# D. J. Fluker
**D. J. Fluker** (Daniel Lee Jesus Fluker) is a former [American football](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-football) offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the [National Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-football-league), principally at right tackle and guard, after being selected 11th overall by the [San Diego Chargers](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-diego-chargers) in the 2013 NFL Draft.[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FlukDJ00.htm) • [2](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html) He played college football at Alabama, where he started at right tackle on teams that won the last two national championships of the BCS era.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Lee Jesus Fluker[2](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html) |
| Draft | 1st round, 11th overall, San Diego Chargers, 2013 NFL Draft (April 25, 2013)[1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FlukDJ00.htm) • [2](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html) |
| Size | 6 feet 5 inches, 339 pounds at the 2013 draft; 36.38-inch arms at the combine[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007) • [4](https://www.milehighreport.com/2013/3/4/4058980/2013-nfl-draft-prospects-rt-dj-fluker-scouting-profile-denver-broncos) |
| College | Alabama, 2009 redshirt season; 37 games with 36 starts at right tackle over three seasons[2](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html) • [5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1573089378/49ers/ocsgogwksmhwcw4dyclw.pdf) |
| NFL teams | San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers (2013-2016), New York Giants (2017), Seattle Seahawks (2018-2019), Baltimore Ravens (2020)[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career) |
| Games played | 108 regular-season games over his career[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career) • [1](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FlukDJ00.htm) |
## College career at Alabama
Fluker redshirted his first season at Alabama in 2009 and then became a three-year starter at right tackle, appearing in 37 games with 36 starts.[2](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html) • [5](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1573089378/49ers/ocsgogwksmhwcw4dyclw.pdf) Along with Barrett Jones and Chance Warmack, he was part of the offensive line that led the Crimson Tide to national championships in the 2011 and 2012 seasons.[7](https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2013/3/8/4073260/dj-fluker-scouting-report-2013-NFL-draft-rams) He was named to watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, given to the nation's top lineman, before the 2012 season.[8](https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2016/6/10/release_20121112aaa.pdf)
## Draft evaluation
**Scouting consensus.** Pre-draft reports described Fluker as one of the best run blockers in college football, a tenacious player who consistently reset the [line of scrimmage](https://www.edgepedia.org/line-of-scrimmage), with tremendous strength generated from his lower body and unusually long limbs.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007) • [9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606635-dj-fluker-scouting-report-nfl-outlook-for-alabama-ot) The same reports flagged clear weaknesses: poor pass-blocking technique, bad balance in all facets of the game, limited quickness, and trouble picking up defensive line stunts and slant blitzes.[10](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013dfluker.php) • [11](https://nflmocks.com/2013/03/01/d-j-fluker-2013-nfl-draft-scouting-report/) One evaluation argued his size and strength suited him to blocking 3-4 defensive ends, noting that about a third of NFL teams ran a [3-4 defense](https://www.edgepedia.org/3-4-defense) compared with no more than a tenth of college programs, and projected he might play better in the NFL than he had in college.[11](https://nflmocks.com/2013/03/01/d-j-fluker-2013-nfl-draft-scouting-report/)
At the 2013 Scouting Combine, Fluker weighed in about 20 pounds heavier than his listed Alabama playing weight, yet showed good weight distribution, long limbs including 36.38-inch arms, and little abdominal flab.[4](https://www.milehighreport.com/2013/3/4/4058980/2013-nfl-draft-prospects-rt-dj-fluker-scouting-profile-denver-broncos) NFL.com's scouting comparison was Phil Loadholt, and other reports compared him to former Alabama tackle Andre Smith and to James Carpenter.[4](https://www.milehighreport.com/2013/3/4/4058980/2013-nfl-draft-prospects-rt-dj-fluker-scouting-profile-denver-broncos)
**The draft pick.** The Chargers, picking 11th, were rebuilding an offensive line that had allowed 49 sacks of quarterback [Philip Rivers](https://www.edgepedia.org/philip-rivers) in the 2012 season, and the team said Fluker would play right tackle.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007) General manager Tom Telesco cited Fluker's rare size and the energy he played with, calling him an outstanding, powerful run blocker who also had good feet to block in space.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007) Fluker said at the time that he could play any line position, and that he wanted to be, in his words, the [Ray Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-lewis) of his offensive line.[3](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007)
## NFL career
Fluker started his career as the Chargers' right tackle, playing 15 games as a rookie in 2013 and staying with the franchise through the 2016 season, by which point the team had moved to Los Angeles.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career) Pro Football Focus's review of his rookie year found that, despite his reputation as a mauler, nine of the pressures he allowed came against bull rushes, the second most among rookie offensive tackles, while he was smooth climbing to the second level on run plays.[12](https://www.pff.com/news/rookies-in-focus-d-j-fluker) He later moved inside to guard; a 2016 film review of his first season at the position concluded he was powerful enough to consistently create movement in the run game.[13](https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2016/5/16/11678670/progress-report-how-dj-fluker-fared-in-his-1st-season-as-a-guard)
In March 2017, entering what would have been the fifth year of his rookie contract, the Chargers released him and he entered free agency.[14](https://as.com/us/us/2017/03/07/nfl/1488910907_305310.html) He signed with the [New York Giants](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-giants) and made his first start as a Giant at right guard in October 2017, where film review highlighted his strength bullying defenders in the run game.[15](https://www.bigblueview.com/2017/10/4/16400398/ny-giants-film-study-guard-d-j-fluker-offensive-line-justin-pugh-news-analysis) He then played two seasons with the [Seattle Seahawks](https://www.edgepedia.org/seattle-seahawks) (2018-2019) and finished with the [Baltimore Ravens](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltimore-ravens) in 2020, appearing in 16 games that year.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career) • [16](https://www.nfl.com/news/roundup-ravens-agree-to-terms-with-d-j-fluker-0ap3000001112025) Across eight seasons he played 108 games, with the 2015 season (12 games) and 2017 (9 games) the only ones in which injuries or lineup changes limited his appearances.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career)
## Assessment
Fluker's career followed the shape his college scouting suggested. He was a durable, powerful run blocker valued by multiple teams, but the pass-protection concerns that appeared in his 2013 evaluations persisted, and he moved from tackle to guard, the position some pre-draft analysts had argued best suited his strengths, after his years in San Diego.[9](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606635-dj-fluker-scouting-report-nfl-outlook-for-alabama-ot) • [13](https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2016/5/16/11678670/progress-report-how-dj-fluker-fared-in-his-1st-season-as-a-guard) The 2013 draft class he anchored at No. 11 was later widely judged a weak one; a 2017 Spanish-language retrospective noted that Fluker, like several other first-round picks from that class, was no longer with the team that drafted him by the time his fifth-year option would have come due.[14](https://as.com/us/us/2017/03/07/nfl/1488910907_305310.html) He nonetheless outlasted that judgment in playing time terms, appearing in 108 games for four franchises.[6](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career)
## References
1. [D.J. Fluker Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College, Pro-Football-Reference](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FlukDJ00.htm)
2. [D.J. Fluker Player Page, Pro Football Archives](https://profootballarchives.com/players/f/fluk00200.html)
3. [San Diego Chargers draft D.J. Fluker at No. 11, NFL.com (Associated Press, 2013)](https://www.nfl.com/news/san-diego-chargers-draft-d-j-fluker-at-no-11-0ap1000000164007)
4. [2013 NFL Draft Prospects: RT DJ Fluker Scouting Profile, Mile High Report](https://www.milehighreport.com/2013/3/4/4058980/2013-nfl-draft-prospects-rt-dj-fluker-scouting-profile-denver-broncos)
5. [D.J. Fluker No. 78, Guard, player bio (49ers media document)](https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/v1573089378/49ers/ocsgogwksmhwcw4dyclw.pdf)
6. [D.J. Fluker Career Stats, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/d-j-fluker/stats/career)
7. [Scouting Profiles: DJ Fluker, Turf Show Times (2013)](https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2013/3/8/4073260/dj-fluker-scouting-report-2013-NFL-draft-rams)
8. [2012 College Football Watch Lists, RollTide.com](https://rolltide.com/documents/download/2016/6/10/release_20121112aaa.pdf)
9. [D.J. Fluker Scouting Report: NFL Outlook for Alabama OT, Bleacher Report (2013)](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1606635-dj-fluker-scouting-report-nfl-outlook-for-alabama-ot)
10. [2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report: D.J. Fluker, WalterFootball](https://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2013dfluker.php)
11. [D.J. Fluker 2013 NFL Draft Scouting Report, NFL Mocks](https://nflmocks.com/2013/03/01/d-j-fluker-2013-nfl-draft-scouting-report/)
12. [Rookies in Focus: D.J. Fluker, Pro Football Focus (2013)](https://www.pff.com/news/rookies-in-focus-d-j-fluker)
13. [Progress Report: How DJ Fluker fared in his 1st season as a guard, Bolts From The Blue (2016)](https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/2016/5/16/11678670/progress-report-how-dj-fluker-fared-in-his-1st-season-as-a-guard)
14. [El espantoso, horroroso, nada óptimo draft de la NFL 2013, AS (2017)](https://as.com/us/us/2017/03/07/nfl/1488910907_305310.html)
15. [Film Study: How Did D.J. Fluker Do In His First Start As A Giant?, Big Blue View (2017)](https://www.bigblueview.com/2017/10/4/16400398/ny-giants-film-study-guard-d-j-fluker-offensive-line-justin-pugh-news-analysis)
16. [Roundup: Ravens agree to terms with D.J. Fluker, NFL.com (2020)](https://www.nfl.com/news/roundup-ravens-agree-to-terms-with-d-j-fluker-0ap3000001112025)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Offensive tackles*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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