Oregon Left Tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Has Enough to Him

Can we win with Oregon left tackle Josh Conerly Jr.?

Yes.

That would be my answer if I was a scout sitting in a pre-draft meeting on a team picking between 27-32 in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Why?

“Because of his aggressive nature, athleticism, and because of his hands.”

That would be my response.

Are there concerns?

Yes.

What does he look like on film?

Quick.

That was my first impression.

Conerly even caused Walter Jones to go through my mind early in my film study. Jones played left tackle for the Seahawks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jones is not my comp for Conerly, but Conerly’s excellent ability to pull and get downfield on run blocks did stand out. His average lateral foot speed and lack of instincts also stood out in pass protection.

That’s what makes this a tough evaluation.

What was his saving grace?

His competitiveness and football smarts.

Conerly got it done in pass protection as long as he knew what to expect. Conerly got it done run blocking providing he had leverage.

Tell me more about his pass protection weaknesses

Even Conerly’s pre-snap stance looks like he’s trying to get a head start protecting the perimeter of the pocket. He guesses too much.

Conerly looks the part setting up in the shallow depths of the pocket guarding his quarterback. He “anticipates” every pass-rushing attempt is going to look the same. That’s where it gets dicey.

• He stops sliding his feet laterally once he’s engaged in a block and the pass rusher presses the back edge of the pocket hard.
• The initial counter step outside at the snap leaves the inside gap vulnerable.

In these situations, Conerly gets turned sideways and begins losing blocking leverage. Thankfully, his competitive juices kick in and compensate when he ends up looking more like a hotel doorman than an offensive tackle.

It’s not always pretty, but he often gets the job done.

Run blocking?

Conerly is a positional run blocker who tends to do a below-average to average job in this department.

He tends to do just enough or not enough and his man is usually not far from making the stop or ending up around it. He pushes, shoves, and plays the angles.

Conerly gives it his all.

It’s just not his forte.

What did it equal?

Success in pass protection and that’s the name of the game in the NFL.

2024 (Pro Football Focus):

• 523 pass blocks
• 1 sack allowed
• 2 quarterback hits
• 6 quarterback hurries

Bottom line

Conerly is effective at one of the game’s most important positions.

With the average offensive tackle in the NFL making 20 million a year, a rookie four-year deal in the 27-32 range gets paid between $15,002,980 and $13,349,728 (spotrac.com), I can’t see him getting past the Ravens at No. 27 or the Chiefs at No. 31. These two franchises have a lot of money tied up in their quarterbacks and Conerly makes too much salary cap sense for either team who both have this need per NFL.com.

#76 Josh Conerly Jr. 6-foot-5, 311 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 33.8% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of March 21, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2024 game film evaluated: Idaho, Boise State, Oregon State, UCLA, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, Washington, Penn State, and Ohio State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Combative pass and run blocker. Athletic high-cut frame. Long arms. Good reach. Thick thighs. Big bubble. Alert. Active. Choppy quick feet setting up in pass pro. Flexible. Good hand techniques. Maintains balance. A knack for picking up stunts and blitzes. Good reflexes. Decent anchor vs. bull rushes. Didn’t need much help overall. Works at run blocking. Can get around. Below average sustain. Positional run blocker. Slight lapses of judgment in pass pro and run blocking. Can give up on a block too soon occasionally. Hit and miss in space at the second level and beyond.

Final words

Conerly has the necessary aggressive nature for this.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.