Positional value has long shaped the way teams approach the top of the NFL Draft. Quarterbacks, edge rushers, and offensive tackles typically dominate the early selections, while interior offensive linemen, especially guards, rarely hear their names called within the first five to ten picks.
Former Penn State football offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane may be talented enough to challenge that long-standing trend.
Olaivavega Ioane’s elite skill set turns heads ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft
The former Nittany Lion is increasingly being viewed by evaluators as not just one of the best players at his position, but one of the best prospects in the entire class. In a draft cycle that many analysts believe lacks elite top-end talent, Ioane’s dominant play along the interior offensive line has pushed him near the top of several NFL big boards.
Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, draft analyst Todd McShay revealed just how highly some evaluators view the Penn State standout.
“If everyone in the league went on to stay true, which we know won’t happen, it would be Fernando Mendoza one, and then some order of Olaivavega Ioane, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Jeremiyah Love rounding out the top five," McShay said. "It’s not going to happen, but those are the conversations.”
McShay’s comments highlight an important distinction in draft evaluation. If teams selected purely based on talent rather than positional importance, Ioane would likely find himself firmly in the top-five discussion.
Of course, that’s rarely how the NFL Draft works.
The battle between talent and positional value is something Ioane isn’t facing alone. Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love are two other prospects widely considered elite talents, but who play positions teams sometimes hesitate to draft at the very top.
Ioane’s skill set, however, makes it difficult for scouts to overlook him.
Matt Miller of ESPN offered particularly strong praise for the 6-foot-4, 320-pound lineman.
“He had 32 career starts and looks the part with poise and patience that can snap into violent, heavy hands in a hurry. Ioane generates elite power and has the lateral agility to excel in any scheme," Miller said. "He's a mauling presence in the run game and had only three career penalties. His quickness to the second level and brawler mentality make him one of my favorite players in the class.”
Those types of evaluations have become increasingly common throughout the pre-draft process. Ioane’s combination of size, power, and mobility makes him one of the most complete interior offensive line prospects to enter the draft in recent years.
If he does hear his name called early in the first round, he would continue a growing trend of elite offensive line talent coming out of Happy Valley. Just the year prior in the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Jets selected former Penn State tackle Olu Fashanu in the first round.
Penn State quietly built a reputation as one of the country’s premier pipelines for offensive linemen, and Ioane may ultimately become the best of the bunch.
If the draft truly values the best players available, even for a moment, Ioane can be the rare guard talented enough to break into the very top of the board.