It took a few years under PJ Fleck, but the offensive lineman drought has finally come to an end. Daniel Faalele put a stop to it on Saturday afternoon.

With the No. 110 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Faalele was selected by the Baltimore Ravens. He became the first Gophers offensive lineman selected in the draft since 2006. That year, Minnesota’s Greg Eslinger and Mark Setterstrom were both taken.

Minnesota’s offensive line play has been a big reason behind its success in two of the past three seasons. Still, no Gopher had been selected until the 2022 draft. It’s the obstacle Fleck’s team has finally been able to overcome.

Faalele is a 6-foot-9, 380-pound offensive tackle who didn’t start playing football until later in high school. He was a raw talent when he arrived at Minnesota but molded into one of the top linemen in the B1G by the end of his career.

During his career in the Twin Cities, Faalele played in 34 career games and made 31 starts at right tackle. He was a member of Minnesota’s 2019 squad that finished with an 11-2 record and the 2021 team that closed out with a 9-4 mark.

To close out his college career, Faalele scored a rushing touchdown in Minnesota’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl win over West Virginia.