Nolan Rucci OT Penn State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #72 SUB-POSITION: Right Tackle | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 01/19/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 5.44 seconds (17%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 24.0 DOB: 08/05/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #72 | |
| SUB-POSITION: Right Tackle | |
| Last Updated: 01/19/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 5.44 seconds (17%*) | |
| Age: 24.0 DOB: 08/05/2002 | |
| Bowl Invite: Shrine Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 78.9 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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78% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Pass Blocking: |
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69% |
| Run Blocking: |
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76% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#269
Position rank:
#47 (OL)
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| College Games: 33 College Snaps: 1295 | ||
ESPN RATING: 87/100
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247 RATING: 98/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ethan Driskell - Marshall |
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84% |
| Chase Lundt - UConn |
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82% |
| James Hudson - Cincinnati |
|
79% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Nolan Rucci was born into football royalty. The Lititz, Pennsylvania native is the son of Todd Rucci, a second-round pick out of Penn State who went on to start for the New England Patriots across eight NFL seasons. His mother Stacy was a first-team All-American field hockey player for the Nittany Lions, and his grandfather Thomas Gilburg suited up for four years with the Baltimore Colts after starring at Syracuse. Brother Hayden played tight end at Wisconsin. Football was always going to be the path for Nolan, and he emerged from Warwick High School as one of the most coveted offensive line prospects in the 2021 recruiting cycle. Standing 6-foot-8 and carrying the frame to eventually fill out north of 300 pounds, Rucci earned five-star status from 247Sports and Rivals while pulling a four-star grade from ESPN. He was the No. 17 overall prospect nationally, the fifth-ranked offensive tackle, and the top recruit in the state of Pennsylvania. The All-American Bowl selection had his pick of programs and initially chose Wisconsin over his family's alma mater.The Madison years did not unfold as expected. Rucci appeared in just six games across three seasons with the Badgers, logging a mere 70 snaps in reserve duty. His lone memorable moment came during a 2023 road win at Illinois when he caught a three-yard touchdown pass as a tackle-eligible receiver. Despite the elite recruiting pedigree, the playing time never materialized under the Wisconsin staff. Following the 2023 season, Rucci entered the transfer portal and made the decision his parents had hoped for all along. He committed to Penn State in January 2024, joining the program where his father had built his reputation and where his family legacy remained strong.
The return to Happy Valley reignited Rucci's career. In 2024, he appeared in all 16 games for a Penn State squad that reached the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He made six starts at right tackle during the playoff run after Anthony Donkoh went down with an injury, earning some of Pro Football Focus's highest grades among offensive linemen during that postseason stretch. The Nittany Lions dominated on the ground throughout the year, rushing for 222 yards against West Virginia, 292 against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game, and 189 yards against SMU's fourth-ranked rush defense. Rucci picked up Academic All-Big Ten honors and returned for his fifth-year senior season in 2025, appearing in all 16 games again with six starts while competing alongside the returning Donkoh and rising redshirt sophomore J'ven Williams. Head coach James Franklin praised his preparation habits and leadership, with left tackle Drew Shelton calling him "that big brother, always looking out for everybody." After 28 games across two productive seasons in Happy Valley, Rucci declared for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Elite length and frame give him natural advantages at the point of attack; his 6-foot-8 build with 80-inch reach creates problems for shorter edge rushers trying to corner him.
- Sets a wide, low base in pass protection that makes him difficult to bull rush; defenders struggle to generate push against his anchor when his feet are set.
- Initial punch arrives with accuracy and pop; when he lands his hands inside, he can jolt defenders and control the engagement from snap to whistle.
- Executes combo blocks effectively and can climb to the second level on zone concepts; showed ability to scrape linebackers and lead on screen plays at Penn State.
- Patient in pass sets and trusts his length; does not lunge or guess against speed rushers, letting them come to him before redirecting.
- Absolutely mauled overmatched competition when he could get position; turns defenders completely out of running lanes with sustained drive blocking.
- Football bloodlines show in his preparation habits; consistently praised as one of the first players in the facility and last to leave the meeting room.
- Tough and physical demeanor at the point of attack; plays with an edge and shows willingness to finish blocks through the whistle in the run game.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Feet appear heavy and somewhat labored when required to mirror quick-twitch rushers who work from inside to outside; lateral agility is a legitimate concern.
- Pad level can get elevated against physical defenders, especially when working in space; loses leverage advantages that his frame should provide.
- Limited explosiveness off the snap restricts his effectiveness on outside zone and reach concepts where first-step quickness determines outcomes.
- Experienced just one season of consistent starting reps after limited action across three years at Wisconsin; development timeline remains a question mark.
- Weight distribution at 307 pounds sits light for his frame; needs to continue adding functional mass without sacrificing whatever movement skills he possesses.
Scouting Report: Summary
Rucci presents as a developmental tackle prospect whose physical tools remain tantalizing even as his athletic limitations have become clearer on film. That 6-foot-8 frame with legitimate length is exactly what offensive line coaches dream about, but the feet have not caught up to the body. He moves like a man still growing into his dimensions, with heavy steps and deliberate lateral slides that better athletes will exploit at the next level. The ceiling remains intriguing if a team can unlock more fluidity, though the floor involves a position switch that his skill set might actually fit better.His best path to NFL snaps likely runs through a gap-heavy or man-blocking scheme where he can fire off the ball in a straight line and use his strength at the point of attack. Zone concepts that require sustained lateral movement and reach blocking present challenges he has not consistently solved on tape. The anchor is legitimate, the hands are active, and he will drive through contact in the run game when he gets positioned correctly. A coaching staff patient enough to work on his footwork fundamentals might find a starting right tackle buried in there somewhere.
The more realistic projection has Rucci developing into a swing tackle who can provide emergency starts while potentially kicking inside to guard where his lack of foot speed matters less. His size and strength could translate to the interior, where he would face smaller, more powerful rushers rather than speed demons working the edge. Teams selecting him need to view this as a long-term project rather than a plug-and-play starter. The bloodlines are there, the work ethic checks out, and the physical foundation exists. Whether he can refine the technique quickly enough to become a reliable NFL starter remains an open question that only reps will answer.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (Big Ten)
Nolan Rucci percentiles vs other Offensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Nolan Rucci (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
257.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
58.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.