Xavier Chaplin is an offensive tackle and 2026 NFL Draft prospect who played his final collegiate season at Auburn University after two productive seasons at Virginia Tech. A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Chaplin attended Whale Branch Early College High School where he played both sides of the ball and was rated as a three-star recruit and the eighth-ranked player in the state before signing with Virginia Tech in the 2022 class. He redshirted his first season before breaking out in 2023, starting all 13 games and earning third-team All-American recognition after allowing just five sacks across 813 snaps as the Hokies rushed for nearly 190 yards per game. He followed that with an honorable mention All-ACC selection in 2024 after starting 12 more games, then entered the transfer portal and signed with Auburn, where he started all 12 games at left tackle in 2025 and accumulated 823 snaps against SEC competition, finishing with a 71.1 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus across a challenging schedule that included games against Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches and approximately 348 pounds with exceptional length and a large wingspan, Chaplin draws immediate comparisons to a prototypical left tackle frame and brings legitimate athleticism that allows him to mirror edge speed and cover ground laterally in ways most players of his size cannot. He uses his length effectively in pass protection with active hands and a firm anchor that makes him difficult to power through, and his ability to reach block and climb to the second level shows the movement skills that have generated consistent pre-draft buzz from NFL evaluators. The concerns in his profile center on run-blocking consistency, where his pad level and footwork can be inconsistent, and a penalty total in 2025 that reflected the adjustment challenges of a new program and scheme against the most physical defensive fronts in college football. He projects as a Day 2 selection with legitimate starting upside at left or right tackle in a system that can refine his technique and harness the rare physical tools that have drawn first-round comparisons throughout his college career.
