Football is a game that is won and lost in the trenches. Offenses cease to function when they are constantly subjected to pressure. Look back to Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 55 for a prime example that these fundamental football laws apply even to elite players. Similarly, defenses that are constantly pushed off the line of scrimmage are doomed to failure. That's why offensive and defensive linemen will always be in high demand in the NFL.
One of the more fascinating offensive line prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft is Alabama's Kadyn Proctor.
Proctor announced his decision to leave the Crimson Tide for the NFL on January 7th. He is routinely mocked in the first round, though is exact landing spot is up for debate.
Proctor is an impressive athletic specimen who could become an elite player if he refines his technique. Case in point, Proctor comes in at eighth on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List in 2026.
So where will Proctor land in April's draft?
Below we will explore three of the best landing spots for Proctor in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh loves to run the football. Naturally, having a strong offensive line should be a big priority for the Chargers moving forward.
LA is fortunate to already have Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt as excellent bookend tackles. As long as the Chargers can beef up their interior, they should be set for the future.
Adding a young interior defender could be an even bigger priority after Will Clapp's surprising retirement.
Scouts seem to agree that Proctor's quickest path to the field in the NFL is playing guard. That's exactly what he would do in LA.
The Chargers hold the 22nd overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There is no clear consensus yet on exactly where Proctor will go off the board. But it is at least a possibility that he will still be there at 22.
The combination of Proctor, Slater, and Alt would give the Chargers a downright nasty offensive line.
San Francisco 49ers
Proctor could be an appealing prospect for the 49ers because of his positional versatility. San Francisco could use Proctor in a few different ways if they got their hands on him.
If they want him to be a guard, he would fill a huge need on the roster. Proctor would be an immediate upgrade over Spencer Burford and Ben Bartch, both of whom are unrestricted free agents.
Meanwhile, the 49ers are currently blessed with Trent Williams at left tackle. The veteran tackle is still playing at an elite level at the age of 37. San Francisco would be foolish to not plan for a future without Williams, but they also don't want to rush him out the door too fast.
That's why Proctor could be the perfect rookie to draft.
In an ideal world, Proctor spends his rookie season at left guard but learns some tricks from Williams throughout his rookie season. Then if the 49ers like what they see in Proctor as a tackle, he could replace Williams once he inevitably retires.
The brilliance of this plan is that Proctor can always return to guard if he struggles at left tackle.
Unfortunately, the 49ers hold the 27th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If Proctor is a question to be available for the Chargers, then it is even more unlikely he'll fall to the 49ers.
That said, the NFL draft is always unpredictable. San Francisco needs to keep Proctor on their draft board, even if they don't end up picking him.
Detroit Lions
Finally, there's Dan Campbell's Lions.
Detroit look a big step back during the 2025 season, finishing at the bottom of the NFC North with a 9-8 record. One reason for their regression was a dip in offensive line play.
The Lions lost All-Pro center Frank Ragnow to retirement before the regular season and it showed on the field. That should be a wake-up call to Detroit's front office to not get caught with their pants down again.
Detroit got some good news that left tackle Taylor Decker plans to return for the 2026 season. That gives the Lions a longer runway to figure out a replacement plan at left tackle.
The Lions are a great landing spot for Proctor for similar reasons to the 49ers.
Proctor would immediately become a starter for Detroit on the interior of the offensive line. The most likely outcome seems to be Tate Ratledge moving to center and Proctor becoming a right guard.
However, the Lions could always kick Proctor out to left tackle after Decker retires.
Best of all, Detroit holds the 17th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They have the best chance of any team on this list to land Proctor.
It will be interesting to see if the Lions show interest in Proctor throughout the pre-draft process.
