Welcome to the peak of the 2026 Draft Season Stormcloud!
Draft season is my favorite time of the year. There’s something uniquely unifying about it for those of us on the analytical side of the sport as it’s where the ever-raging battle between metrics and film plays out in real time, and honestly, it’s what pulled me from casual fan to someone obsessed with understanding the game as deeply as possible. The draft is that perfect crossroads, partly because the NFL itself is just as humbled by the beautiful chaos of it all as the rest of us. So forgive the brief divergence to kick off my positional rankings series as I indulge in my need to share both my enthusiasm for the process and introduce the new system we’ve been building here at Stormcloud. Two things I genuinely can’t wait to talk about.
If you haven’t already scrolled down to see the positional rankings table then let me talk you through what you’re looking at. This is the new Stormcloud positional ranking board, in this instance it is for Interior Offensive Linemen in the 2026 NFL Draft class. As always I have built this board entirely from my own film study; I do not read a single evaluation nor do I scan PFF grades; it’s always focused on what I see on the All-22.
My system has been tweaked slightly this year so I give a Numeric Grade for the top 20 or so prospects (roughly the top 200 ranked players on the consensus board) and I then write a full profile for the top 10 graded prospects which is linked directly from the table via the arrow icon next to their name. These profiles will also be posted to Stormcloud to access directly through the homepage. Every player in the scouted section has been evaluated across at least one full game of film, with those with full written profiles being studied across multiple games.
Our Numeric Grades map to a projected draft round. This is based on the NFL Standard Scouting Grade used by NFL.com.
7.20-8.00 = Top 10
6.90-7.19 = Round 1
6.60-6.89 = Round 2
6.30-6.59 = Round 3
6.10-6.29 = Round 4
5.90-6.09 = Round 5
5.70-5.89 = Rounds 6-7
5.50-5.69 = Priority UDFA
Alongside the grade you’ll find each player’s Relative Athletic Score (RAS) which is a 0–10 composite metric developed by Kent Lee Platte that contextualizes combine and pro day testing data against historical norms at the position. These will be updated again after the last relevant Pro Day results are published on April 1st where Fernando Mendoza will have the scouting world watching. For all Pro Day dates on these please refer to the schedule posted here.
I have also created a Chargers Fit rating (CF-A through CF-D) assessing how well each prospect’s traits and schematic profile align with what Los Angeles asks of its offensive linemen. The consensus rank column reflects aggregate industry rankings, giving you a quick read on where my evaluation diverges from the wider scouting community. Players in the Watchlist section below are monitored but have not yet received a film evaluation however they remain on the periphery and may be elevated as the pre-draft process continues. Especially if there is interest from the Stormcloud community.
In addition to the CF ratings I have also listed each prospects scheme tendencies; Zone or Gap for run game, Anchor or Athlete for pass block style; a Hybrid tag could apply to the guys who have displayed a mastery of both.
The biggest story in this group is the gap between athletic testing and functional play, and nowhere is that clearer than with the two Centers the industry has ranked highest. Connor Lew and Jake Slaughter sit inside the top 65 on most aggregate boards, which is a reflection of the position scarcity in this class as much as anything either of them has done on film. Lew has had admirers since last spring, but his anchor against quality competition and his hand placement in tight spaces have both let him down when it matters most. Slaughter posts a very high 9.91 RAS and yet the processing and consistency issues that show up on tape are persistent enough to keep him in Round 3 territory on this board. Both will likely go higher than I have them, and if one of them lands on the Chargers I won’t be shocked, but I won’t be happy about the value given their lofty consensus range.
Going the other way, Logan Jones out of Iowa is the player I feel most strongly about in this entire position class. A consensus rank of 113 is puzzling for a center who blocks intelligently in both gap and zone concepts, reads stunts and twists before they develop and arrives with a RAS of 9.66 to silence any athleticism doubts. He is the kind of player who makes everyone around him look better, and a team that drafts him in Round 2 will have found a genuine starter. Keylan Rutledge and Sam Hecht deserve a mention here too. Both grade in Round 2 on this board while sitting at 177 and 228 in the consensus, and the Senior Bowl showed why both are rising. This is where the value in this draft class is hiding.
For the Chargers, the path forward on the interior is more straightforward than it might appear. The talent at tackle is settled, and Hortiz has more than enough cap space and draft capital to address the middle properly rather than patching it. Olaivavega Ioane is the name to watch at 22 if the board falls favorably. He profiles as an immediate starter, fits what the Chargers ask of their guards and grades as the best player in this group on my board. I am also a big fan of Emmanuel Pregnon, his athleticism at his size is something that blends the worlds of Mike McDaniel and Jim Harbaugh so if the Bolts want to trade outside the first round, he’s the man to target in the low 30’s. If that window closes, Rutledge and Logan Jones at 55 represent exactly the kind of picks this front office has built its identity around. Fix the middle and this offense becomes a very different proposition.
Despite the match in all of the mocks, I get the sense from the real NFL insiders that Ioane will be long gone by 22.
I’ve had my eye on Logan Jones and Bisontis all offseason and the combine only reinforced that. Also interesting to see Rutledge so high on your rankings. I would be happy with any of those guys at 55.
I also wonder if the Chargers would consider a couple of the OT prospects to move inside. Dunker or Blake Miller for example.
It feels to me like there aren’t that many candidates that are really worth pick 22, but there are plenty that could be a fit at 55 and then maybe a double dip again at 86.
Well, Becton is gone (yes!!) and Bozeman retired so we are very much in the reality of having to rebuild this IOL. Even though it would be a huge lift, I would not overpay for Zion and I’ve always supported him. He looked much better when Linsley was next to him at center and he played well last year…but not, IMO, elite money well.
If Ioane is there at 1.22 I believe he’s the pick. I do have questions about his movement skills in McDaniels’ offense. I have doubts that he lasts until 1.22. If not, I’m probably waiting until round 2 for IOL and looking at 1.22 for a CB or perhaps the TE.
As always, what happens in pre-draft free agency moves matters. Pretty certain we all want Linderbaum but I’m not holding my breath that Hortiz gets into a bidding war….if it gets that far.
Agree that Ioane is the pick, if he is still on the board when we pick. Otherwise, best to trade down if at all possible, unless someone really superb were to fall (which I doubt). Daniel J and other analysts indicate there are only about 15 players in this draft with 1st round grades, the DT prospects we like are slated to go in the 30s and there are plenty of good Edge prospects to last into rounds 2 and 3.
Trade down, if possible….that’s always the rub. Gotta have that willing partner who returns a good value.
I might explore some combination of 1.22 and another player or future picks for Linderbaum. There’s no one likely available at 1.22 (IMO) that would be nearly as immediately impactful.
I have been a trade down guy forever, but I don’t think it fits this years draft plan. We are not in a rebuild or set up year. We are in year one of a real SB window and the previous off seasons have left us pretty bare at two of the four major position groups (OL, Edge). I think Oweh is a goner, and expect Dupree to be cut with Mack returning. This gives us Mack, Tuli and Kennard. Not exactly a feared Edge group, especially if an injury occurs to the top two. Depending on the additions to OL in FA, I am really leaning toward Edge at 1.22. There should be some good players available when we draft.
I will be very surprised if edge isn’t adequately addressed prior to the draft given that it is the most stacked position in FA this year. Personally, I am expecting them to enter the draft with at least 3 edge players better than Kennard. If they don’t do much, then it will certainly be tipping the cap at their plan for 22.
Not necessarily. Edge might be the deepest position group in the draft. You could go elsewhere in Rd1 and still end up with an R Mason Thomas, Derrick Moore, Gabe Jackas, Romello Height or Zion Young at 55. They aren’t in the Bain or Bailey class, but they aren’t slouches. Especially coming in to be Edge 3 to start.
That’s true. I guess there’s just a lot to go around at Edge this year. There is so much FA talent at Edge this year that I feel like they’ll be able to get someone a lot better to take on the Bud Dupree snaps at a similar contract. So if that’s the case then might be better to use their draft capital elsewhere.