Offensive Guard Olaivavega Ioane is a Smart and Brutal Blocker

Penn State left guard Olaivavega Ioane is cut from a different cloth.

He reminds me of the offensive guards I grew up watching back in the 1980s, the unsung heroes who manned the trenches and just as soon bury someone as look at them.

Ioane has that to him.

He’s also one of the smartest football players I’ve ever evaluated. He’s got an extremely high football IQ.

Penn State has constantly moved him around to a bunch of different positions, and he hasn’t missed a beat. Granted, they did more of it in 2024 (left guard, center, right guard, left tackle, right tackle, and tight end). While he did some of that in 2025, there seemed to be more of a commitment to hunker him down at left guard, and it paid dividends.

While it’s difficult to measure offensive linemen in terms of “stats,” “metrics,” and “analytics,” that’s what Pro Football Focus (PFF) does. It’s a great tool that can help to confirm the game film, and in Ioane’s case, it did.

Ioane’s 2024 Grades PFF:

Pass blocking: 74.9

Run blocking: 73.0

Ioane’s 2025 Grades PFF:

Pass blocking: 87.0 📈

Run blocking: 78.6 📈

Yep, that’s exactly the way it looked on his game film.

Comparing

The most interesting thing to me about my 2025 game film study of Ioane was how he improved in his areas of weakness. The whole reason I gave him a second-round grade on his 2024 game film was because of his weaknesses.

What weaknesses?

1. Footwork in pass protection
2. Inconsistencies vs. stunts, blitzes, and pass rush moves
3. Releasing pass blocks too soon sometimes
4. “Decent” football playing speed

Undoubtedly, part of the noticeable improvement he showed in the first three areas had to be the result of not moving around as much.

As far as his playing speed ⎯

He just looked faster pulling and getting out to the second-level (where the linebackers reside pre-snap), and further downfield. This had to be the result of his training.

Get to the good part

Run blocking.

Oh wow, it’s fun watching Ioane run block. FUN, FUN, FUN! Well, not so fun for his opponents.

IOANE LOVES TO MAKE PANCAKE BLOCKS 🥞

I counted 21 pancake run blocks in my notes. And there were many other times when he shoved a defender to the ground.

Ioane is a mean, nasty, violent, punishing, first-guy-off-the-bus type of run blocker. RUN BLOCKING IS WHEN HIS NATURE REALLY COMES OUT. He was dominant enough against the big boys. I kind of felt sorry for the smaller defensive backs who got in his way.

No, I didn’t.

NFL projection

“It all starts up front,” as they say, and it is for that reason Ioane will prove to be a great pick for some lucky team.

Ioane is the type of guard a team can pick…

And throw away the key for the next decade.

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

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2026 NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First Round prospect as of March 15, 2026

Olaivavega Ioane is an Offensive Lineman From the Future (2024: 16 games evaluated)

2025 game film evaluated: Nevada, FIU, Villanova, Oregon, UCLA, Northwestern, Ohio State, Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, and Rutgers (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Pinstripe Bowl game opt-out

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Offensive guard with a defensive mentality. Athletic. Quick. Good reflexes. Long arms. Sturdy and equally distributed playing strength. Alert. Works well in concert with other offensive linemen. Always willing to help. Good in combo blocks and double teams. Understands the art of leverage. Active hands at the initial point of attack in pass protection. Heavy and punchy hands. Tends to maintain a solid base. Occasionally relies too much on strength, gets turned, and loses his leverage in pass pro. Solid enough anchor to withstand bull rushes. Inconsistent sustaining run blocks. Excels in short-yardage situations. Can drive defenders out of an area in general. Got better and better as the season progressed. Put on a run blocking clinic in his final few games.

Final words

Ioane is a fanny kicker.

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.