Kiper: Fashanu Easy No. 1 NFL Draft Prospect If Not for Caleb Williams, Harrison Jr.

While he may not be a household name like USC's Caleb Williams, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. or UNC's Drake Maye, Penn State offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu is quickly finding himself among the most sought after prospects of the upcoming NFL draft.

In fact, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. sees Fashanu as such an elite prospect that he could have been the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 had it not been for other generational talents like Williams and Harrison.

"In any other class -- a class without Williams and Harrison -- he'd be the easy pick as the No. 1 overall prospect," Kiper wrote. "That's what kind of talent he has. Fashanu has the size, footwork and physical traits teams want in a high-end left tackle. He moves effortlessly and with urgency, getting his hands on second-level defenders with ease.

"The exciting part? Fashanu is still developing. He has started just nine games, including eight last season, and doesn't turn 21 years old until December. If he lives up to his potential, it's not out of the question that he gets an Orlando Pace-type grade heading into next year's draft."

In his recent NFL draft rankings, Kiper had Fashanu rated as his third-best overall prospect in the class, only trailing Williams and Harrison—who are both widely projected to be the first two selections off the board.

Fashanu sits ahead of other top players like Maye, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Georgia's Brock Bowers, Alabama's Kool-aid McKinstry, among others.

In three seasons at Penn State, Fashanu has quickly evolved into one of the most elite tackle prospects of the last several years. In eight games last season at left tackle he allowed zero sacks in 281 pass blocking snaps and was named a Walter Camp second-team All-American.