Stanford's offensive line will be a big focal point for the program this season, and Niki Prongos and offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa will be key to propelling the offense forward.
Standing 6-foot-7, 315 pounds with plenty of mobility, Stanford's Niki Prongos is a talent that NFL scouts are going to love come draft time next year if he continues to develop as he has. Prongos didn't start playing football until his senior year of high school and was a walk-on at UCLA before transferring to Stanford ahead of the 2025 season.
With the Cardinal, Prongos started all 12 games last season and graded out as the program's best offensive tackle when it came to pass blocking according to PFF, with a grade of 75.4. That grade also ranked fourth among starting left tackles in the ACC.
On Monday morning, Prongos was added to Pro Football Network's top-100 NFL prospects list, where they ranked him No. 92. The No. 66 in the graphic that was posted is his jersey number, while the site itself gives the proper 92nd ranking. They also grade him out as the seventh-best offensive tackle in the class.
If Prongos were to be selected at or around the 92nd overall pick, that would place him as a late-third rounder. Tight end Sam Roush was taken 69th overall by the Chicago Bears in this year's draft, while Michael Wilson was selected 94th by the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.
For context, former Stanford tackle Walker Little went 45th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021, and is the earliest draftee from The Farm in the time since.
One area that Prongos needs to improve upon is his run blocking, which graded out well below his pass blocking score, coming in at a 55.5.
The bright side for Prongos is that he's still a work in progress and has another full season to work on some of the facets of his game that need attention. He'll also be advised by a new coaching staff with loads of NFL experience.
Offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa spent last season as an assistant offensive line coach/run game specialist for the Jaguars. The Jaguars ranked sixth in pass blocking as a team last season with a 67.5 grade on PFF, and second in run blocking with a 74.5, with Little still on the line.
Having coach Kekuewa on The Farm for Prongos and the rest of the line should help make a big difference in the play of the offensive line, a group that has struggled in recent seasons.
Head coach Tavita Pritchard has preached cohesion over talent for the offensive line in training camp, and with the addition of Aidan Kilstrom via the transfer portal, the Cardinal will have the makings of a competitive unit up front.
With Kekuewa showing the way, the offensive line should see tangible improvement this season.
