Aamil Wagner Draft Profile: How Far Does Potential Go?

Noah Wehby
7 hours ago
4 min read

As a two year starter at Notre Dame, Wagner became a team captain and a staple of the Notre Dame offensive line. While he thrived at with the Irish, he is only considered to be a late-round pick, but with huge upside.

While right tackles are valuable in the NFL, Wagner is not considered to be anywhere near the top of that list in this draft. There is a considerable amount of top-end talent at the position, but Wagner also does not possess the talent or tape to warrant a pick in the early rounds. With that being true, Wagner does have an athletic frame with long arms and a quick burst. All of that together, combined with the fact that he has only played for two seasons, may project to some interesting upside for a player like Aamil Wagner. That puts him in a spot where a team could take him as a depth piece with the hopes that he can turn into a role player or even a starter. That may be a long shot, but it is what Wagner will be looking to pull off over the course of his career.

Wagner arrived to Notre Dame as a four-star prospect that did not see any time during his freshman season. From there, he served as a reserve during his redshirt freshman season, mainly playing in garbage time during Notre Dame blowouts. As sophomore, Wagner finally cracked the starting lineup, becoming an integral part of an offensive line that bullied their way to the National Championship game. Following that season, Wagner was voted a team captain as a junior. The season got off to a bit of a rough start against Miami. In that game, Wagner was dominated by Miami's powerful pass-rushing tandem of Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. Yes, they are both going to be first rounders, but Wagner struggled against the best competition he saw all season. From there, Wagner largely controlled the rest of the season, but he continued to show where his game still needed improvement.

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Standing at 6'6", Wagner has great size for the position. With that stature, he has long arms that he often uses well to keep pass-rushers at a distance. He does this with active and fast hands that he uses to redirect defenders, making him a solid pass-protector. With that length, Wagner also has a quick first-step off the line of scrimmage to kick out to his defender. Combining all of this, it is easy to see why there is some potential that he could become a serviceable pass-blocker in the NFL. While he is tall, Wagner is also light for his size, making strength a concern. That concern was amplified during the NFL combine, where he only posted a 21 on the bench press. This area of weakness usually presents itself when Wagner is run-blocking. He sometimes struggles to stay engaged in his block and move his defender. Besides the strength, Wagner also exhibits some room to grow with his footwork and ability to engage moving targets. Against Miami, it was evident that Wagner struggled to stay in front of the type of player he will see every Sunday in the NFL. In that game, Bain Jr. was able to beat Wagner consistently with bull rushes, swim moves, and speed getting to the outside. Wagner simply could not stay in front of Bain Jr. and Mesidor. With Wagner, these are all the reasons he most likely won't hear his name called until the last day of the draft. It is his positives that will get him drafted and why there is some hope that Wagner is still a raw prospect and has a lot of untapped potential. One thing that should not go unsaid is his intelligence. People around Notre Dame constantly spoke to the type of man and student Wagner was at Notre Dame. That means Wagner may be able to become a fast learner in the NFL, or at the very least, be an excellent locker room presence.

Best Fit

Round 6, Pick 192: New York Giants

The New York Giants have largely been a disaster for the better part of a decade. Last season, they were finally able to put together a somewhat functional offensive line, but they still have some long term needs at right tackle. In free agency, the Giants were able to ink out a three-year deal to bring back their starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. Eluemunor was a huge part in the Giants' offensive line improvements last season, but that three-year deal will likely be the last contract he signs with the Giants. This means that down the road, the Giants will be looking for a replacement at the position. While it is bold to assume Wagner is the successor to Eluemunor, it is not bold to think that the Giants could use a late-round pick to take a chance on a player with upside at the position. At its worst, they would only be burning a sixth round pick. At its best, the Giants draft Wagner, give him the time he needs to develop, and then he becomes a beneficial player for the Giants in the future.

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