Drew Shelton is an offensive tackle from Penn State who is ranked No. 71 on my NFL Draft Top 100 Big Board. This comprehensive scouting report analyzes Shelton’s draft potential, current mock draft trends, and where he ranks among the top prospects.
Drew Shelton’s NFL Draft Potential
Drew Shelton was one of my top 5 tackle prospects entering the season, and while the 2025 campaign hasn’t gone Penn State’s way, the offensive line has been a measured bright spot. Play strength still shows up as a concern at times for the 6’5″, 308-pound Shelton, but he’s nonetheless a very intriguing offensive tackle prospect with projected positional versatility. That versatility isn’t all too theoretical, either; Shelton spent the 2023 season as a Swiss Army knife lineman, taking reps everywhere except right guard.
Across 2024 and 2025, however, left tackle is the position that Shelton has locked down, and he’s done so with an enthralling mix of athleticism and technique. While his arms likely hover around 33 inches, he compensates for lacking proportional length with efficient hand carriage, dutiful adherence to upper-lower synergy, and timely precision on his punches. Shelton has the amped-up short-area motion and foot speed to match rushers and keep depth, and he can gather with independent hands and mean snatch-and-trap moves when rushers over-extend to take their hips out of plays.
In the run game, Shelton has also proven his utility — both as a base block stalwart and an X-factor blocking on the move. He has the range to get outside on wide zone and climb upfield with ease, and he keeps his legs active after contact. His power profile isn’t elite, and it shows at times, and stronger edge-setters can break his extensions and force him into lurches. Nevertheless, if Shelton can add a bit more mass in the NFL, he profiles as a future starter at either tackle or guard, and he could perhaps even experiment at center with his flexibility and leverage acquisition.
CFB Week 9 Update
Penn State was on a bye week in Week 9, but they’ll be brought back to the fold in Week 10 with a clash against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Each of the Buckeyes’ edge rushers in the rotation will test Shelton in a different way. Caden Curry is a pure motor rusher who — while not equipped with much length — can stack moves with rapid pace and energy.
Kenyatta Jackson Jr. is the long, explosive athletic specimen whom Shelton’s anchor must be strong against. And Beau Atkinson is the energetic arc-runner who’ll force Shelton to get proper depth out of his kick. All three present challenges, and Shelton will need to be ready for all of them, should Ohio State switch up their alignments.
CFB Week 10 Update
Penn State’s test against Ohio State was bound to be their toughest of the year, and Shelton expectedly took his lumps against Arvell Reese. Ohio State let Reese unleash against Shelton, and the likely top-3 pick got the better of Shelton more than once. One jab-dip combo saw Shelton freeze and set the corner too early, allowing Reese to get around the arc, while other reps saw Shelton outreached and outmuscled by Ohio State’s length and power on the line.
To his credit, Shelton’s range, angle IQ, and driving power did show up in the run game, but with Penn State saddled by a negative game script and forced to pass later on, Shelton’s inconsistencies in pass protection came under the spotlight. Shelton is still a Top 100 prospect on my board, with appealing positional versatility, but he may be closer to a Round 3 pick than the fringe Round 1 pick he was surmised to be in the preseason.
CFB Week 11 Update
In a tough slugfest against Indiana, Shelton was a big up-and-down. His athleticism and physicality once again proved to be an asset in the run game, and he displayed impressive driving power for his frame. However, on more than one occasion, he over-extended and lurched beyond his center of gravity in both phases of the game. Shelton’s middling length hamstrings him on the edge at times, and it ultimately could force a move inside at the NFL level.
CFB Week 12 Update
Shelton was solid in a 28-10 win that saw the Nittany Lions exceed 200 rushing yards. The strengths that we’ve been accustomed to seeing underscored Shelton’s performance. He was explosive and rangy entering space, disciplined staying to his assignments, and displayed the willing physicality and urgent drive to move defenders out of lanes.
That said, his middling length clearly limits his maximum power at the point, and he can be caught lurching past his center of gravity in an attempt to compensate. Shelton’s grade is settling out in the late Day 2 range on my board — but there, he’s an ideal target with his athleticism, experience, and positional versatility.
Where Is Shelton Being Selected Most Often in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator?
Shelton currently holds the No. 45 overall rank among prospects, positioning him as a Day 2 prospect. His most recent Average Draft Position (ADP) of 96.6 as of November 19 reflects that he is typically being selected on Day 2 or early Day 3.
The gap between his rank and ADP indicates that while he’s highly regarded on our board, draft simulators are seeing him slide slightly, possibly due to team needs or positional value considerations.
Users controlling the Indianapolis Colts have been the team that selected Shelton the most frequently over the past week, accounting for 1.2% of their picks across all seven rounds.
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Where Does Drew Shelton Rank Amongst Other NFL Draft Prospects?
Shelton is currently ranked No. 71 overall in my November 2026 NFL Draft Big Board. Among OT prospects, Shelton ranks 6th at the position, trailing prospects like Caleb Lomu, Blake Miller, Max Iheanachor. Currently ranked in the top 100, Shelton will look to increase their draft stock in the coming months.
Want to see how we rank all the draft prospects in the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator? Check out our NFL Draft Prospect Rankings page, which includes more than 750 prospects.
