Northwestern Lineman Earns NFL Draft Comparison to Jaguars Veteran

In less than a month, the anchor of Northwestern's offensive line will hear his name called at the NFL Draft and enter the professional ranks.

Caleb Tiernan is set to become the third Wildcat left tackle to be drafted since 2021, joining the Los Angeles Chargers' Rashawn Slater (No. 13 overall, 2021) and the Tennessee Titans' Peter Skoronski (No. 11 overall, 2023). Unlike his two predecessors, Tiernan is not currently projected to be a first-round pick, but the three-year starter is still a candidate to be selected during the event's second or third rounds.

At 6-foot-8 and 323 pounds, the Northwestern graduate is a massive human being. The Ringer's Danny Kelly compared Tiernan to a similarly-built NFL offensive lineman in his Big Board, writing that his playstyle features "Shades of Ezra Cleveland."

Cleveland, a second-round pick by the Vikings in 2020, is entering his third full season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The 27-year-old guard is slightly smaller than Tiernan, standing 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, but has carved out a lengthy career in the NFL and is a fair comparison for the 'Cats' lineman due to his pass-blocking ability.

He has made 85 starts and played in 93 games as a six-year professional – a career that Tiernan would certainly like to emulate.

"[Tiernan] brings very good lateral quickness and a smooth first step as a blocker," Kelly said. "He stays balanced and moves his feet to match countermoves, mirroring well to stay square with his opponent. He plays with upper-body power and strong hands, latching on to pass rushers, locking his arms out, and exerting control. When he lands his punch and establishes leverage, it's hard to get away from him. He strains to finish the block even when it's not pretty. Tiernan shows quick feet to reach and seal on outside zone runs. When he fires out of his stance and stays low, he shows the ability to move opponents off the line and create rush lanes. He moves from block to block at the second level, showing the ability to target and neutralize defenders."

Kelly's Big Board ranked Tiernan as the No. 76 overall prospect in this year’s draft. Described as rugged and battle-tested, Tiernan is an intriguing player because of his footwork and quickness at such a large size. But despite his collegiate experience at left tackle (started his last 38 games), many scouts and analysts are projecting that Tiernan would be better as a guard.

Skoronski faced much of the same criticism for his arm length (32 1/4") and hand size (10"), which eventually resulted in the All-American left tackle moving inside to left guard. Tiernan similarly has 32 1/4" arms and nine-inch hands, both considered undersized for an NFL blindside blocker.

With 32 picks per draft round, Kelly’s ranking of No. 76 overall would put Tiernan as a mid-third-round selection. The 2026 NFL Draft will begin in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Thursday, Apr. 23.