WCG’s lead draft analyst shares his scouting report on one of the top offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft.
One of the consensus top offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft is Arizona right tackle Jonah Savaiinaea.
A three-year starter for the Wildcats with experience at both tackle spots and right guard, Savaiinaea is a player I project kicking inside at the NFL level. Regardless of where he ends up playing, he’s firmly on the radar as a top prospect in a draft class where high-end trench value is abundant.
What exactly does Savaiinaea do well, though? Will he ended up getting selected higher than his former Arizona teammate Jordan Morgan, whom the Packers drafted No. 25 overall this past year? Let’s explore this by breaking down one of the top offensive linemen in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Games scouted: @ Colorado, 2023; vs. Washington, 2023; vs. UCLA, 2023; vs. New Mexico, 2024
Strengths
- Three-year starter at the Power 4 level
- Offers starting experience at right guard and both tackle spots
- Powerful anchor allows him to dominate at the point of attack
- Keeps his pads low and his weight underneath him often
- Weight distribution and pad level help him maximize his raw strength
- Moves with a wide base and has ideal temperance in his footwork
- Blocks with a mean streak
- Does a good job of keeping his head on a swivel and has good spatial awareness in pass protection
Weaknesses
- Has a tendency to lunge too often
- Hand usage needs a little bit more work, as his timing and placement are inconsistent, and that can knock him off balance
- Doesn’t have elite length or explosiveness in his kickslide, which could make staying at tackle in the pros trickier
- Can struggle a little bit with speed rushes and beating edge rushers to the outside at the top of their arc
Recap
Savaiinaea stands out as a high-floor prospect with inside-outside versatility along the offensive line. He offers the ability to project in just about any blocking scheme due to his play strength, high football IQ and solid quickness. As an experienced starting lineman at the highest level of college football, he plays with confidence and does a good job of finding work when he doesn’t have work directly over him.
Though he’s currently a left tackle for the Wildcats, I think Savaiinaea projects better as a guard. I still think he could be a solid starter at either tackle spot, but it will ultimately come down to preference — would you rather have a potentially good tackle, or a potentially guard guard? He has some physical limitations outside that I think would be masked well along the interior in the pros.
Specific to the Bears, Savaiinaea projects as a seamless fit at right guard, a position that just opened up after the release of Nate Davis. I see a lot of similarities to Darnell Wright, who was the subject of some conversations surrounding a potential kick inside coming out of Tennessee. Like Wright, I think Savaiinaea could be a good right tackle in the NFL. That said, I think sticking him at guard would maximize his talents.
He’s someone I’m eying with that second-round pick Chicago has from the Panthers. Given the current four-game losing streak and the difficult schedule ahead for the Bears, I anticipate they’ll be picking within a range in Round 1 that would make him a reach that early. However, I’d definitely take him in the second round, and I’d even consider trading up into the back end of the first round to secure him if he’s there.
Tentative grade: Round 1-2