New York Jets select Olu Fashanu in first round of 2024 NFL Draft
The professional football dream has officially been realized for former Penn State Nittany Lions offensive tackle Olu Fashanu.
A premium prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, Fashanu was selected with the No. 11 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, officially marking his ascension to the professional level, where he’ll look to become one of the top offensive linemen in the game.
Fashanu has been earmarked for success since arriving in Happy Valley. He’s been continually mentioned among the top offensive lineman in college football, and it was only a matter of time until he was a first round selection, as his collection of raw talent and size make him a fascinating pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Prior to the NFL Draft, Fashanu played high school football at Gonzaga (Washington D.C.), where he was a three-star prospect. He was the No. 423 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Now, he’ll be looking to make an instant impact in the NFL. Doubt Olu Fashanu at your own risk, because there’s no doubt he’ll take it personal and look to prove his doubters wrong.
What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Olu Fashanu
Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, NFL.com Lance Zierlein evaluated all the top prospects, believing Olu Fashanu compares well with Cam Robinson, and while he has some areas to improve, there’s loads of potential for the former Nittany Lions star.
“A toolsy two-year starter with loads of potential, Fashanu is still learning to be less mechanical and more instinctive with his play,” Zierlein wrote. “At this point, he could impose his traits upon most collegiate opponents and stack the deck in his favor. As a pro, he will need to play with better control and more consistent technique to prevent being countered and beaten by NFL talent. There is still room to get bigger and stronger, but he’s already playing with good focus and drive as a run blocker. Issues with footwork and landmarks can be corrected with more coaching. He’s long and has really effective recovery agility to help keep his quarterback clean, but inconsistent pass slides and excessive leaning could make things harder than they need to be early on.
“Overall, the work ethic, traits and tape make it easier to project Fashanu’s continued improvement into a very good left tackle.”
We’ll see if Olu Fashanu can make good on the analyst’s prediction for him, as we move into the next level with the offensive lineman.