be very few things to write in the 'Cons' section; Morgan has been that good. With the jump he's taken this season, there is no reason to think he can't take his game to another level once he reaches the NFL.
Right now, Morgan has been arguably the best tackle in college football and he has plus NFL traits. These kinds of players don't last long in the NFL draft. Especially in a weaker draft class, there is no reason to think Morgan can't compete to be the first tackle off the board.
The talent is there for Morgan to be a day-one starter in the NFL and he has the makings of a long-term blindside protector at the next level. That is hard to find and it wouldn't be shocking to see Morgan hear his name called very high on day one of the draft this April.
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