In his final year, he won the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's top college football interior lineman, and was named a unanimous All-American.

[3] Joeckel's father, David, now a trial lawyer in Fort Worth, was a four-year letterman and three-year starter as an offensive lineman at Texas Tech (teammates with Joe Walter), under coaches Rex Dockery and Jerry Moore, 1979–1982.

5 offensive tackle prospect of the class of 2010, behind only Seantrel Henderson, Rob Crisp, Shon Coleman, and James Hurst.

[11] As a junior in 2012, Joeckel started all 13 games at left tackle, protecting freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel's blind side as he went on to pass for 3,706 yards over the season, earning him Heisman, Manning, and O'Brien honors.

Joeckel himself won the Outland Trophy, awarded to the nation's top college football interior lineman, and was named a unanimous All-American.

"I think he is better than Joe Thomas and Matt Kalil," one NFL general manager said according to Pro Football Weekly.

[16] By midseason, Joeckel was projected as a Top 10 selection in the 2013 NFL draft by Sports Illustrated.

[17] Ranking him #1 on their "Big Board", CBS Sports projected Joeckel as the first offensive tackle to be selected with the first overall draft pick since Jake Long in 2008.

[19] According to CBS Sports, Joeckel lacks the "natural tools" of the 2012 fourth overall pick Matt Kalil, but "is considered the more polished lineman out of the college ranks".

[20] NFL.com analysts Gil Brandt, Brian Billick, Scott Pioli, and Charles Davis predicted that Joeckel would be the No.

[29] Joeckel became the first Aggie offensive lineman selected in the first round since Richmond Webb went ninth overall to the Miami Dolphins in 1990.

Pro Football Focus viewed him as one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL in 2014 and held him responsible for eight quarterback sacks.