Olaivavega Ioane is an Offensive Lineman From the Future

I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.

Penn State offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane played every position on offense except quarterback and running back during the 2024 season.

His traditional position on film was left guard, but he also played center, right guard, left tackle, right tackle, fullback, and tight end.

Tight end?

Yeah.

Tight end.

Don’t get too excited. Granted, Ioane didn’t run any routes, but the Nittany Lions did like to line him up out there and motion him in to crack block (hammer) some unsuspecting defender on a fairly regular basis.

Ioane’s snap count at all these positions in 2024 (Per Pro Football Focus):

• Left tackle (3)
• Left guard (783)
• Center (17)
• Right guard (135)
• Right tackle (2)
• Tight end (14)

Pro Football Focus did not log him at fullback, but I saw him line up there a handful of times.

I’ll never forget when the 1985 Chicago Bears used defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry at running back. He even had a rushing touchdown in Super Bowl XX!

He was ahead of his time.

Ioane has a similar feel to him.

What are his best traits?

• Competitiveness
• Aggressive nature
• Helpfulness
• Selflessness
• High football IQ

Ioane gets after it.

He likes to pancake block defenders whenever possible (I tallied 16 such run blocks). He also works well in concert with his fellow offensive linemen. I spotted him many times going out to give a “friendly” shove to a defender that a teammate was working against. He’s always looking around to see how else he can help out.

Ioane checks himself at the door and does whatever it takes to help his team advance the ball.

It’s not always pretty, but it was often effective.

And no question, it takes a lot of “football smarts” to play all these positions.

What are his worst traits?

• Footwork in pass protection
• Inconsistent at picking up stunts, blitzes, and reacting to pass rush moves in pass protection
• Early release of pass and run blocks
• “Decent” football playing speed

This is where the question of “NFL value” comes into play.

It comes down to blocking at the end of the day, and the NFL is a passing league (29/32 teams passed the ball more than 50% of the time in 2024).

Ioane has a nasty tendency on film to open the door to pass rushers.

What does that mean?

He has a habit of stopping from moving his feet and getting turned, which puts him in a vulnerable position, and it gives the defender a clear path to the quarterback.

Not good.

His frame is top-heavy, which also doesn’t help and cuts down on the probability of development as a guard or tackle.

Ioane has better long-range speed than short-range speed, which makes him a “hit-and-miss” blocker at the second level (where the linebackers reside pre-snap).

NFL projection

I think he fits best at center.

It makes the most sense.

Ioane will be going up against a higher level of competition with faster and more polished pass rushers, where his strengths and weaknesses will become more apparent.

#71 Olaivavega Ioane 6-foot-4, 330 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Fall Grade: Second-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of November 12, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: West Virginia, Bowling Green, Kent State, Illinois, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Washington, Purdue, Minnesota, Maryland, Oregon, SMU, Boise State, and Notre Dame (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Three-star recruit with background in basketball and rugby (247Sports)

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Mauler with a superb understanding of leverage. Depends on strength and effort. Active. Tough. Physical. Bully ball. Uses hands in pass pro. Battles. Kicks out to make “pulling” pass blocks. Some hip tightness. Good on double teams. Excellent at pass and run combo blocks. Good understanding of play flow on run blocks. Athletic enough to pull down the line of scrimmage and hit his target.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Pass blocking gap control?

2. Sustaining run blocks?

3. How does he look at center?

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. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.