Week two of the big men portion as part of this positional draft rankings series is here and we start on offense yet again! This group includes guards and centers, where I’ll specify which of the three interior spots I believe guys can plug into at the next level, as well as potentially kick out to tackle in a pinch for a few of them, and also explain which offensive systems they’d optimally fit with.

This group is not as strong at the top specifically as the offensive tackle class, but I think we have at least two names worthy of going in the first round and the other nine (including one name who just missed the cut) all deserve to go on day two. After that, the rest of the group understandably has some flaws but also intriguing features, such as athleticism, raw strength or other to build upon. Let me quickly mention that this analysis is purely based on film evaluation, since there’s a medical situation to pay attention to with numbers three and six.

We’ll dive into the list now:

 

1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

6’3”, 330 pounds; JR

 

A four-star recruit in 2021, Powers-Johnson played 126 total snaps across the O-line as a true freshman before taking over the right guard gig (starting 12 of 13 games) as a sophomore. In 2023, he transitioned to the pivot and took his game to another level, earning first-team All-American accolades as a 13-game fixture in the middle.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Consistently rides D-linemen up through contact, as he’s latching onto them in the zone run game

+ Keeps working down the line if his gap unoccupied in that regard and makes linebackers run themselves into being blocked or picks up defenders coming his way on twists 

+ Does a great job of providing a help-hand as his eyes are on the second level off potential combos and provides just a little bump if he can, to make sure his teammates can secure the down-lineman

+ Uses angles to his advantage expertly in order to create displacement on gap schemes

+ IDs defensive fronts very well for just a two-year starter and adjusts those tracks out of his stance according to the width of alignments by guys at the line

+ On vertical combos, Powers-Johnson’s is fundamentally sound and effective stepping with the same foot and shoulder

+ Has a knack for providing force to the near-hip of D-tackles, as he’s trying to move them over to the opposite shoulder of the guard and allow himself to peel off as the backer makes his move

+ Generally displays a strong upper body when he thrusts defenders slanting across his face further or torques guys to a side late, in order to open up a lane

+ Covers a ton of ground and absolutely levels DBs in the screen game at times, while showing a good feel for when to peel back on guys in pursuit

 

Pass-protection:

+ Finds the right balance between aggression in his initial approach and how he mirrors interior rushers

+ Excels at creating bend in his knees, hips and ankles in order to stymie the charge of power rushers

+ Frequently is able to neutralize rushers coming over his way on half-line slides by landing his hands underneath their rib-cage from the side

+ Recognizes his initial man hesitating as the eventual looper on twists and has the quick hands to overtake who slants into the A-gap

+ Showcases active eyes and feet when unoccupied in protection, while looking to help out the other way on slide-protections if nobody threatens his gap

+ You regularly see him sling-shot blitzing linebackers trying to take a wider arc around him

+ Didn’t surrender a single sack or QB hit and just one hurry on just under 500 pass-blocking snaps in 2023 – 99.9 efficiency

+ Accounted for the best PFF run-blocking (85.2) and pass-blocking grades (90.6) among draft-eligible centers in 2023

 

Weaknesses:

– The consistency in snap placement needs work in order to not throw off the timing of plays

– His pad-level and explosion into defensive linemen limits his effectiveness at creating initial momentum in the run game, particularly on down-blocks

– You saw Power-Johnson be overly patient working up to the second level and look a little uncoordinated when trying to initiate contact as those linebackers make a sudden move around him

– Wasn’t put in a lot of isolated situations in the pass game and may struggle to neutralize aggressive bull-rushing nose-tackles with length (32-and-¼ inch arms)

– Tends to get pretty tall if he doesn’t initiate contact with defenders early in the pass game and runs the risk of getting bowled over by spiking rushers on games

 

This guy presents a burly build for a center at 330 pounds, but watching the tape, what actually stood out most was his blocking on the move. For just a 25-game starter, his ability to identify fronts, adjust his angles and feel for executing combos to their best effect was impressive. He doesn’t enforce his size onto first-level defenders at the rate you would like because he doesn’t get underneath and uproot them particularly well and playing tall could also limit his effectiveness as a pass-protector. With that being said, he can certainly work on his ability to play with more sink in his hips and he answered pretty much all my questions during Senior Bowl week, where he almost effortlessly both anchored against power-rushers but also was able to mirror quickness and counter spins. JPJ is a 21-year-old prospect with the size profile to plug into any of the three interior spots and should be quality starter from day one. I will not be surprised if he ends up playing a decade for a team and is a highly valuable contributor for them because of the flexibility he provides to the franchise. So I’d be fine with him anywhere from the middle of the first round onwards.

 

 

 

2. Graham Barton, Duke

6’5”, 315 pounds; SR

 

A three-star offensive guard recruit in 2020, Barton jumped in at center for the final six games (five starts) once Duke’s top two options went down with season-ending injuries. Over the following two years he started all 25 games at left tackle, making first-team All-ACC in the latter one of those. Injuries limited him to only nine games this past season, but he was still recognized as a first-team all-conference performer.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Explosive out of his stance to dig defensive linemen out of their gap with a tenacious attitude

+ Consistently is able to center his blocks and transfer power from the ground up

+ Rolls his hips into contact and then walls off edge defenders in order to open up the B-gap on the play-side on inside zone or duo

+ Latches and sustains on zone concepts, being able to occupy his man and create lateral flow

+ Tremendous puller, who gets on his horse in order to reach his landmarks earlier than the player he’s responsible for

+ You see Barton at times wrap around the center and wall off the MIKE backer on run calls away from his original alignment

+ Consistently is able to work up through contact and create displacement against moving targets

+ Finished 2022 with 17 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) – five more than any other tackle in the country

+ Was the only OT in the Power Five with PFF grades of 85+ as a run- and pass-blocker in 2022

 

Pass-protection:

+ Consistently is the first man out of his stance in pass-pro

+ Showcases great balance in his kick-slide, being able to absorb force and move either direction

+ Adjusts his stride length and general approach depending on what rushers through at him, getting into a bracing position if guys try to charge into with a couple of steps to build-up

+ His understanding for the depth of quarterback and how the pocket is constructed allows him to ride his man just enough off track and not get a hand on the passer

+ Gets that outside foot in the ground and cuts off the angle for edge rushers jumping inside in a hurry

+ Able to fit one hand at the shoulder-pad and the opposite one under the opposite chest-plate in order to control rushers

+ Frequently rides edge rushers past the quarterback, getting underneath their arm-pit just as they pull the near-arm through and can’t counter the inside hand of Barton

+ Allowed just two sacks each of the past two seasons, no QB hits and 17 combined hurries (745 combined pass-blocking snaps)

 

Weaknesses:

– With his arms coming in an eighth of an inch short of the 33 benchmark, Barton will most likely have to transition inside – which he hasn’t played since starting at center back in 2020

– Can get a little too aggressive with his forward lean and end up slipping off contact, if he has one hand swiped away

– Shows limited stride length, due to his build, and can be outraced around the arc, which might also show up against explosive B-gap rushers

– Because of that, you see him overset vs. speed threats from wide alignments and make himself vulnerable to inside counters or having that opposite pec attacked at times (watch the 2023 matchup vs. Florida State’s Jared Verse)

– The grip strength is definitely a plus, but he needs to learn when to let go in order to avoid holding calls – penalized 13 times over the past two seasons combined

 

Barton should be one of the most rock-solid players coming out of this draft – it’s just not going to be at tackle. The lack of length and foot speed forces him to get into compromised position against guys who can really threaten the corner and I want him to have those bumpers to either side that force rushers to battle him in a more confined space, because he’ll have the upper body in those situations. I love his ability to center blocks and create displacement in the run game, while I’d love to see him end up in a more gap-scheme oriented offense that takes advantage of his skills as a puller. He’ll need to work on not getting his weight out in front as much as he currently does in order to avoid slipping off blocks and understand when it’s okay to concede being beaten, so he doesn’t get flagged for grabbing, but it’s rather teach a guy who gives me that kind of effort consistently to tone it down a little bit. While he’s not quite at that level, I think he could be this year’s version of Peter Skoronski, who ended up purely lining up at left guard for the Titans. His skill-set should also translate well to a power-based center role. Somewhere in the 20s seems like appropriate.

 

 

 

3. Zach Frazier, West Virginia

6’3”, 310 pounds; SR

 

A three-star recruit in 2020, Frazier started nine of ten games at left guard during the COVID season, before starting all 25 contests at center the following two years, earning second-team All-Big 12 accolades in each of those. This past season he improved to first-team all-conference, while being in the lineup for all but the team’s bowl game against North Carolina at the end of the year.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Operates with great initial angles and leg-drive in the run game

+ Excellent snap-to-step quickness and is able to cover plenty of ground laterally on outside zone, by utilizing a deep bucket- and cross-over step, executing reach-blocks against 2i-alignment routinely

+ His understanding for the effects of applying force in certain ways and adjust on the fly is impeccable, showcasing the dexterity to sustain from challenging positions

+ Consistently is able to deny nose-tackles the ability to fight across his face on zone concepts and understands when he has to stay thick in order for his guards to be able to overtake

+ If you want to pull your guards despite having a three-technique across from them, Frazier can be trusted to urgently take that flat angle and not allow that defender to chase from the backside

+ He almost looks like a wrestler or other combat athlete when he bumps at the hip of a D-linemen engaged with one of his fellow linemen and gets them turned towards their outside shoulder, before working up to somebody on the second level

+ Very patient working up the linebackers and just getting in front of them, plus then he works hard to get his hips across to deny them the ability to fly to the action

+ Averaged a run-blocking grade of 77.7 over the past three seasons, with almost no missed assignments, despite also being asked to pull frequently

 

Pass-protection:

+ Highly patient with his hands in protection, letting rushers punch air and then latching underneath their chest

+ Consistently keeps his elbows in tight and is able to lock up interior rushers once he gets underneath their chest

+ Operates with a wide base and good sink in his hips, slowly giving ground to bull-rush attempts and spiking linemen coming his way

+ His background as a four-time state champion certainly shows up in his ability to find different anchor points and work his base to stay balanced

+ Quick to re-fit his paws and centering defenders, in order to deny them to get to the edges of his frame

+ On slide protections, Frazier makes sure to provide a help-hand and feels pressure from the opposite A-gap

+ Does a great job of applying force to the hips/ribs of the initial man on twists, in order to pass them off effectively, before sliding in front of the guy he’s ultimately responsible for

+ IDs three-man games and understands where slanters or off-ball blitzers are coming from, as he redirects in accordance to it, to pick those guys up

+ Wasn’t charged with any sacks and just seven total pressures across 359 pass-blocking snaps last season

 

Weaknesses:

– There’s nothing athletically that pops off the screen with Frazier and he’s not somebody who will flat-out overwhelm defenders on straight down-blocks

– With only 32-and-¼-inch arms, his ability to steer defenders at the end of his reach or recover from false steps is limited

– Doesn’t have the short-area burst to compensate for staying attached to the down-lineman for an extra beat whilst the backer is crossing his face or gets a step on him towards the front-side

– Lacks high-level short-area quickness to still be able to shuffle in front of delayed rushers or when he’s generally a little out of position to pick up crossing blitzers, after sliding away from them

– There’s reason to believe Frazier may struggle in a protection scheme where he’s more on an island against twitchy interior NFL pass-rushers

 

This is barrel-chested, slightly sawed-off center prospect with high-quality tape over the past three years. Watching him play, he regularly makes the job look easy, whether he has to latch and drive a shade-alignment horizontally on zone concepts or slide in front of a looping edge defender on third down. His background in wrestling is omnipresent as you watch him gain and maintain positioning, his understanding for different fronts and post-snap movement is excellent and the hand-placement is at the level of a pro already. He’s not a top-tier athlete and his shorter arms do bring some limitations, where I don’t want him to handle a dominant presence at nose-tackle one-on-one for the majority of snaps, but there’s not much you can find on the film that would trouble you. On top of that, this is one tough son of the gun, considering he was already doing unpadded drills on the side of Shrine Bowl practices and actually participated in the on-field workout at the combine after breaking a leg in late November. Frazier to me is a plug-and-play center worthy of a top-50 selection, especially for a team that wants to run a lot of outside zone.

 

 

 

4. Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

6‘3“, 325 pounds; RS SR

 

A three-star recruit in 2019, Bebe saw action in two games as a freshman but ended up redshirting. The following season he started eight of nine games at right tackle and once at left guard. Then in 2021, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection, starting 13 contests at left tackle. After moving one spot inside the following year, he made second- and then first-team respectively – along with All-American accolades in the latter, starting all 27 games he was available for and helping K-State win 19 of those, including their first unshared Big 12 championship since 2003.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Built like a cinder block and makes it a priority to make defenders want to give up

+ Features those massive tree-trunks and plays with tremendous leg-drive – give him a running start on like a zero-tech and he’ll blow those guys off their spot significantly

+ Along with gaining great positioning with that initial step, Beebe has those wrenches for hands to torque bodies and dig them out of running lanes, particularly pinning 3-/5-techniques inside on perimeter-oriented plays

+ Playing out at tackle, that front-side B-gap consistently was open for the back to hit at full speed inside of Beebe on inside zone

+ Does a nice job of cutting off the angle of linebacker coming off combos on wide zone, through passing off the down-linemen to his fellow blocker having gained good position

+ Has some real force in those hands, where even if just gets a piece of defenders from the side, he can push them off track and create a cutback

+ Explodes upwards through targets on the second level and routinely levels those guys

+ Iowa State had a lot of guys I liked in 2021 – Mike Rose, Will McDonald, Eyioma Uwazurike – and this guy pushed them all around like little kids

 

Pass-protection:

+ For his large build, Beebe is quick into his pass-sets and regularly establishes first meaningful contact on defenders in the gap he slides towards

+ On big-on-big assignments, he operates from a wide base and is very patient with reading the man across from him

+ His strong grip shows up with the way he can control reps and take away any escape angles for his guys he’s trapped

+ When rushers want to aggressively want to get up the B-gap, he use his forceful hands to ride them past the quarterback regularly

+ Features the sturdy lower half and crafty body-control to find anchor points vs. bull-rush attempts and maintain a firm interior pocket

+ Consistently is looking to re-gain good posture with tight hands and a flat back as he gets deeper into pass-pro reps

+ Has seen a wide variety of pressure looks and understands what’s the appropriate urgency to pick up his ultimate assignment, not lunging for second-level blitzers because he trusts himself to guide them off track even if they do get to one shoulder

+ Over the last three seasons, Beebe earned PFF pass-blocking grades of 85+ in each of them, surrendering just two sacks (both in 2023) and 26 other pressures across 1259 pass-blocking snaps since 2021

 

Weaknesses:

– Beebe’s powerful legs are a huge plus in the run game, but he’s not the lightest on his feet and can have issues latching and steering slanting D-linemen effectively

– That combined with being 6’3″ and having fairly short arms (31.5 inches) made him a logical mover to the inside for K-State already and it’ll lead to issues against NFL length

– Lacks the short-area agility and looseness in the hips to be a great fit in an outside zone-heavy rushing approach, where he’s asked to execute scoops and reach-blocks

– Much better on movement blocks in the tackle-box (kick-outs, skip pulls, traps) than if you ask him to pull out to the corner

– You don’t see him keep his pads vertical against rushers who shoot up the B-gap, but rather he’s content with flipping and riding them further way, which pros who can threaten that way will expose more regularly with inside counters

 

Cooper Beebe has been one of my favorite offensive linemen to watch for the last three years now. He was an all-conference performer at left tackle and then became even better when he moved one spot over, where his lack of length and the fact he isn’t the most light-footed guy understandably were largely negated. He’ll still be out-reached by NFL defensive linemen, forcing him to improve his ability to be the one countering their hands, and while many of the Shanahan disciples are veering away from running wide zone extensively, he’s not going to be a plus when asked to do it. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a road-guarding guard who can immediately boost your rushing attack, whether you want to run inside zone, duo or use him as a puller, and will keep the integrity of the pocket upright, this is your man. What helps him as well is that Beebe had an exceptional on-field workout at the combine, showing an explosive first step on long pulls, smooth lateral movement, a LOT of pop in his hands to punch the bags and a perfect mirror drill to close the session, to pair with his 5.03 in the 40. He should be a lock for the second round.

 

 

 

5. Christian Haynes, UConn

6’3”, 315 pounds; RS SR

 

A zero-star recruit in 2018, Haynes played in just two games his first year with the Huskies (picking up a redshirt). He started at 12 games at right guard the following season. 2020 was cancelled due to COVID, but then he retained his job for all 37 contests the next three years combined. This past season, he was recognized as a third-team All-American.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Built like Blastoise from Pokemon and frequently is able to up defensive linemen in the run game

+ Capable of really getting the train rolling, as he gets underneath the arm-pit of nose-tackles on zone combos with the center

+ Regularly is able to scoop- or reach-block defender in the next-closest gap on wide zone and actually get his hips around to force them to go through him

+ Showcases the dexterity in his lower half to re-establish leverage, lift up and wall off defenders

+ Is actively looking for work when he can’t attach to somebody on lateral concepts and delivers some knock-downs on moving targets

+ You see him explode out of his stance and pump those arms hard pulling out to the corner, looking to take out smaller defenders

+ Consistently is able to brings his hips through contact against moving targets on the second level and alter their momentum in order to ride them out of the action

+ His 16 big-time blocks (PFF’s highest-graded blocks) led all FBS guards in 2022 and he earned PFF run-blocking grades above 80 each of the past two seasons

 

Pass-protection:

+ Quick to land his hands and take charge of pass-pro reps typically

+ When he actually attaches those mitts to the numbers of his man, they don’t usually come off anymore, showing the anchor ability to maintain the integrity of the pocket

+ His agility to slide his feet and cut off cross-face moves is uncommon for a man as powerful as Haynes

+ Uses his hands pro-actively to re-gain control of reps where the defender lands first meaningful contact to swat down their arms and then takes advantage of them losing control, by burying them underneath himself

+ Makes sure to gain ground vertically and manages that space between the tackle and center very well when he’s unoccupied

+ Even when he seems out of position to take over the secondary looper on twists, Haynes can flip and ride guys just enough so they don’t affect his quarterback

+ Effectively covers up bodies on play-action, particularly forcing them to flow along off bootlegs

+ Earned the highest PFF pass-blocking grade among guards (second in terms of IOL) in 2022 (91.0), not allowing any sacks and just three(!) total pressures over 348 snaps in the pass game – one sack and ten other pressures on 438 such snaps in ‘23

 

Weaknesses:

– Allows D-linemen to “win the gap” early too often and allows penetration in the run game, in part because he doesn’t connect his play-side hand to the opposite pec regularly

– Limits his ability to lock up interior rushers because of how wide he starts with his arms, which becomes an issue against guys who have a two-way go

– Doesn’t show the mental fortitude to anticipate and quickly transition on twists yet

– Can’t be as obvious with some of his “take-down moves” – was penalized nine times in 2022, four times last year

– Never played a single snap anywhere but right guard with the Huskies, even though he did slide into center a few times during Senior Bowl week

 

As far as smaller school prospects go, I feel about as good about projecting Haynes to the next level as any of them. UConn didn’t run many gap schemes, but he can certainly take D-linemen off their landmarks on down-blocks and he can plug in for a more zone-heavy team pretty much right away. There’s certainly growth potential when it comes to his hand placement overall and he needs to pull back from wanting to pull guys to the turf, at times necessarily. With that being said, I’m not really as worried about the level of competition he’s faced in college after seeing him put the clamps on Power-Five standouts throughout Senior Bowl week. That’s also where he showed that he can probably switch sides or even move to the pivot if asked to do, after he was a right guard only for the Huskies. This guy has the build to move people against their will in the run game and one of the strongest anchors you’re going to find from a college player. I’d take him in the second round without hesitation.

 

 

 

6. Zack Zinter, Michigan

6’6”, 315 pounds; SR

 

A four-star recruit in 2020, Zinter immediately saw action in all six games of the Big Ten’s COVID-shortened season and started four of those at right guard, He started all but one of the 13 games the following season at that spot and was named second-team all-conference. He improved that to consensus first-team last year at his usual place and then was awarded first-team All-American in 2023, when he suffered a broken tibia and fibula in the regular season finale against Ohio State.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Built to play guard with good thickness throughout his frame and an 81-inch wingspan

+ Is able to turn and move three-techniques horizontally to open up the front-side A-gap with relentless leg-drive

+ Frequently is able to get under the arm-pit of defenders trying to shoot the gap on him and create lateral displacement

+ Offers better short-area agility to get to the play-side shoulder of D-tackles on reach-blocks or designed rollouts

+ Showcases the grip strength to torque D-linemen out of the lane before the ball gets there

+ On combos with the center on a shade-nose, Zinter regularly whacks that defender into the opposite A-gap, so he can climb cleanly and avoid the contact with the ball-carrier on the first level

+ Going behind Zinter in short-yardage situations is typically a good idea with the quick vertical push he can create

+ Was HEAVILY utilizes as a puller, where he’ll hustle to get to his land-marks even on longer tracks and covers up bodies on the second level with his large frame as he drives through them

+ Is looking to destroy smaller defenders when he pulls out to the corner, on sweep plays for example

 

Pass-protection:

+ Tough to get around with his wide build and has the anchor strength to stand his ground against powerful interior rushers

+ Patient in his approach, to not overset or over-react to the movement in front of him

+ Consistently keeps his hands in tight and slowly bumps back in order to lock up defenders in close quarters

+ Squares up linebackers with high-frequency footwork and hands at his hips until they’re actually in range

+ Has above-average length for a guard to guide defenders past the quarterback if they do win up the B-gap initially it seems

+ Dumps nearby rushers onto the turf if a linebacker over him drops out or a D-linemen slants away from him, freeing him up to do so

+ Allowed just nine total pressures (two sacks) across 411 pass-blocking snaps in 2022, with no sacks and five hurries this past season (296 PB snaps)

+ Wasn’t called for a single penalty on 649 snaps played last season

 

Weaknesses:

– Built fairly top-heavy without much explosiveness in his lower half

– Lacks great lateral mobility and may not be the cleanest fit for wide zone-based offenses, when he’s asked to take care of backside cut-offs

– Has his struggles with slanting D-linemen without the reactionary quicks to still latch and control and it’ll hinder his ability to recover when beaten in pass-pro as well

– Not the most natural bender at the hips, which is a tough pairing with his height on the interior, making it harder to find leverage points if he loses his balance initially

– Coming back from broken tibia and fibula suffered in late November, probably costing him most if not his entire first NFL offseason

 

When you think of a rugged oldschool guard, Zak Zinter is the picture that comes to mind. He’s a mauler on gap schemes, he was arguably the top puller in college football last season and when he puts those big mitts on you in pass-pro, it’s pretty much over. His weight is extensively distributed towards his upper half, his agility to execute reaches and scoops is rather limited and he has some reactionary struggles against moving targets up front. However, if you don’t plug him into a wide zone-heavy offense and preferably more slide-protections so he’s not soloed up with twitchy undersized three-techs, he can be a quality starter as soon as he’s back to full health. With his recovery, he’s likely getting pushed back at least one round, but while not as drastic, he may end up being an excellent value selection similar to Andrew Vorhees out of USC last year, who may start at guard for the Ravens this season after missing his entire rookie campaign as a seventh-rounder. If you’re okay with his medicals, he still shouldn’t make it past day two.

 

 

 

7. Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

6’4”, 305 pounds; RS JR

 

The number one center recruit in the country for 2020, Van Pran sat his first season behind Trey Hill and saw action as a backup late in four games. In year two, he started all 15 games for the eventual national champs, with a higher percentage of snaps than any other Bulldog (90%), He once again spear-headed that unit last season, en route to another title and him personally earning second-team All-SEC accolades. While UGA fell short of a three-peat, due to their one loss coming in the SEC championship, Van Pran improved to first-team all-conference, starting all 13 weeks.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Pretty quick from snap to step, to where he gets his hands on head-up 2-technique over guards before they can properly get out of their stance on inside zone or blocking down to the backside

+ Swiftly erases the space towards three-techniques when asked to back-block on them as they pull that guard

+ Whether he bucket-steps or opens those hips to get flip down the line on different variations of zone-blocking, this guy gets moving horizontally and he delivers some thump when he does initiate contact

+ Defensive linemen slanting into the play-side A-gap blocking inside zone get put on the ground a few times by Van Pran

+ Makes sure to connect with the near-shoulder of his guards and unite their force on vertical combos (duo)

+ While his arms are only 31.5 inches, Van Pran’s 78.5-inch wingspan is actually slighty above-average and he’s able to direct defenders when it looks like there seems to be some separation created

+ Fully capable of coming off the ball with low pads and really digging D-tackles out of their gap in short-yardage situations

+ Can get on his horse and wrap-around the guard for powerful lead-blocks on the play-side linebacker

 

Pass-protection:

+ Brings some heavy hands and maintains a wide base to take control of interior pass-rushers

+ Finds ways to re-gain leverage by lifting up rushers and getting his elbow in tight

+ Maximizes his arm length well to pick up rushers that becomes his responsibility slightly delayed on slide-protections

+ Excels at using his near-arm on slide protections to feel if the next-closest rusher bubbles over towards the A-gap whilst keeping his eyes on the second level for delayed pressure

+ Shows good patience to square up blitzers and lock them up

+ There are some impressive moments of shoving the first man over towards his teammate and catch the secondary looper or cross-blitzer easily

+ Really sells play-action by coming hard down the line, forcing linebackers to scrape along

+ He’s allowed just one sack and QB hit each on 1418 pass-blocking snaps over the past three years, with pressure rates between 2.1% and 2.7% in those

 

Weaknesses:

– Certainly gets pretty top-heavy in the run game and could lose his balance against crafty D-linemen who can use that against him

– Looks a little bit lot at times when linebackers hit backside or just in general the picture changes post-snap and his initial assignment isn’t “in place”

– Has some body-control issues trying to secure moving targets in the defensive backfield

– Certainly more comfortable in a phonebooth, where he can battle them in confined space as a pass-protector than if he has to set a little wider and possibly redirect vs. sudden counters

– Doesn’t have the reactionary athleticism to still get the job done if he’s late with transitioning on twists or different games

 

I was shocked to see Van Pran’s arm length measuring in the sixth percentile at the combine, because if anything it looked like his ability to guide defenders further at the end of his reach was a plus. I might not want to use him on a lot of wide zone or leave him one-on-one if the opposing team puts an twitchy and active rusher over him, but for what he was asked to do at Georgia – which translates well to an offensive system that wants to hit in-between the tackles – he performed on a very high level. This guy’s a gritty run-blocker, who can move defenders off their landmark in a horizontal or vertical capacity, yet he can also be utilized on shorter pulls at least. In pass-protection, he rarely lunges and then has the shock in his hands to take control of rushers, and linebackers trying to crash into him with a runway won’t find much success either. As long as you don’t ask him to work longer pulls or get out in space a whole lot, I think he can start right away for a team at guard or center, preferably for a gap-scheme heavy offense.

 

 

 

8. Mason McCormick, South Dakota State

6’4”, 315 pounds; RS SR

 

After an initial redshirt in 2018 (three games played), McCormick started the final two games the following season, as the Jackrabbits lost the FCS Championship. From 2020 onwards, he was a fixture in the lineup at that left guard spot, ultimately finishing with a 57-game streak as a starter, while helping SDSU win back-to-back national titles. He was a team captain in three straight years and was named first-team All-FCS in the latter two.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Comes out of his stance with urgency and great pad-level, digging his hands under the rib-cage of D-linemen and taking them for a ride regularly

+ Provides significant vertical displacement on combos with his center and frequently rides nose-tackles into the lap of middle linebackers

+ For his wide build, McCormick’s ability to cover ground laterally and seal or reach-block A-gap defenders on the backside of run concepts is impressive

+ Makes sure to bump first-level defenders over to the opposite gap as he arrives for quick combos on inside zone before instantly progressing to the linebacker

+ On the backside, he delivers a forceful help hand against three-techniques to allow his tackle to secure scoop-blocks

+ Does well to ID the defense shifting or bringing down a linebacker late into the quarterback’s cadence and adjusting his assignment as the ball is snapped

+ Has plenty of torque to twist defenders out of the lane late

+ SDSU loved to used him on skill-pulls and short pulls on off-tackle plays, where he would bury some linebackers trying to fill

+ It’s almost weird to see a guy with McCormack’s square-like build fly out towards the perimeter and get a piece of safeties on wide receiver screens, often times after throwing by rushers

 

Pass-protection:

+ Built like a brick-wall and tough to go through in passing situations

+ Those hands are like cinderblocks, stone-walling interior rushers and then attaching them to their numbers to shut those down completely

+ It never feels like McCormack to moves defenders are throwing at him, sitting back and watching them go nowhere as he calmly slides in front of them

+ Uses his hands in independent fashion to stab at and square up rushers in front of him

+ With his arms being 34 inches, he has a longer reach than many guards to guide rushers off track when they swat his hands away late

+ Quickly closes that space towards his center when he sees the guy over him loop across the formation, in order to pick up D-tackles slanting his way

+ Put together an incredible Shrine Bowl week, where he was able to shut down a talented group of interior pass-rushers, mirroring multiple moves on several occasions, along with pushing people around in the run game

+ Across 1605 pass-blocking snaps in his career, McCormick was only charged with three sacks and 24 additional pressures (zero sacks, three pressures in 2023)

 

Weaknesses:

– Will just launch himself into D-tackles on angular blocks and slip off already against FCS competition, which will be a bigger issue against more skilled NFL linemen with their hand-usage

– Has rather heavy feet and rarely had the edges of his frame challenged by twitchy interior rushers

– Doesn’t fit his hands nearly as well when defenders slant across his face and there’s not a lot of surface area to attach to

– Whether in the run or pass game, there’s some stiffness to adjusting to moving targets and redirecting as he needs to shuffle back over to the center after setting outside initially

– Despite his massive amount of experience (3411 career snaps), only 15 of those snaps didn’t come at left guard, offering limited positional flexibility potentially

 

I was very happy that I got around to watching both South Dakota O-line prospects – McCormick and left tackle Garret Greenfield – prior to Shrine Bowl week, because they were two of the biggest standouts throughout practices. Coming out of my (limited) tape evaluation, I thought he was an ass-kicking run-blocker who was more mobile than his frame might suggest, looking at how often he was asked to pull, but while people were not going to get through him, I thought he may be challenged in new ways as interior rushers would threaten his edges. And then he just went out there and basically had a clean bill all week long, because of how patient he was in those one-on-ones and how we wouldn’t let go anymore, once he was able to fit his hands inside. Now, I do still believe there’s another jump up to NFL competition, where he will be stressed laterally and trying to take care of faster-moving bodies in the front-seven, but with an RAS score of 9.97 and nearly flawless tape as a senior as well as Shrine Bowl participant, he had to be inside this top-ten.

 

 

 

9. Christian Mahogany, Boston College

6‘3“, 320 pounds; RS SR

 

A three-star recruit in 2019, Mahogany redshirted his first season, before starting all 22 games the following two years and being named second-team All-ACC in the latter one of those, when he switched over from left to right guard. He missed the entire 2022 season after tearing his right ACL in June, but then bounced back big-time, improving to first-team all-conference as a 12-game starter at that RG spot last year.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Presents a wide chest and packs a ton of pop in his hands

+ Makes good use of the bucket-step and has that broad chest to take control of D-linemen in the play-side gap of outside zone

+ Keeps working laterally on those lateral concepts, whether he has to stay thick or climb early on combos

+ You see Mahogany provide force towards the side of nose-tackles and push them over to open up significant cutback lanes on the backside

+ Leads with his near-shoulder and is regularly able to create that initial momentum on vertical double-teams, such as “duo”

+ Has the thump at contact to absorb the momentum of linebackers creeping or attack downhill and redirect it, in order to ride them out of the lane

+ Legitimately bowls over edge defenders on kick-outs and wil happily pounce on top of them

+ As only a redshirt sophomore, he was one of six Power Five guards who earned 80+ grades as a pass- and run-blocker – and he nearly did the same this past year

 

Pass-protection:

+ Shows quick, active feet in protection

+ Features impressive change-of-direction skills to mirror rushers moving a lot side-to-side

+ Probably can kick out to tackle in a pinch with the way he can cover ground against wide three-techniques, where he leads with the outside foot in a quasi-kick-slide

+ Does a nice job of squaring up blitzing linebackers and neutralizing their charge

+ Patient with sorting out different pressure looks and rarely gets caught out of position

+ Even when he commits his shoulder with the spiking D-tackle, he’s typically able to cut off and take control of the end looping over the top, thanks to his sturdy base

+ Dishes out some wicked rib-shots when he’s unoccupied in protection

+ Wasn’t charged with any sacks or QB hits last season and just seven hurries across 422 pass-blocking snaps

 

Weaknesses:

– Has a pretty high center of gravity and against NFL defensive linemen where he doesn’t have the raw strength advantage, that lost leverage battle will become more prevalent

– His feet tend to overrun the target and he can slip off blocks in the process when there’s more of a runway, particularly against savvier defenders in terms of their hand-usage

– Doesn’t have the greatest short-area burst, to where if he has to stay attached to the down-linemen, the backer beats him to the spot at times on the play-side (outside zone for example) or he just takes too long to get to his spot as a puller

– Tends to overextend when trying to short-set interior rushers and loses off the line more than you’d like to see on those

– Needs to gain more depth after delivering an initial bump as guys slant across his face or he’s just being unoccupied in protection

 

You’re not going to find many more powerful offensive linemen in this draft than Mahogany. That makes his inability to latch his hands under the pads of defensive linemen and control reps that much more frustrating. So often you see him move large men against their will and a second later he’s past them, allowing his initial defender to get involved on the tackle. And then other times I’m asking myself “why don’t you just sit back and stonewall pass-rushers” instead of compromising himself with more aggressive approaches. If you can ever truly bundle that force and get him to operate under better control, he could absolutely develop into a quality starter. Yet, it may take him until his sophomore season to eliminate those whiffs sprinkled in throughout his tape. It was good to see him create movement throughout team periods and be more patient during one-on-ones at Shrine Bowl practices, to remind people of his ability, considering he missed all of 2022 and Boston College wasn’t seen on television a whole lot last season. I’d be willing to spend a day late day two pick on him.

 

 

 

10. Beaux Limmer, Arkansas

6’5”, 305 pounds; RS SR

 

The 10th-ranked center in the 2019 recruiting class, Limmer saw action in four games his freshman year, before starting all but two of seven and 13 games respectively for the Gophers the next two seasons, helping the Hogs become one of the most effective rushing teams in the country. In 2023, he took over at the pivot for Commanders third-round pick Ricky Stromberg.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Consistently moves bodies with grip strength, the way he rolls his hips and drives his legs through contact

+ Packs plenty of oomph when arriving underneath the arm-pit/pads of defensive linemen engaged with his fellow linemen on quick doubles, to allow him to quickly transition and open up big lanes on zone concepts

+ Yet, he also effectively steps in with the backside foot and hand for quick combos, allowing his teammates to bring their base around and reach the down-lineman

+ Brings a strong inside hand to get bodies turned and ride them down the line on drive and inside-zone blocks on the play-side

+ Takes excellent angles up to the second level, in order to wall off bodies there in accordance to the play-design

+ Consistently is able to lock up linebackers with a tight, low strike and shooting his hips into them

+ Will strain and continue re-position his hands, with good flexibility in his lower half to find drive points and churns his feet through

+ Brings an obvious tenacity continue to go after people, even as they run themselves out of picture

+ Was one of only three Power Five guards who recorded 80-plus grades as both a pass- and run-blocker in 2022, before being a steady presence at the pivot last year

 

Pass-protection:

+ Showcases advanced knowledge for pass-pro techniques, whether he brings the fight early with short-sets and stabs or squares up and lands two-handed strikes 

+ Has a knack for forklifting rushers in his face, even if they’re first to land their hands

+ Displays an apparent understanding for where the bigger threat is and how to keep the A-gaps clean as rushers slide over his way, when he has no direct assignment

+ Provides the balance and grip strength to not allow defenders to shed and find escape routes once he gets his paws inside of them

+ Does a great job of dropping his weight and anchoring against powerful interior rushers, by activating all of his joints and unlocking those hips

+ Stays patient in his pass-sets and is ready to take over the secondary man on twists at all times

+ Showcases the mental capacity to quickly come off somebody rushing over him and get a piece of a delayed rusher, when he has help, with the line sliding his way

+ Did get charged with eight sacks last season but only 26 additional pressures across 1224 pass-blocking snaps these last three years combined

 

Weaknesses:

– Not particularly explosive out of his stance and much better on zone-blocking rather than trying to create vertical displacement

– His base tends to narrow a few steps into run-blocks and he can be vulnerable to losing his balance

– Occasionally overextends when he goes for one-handed strikes against nose tackles and opens the door for quick wins when they’re able to swipe it away

– Can get his weight too far shifted onto his toes in pass-pro and rushers pulling him forward in order to get by him

– Had a PFF grade of just 40.8 on true pass-sets, speaking to the fact that you don’t want to leave him on an island a ton, which also showed up at times during Senior Bowl week, when Texas’ monstrous T’Vondre Sweat basically folded him over at one point

 

When I tuned into Senior Bowl practices the first time and saw him in odd-looking yoga poses as he was getting bull-rushed by big T’Vondre Sweat, I was concerned. However, this dude just continued to battle and ended up winning the majority of his one-on-ones – even against the big man from Texas later on – while his ability to create horizontal displacement and fly up to linebackers during run periods really stood out as well. Plus, then he put together a really strong combine workout, with the best vertical jump among the interior O-line group at 36.5 inches and he led all combine participants with 39 reps on the bench press. Limmer can back-block when you want to pull your guards and shield shade-alignments, but really he’s going to make his money on the move, whether it’s inside or outside zone. Pass-protection is still the question mark and I think he’ll continue to have some struggles if you leave him isolated with long, powerful A-gap rushers. However, if you’re calling a lot more slide protections and continue to work with him on keeping his weight centered if he does want to take control early, I think he can be a definite plus in that regard as well, thanks to how well he identifies pre-snap pressure and handles post-snap movement. For the right system, this could be a starting center at the end of day two.

 

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Just missed the cut:

 

 

Dominick Puni, Kansas

6’5”, 315 pounds; RS SR

 

Not receiving any D1 attention back in 2019, Puni spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Central Missouri State, starting at both tackle spots. Over his two years with the Jayhawks, he started all but two of 22 games on the blindside, making first-team All-Big 12 in the latter one of those, after being an honorable mention the season prior.

 

Run-blocking:

+ Generally showcases good awareness for angles, when he just needs to cut off defenders on the backside, etc.

+ Regularly is able to land that initial strike to turn edge defenders towards the sideline and create an indication to hit the front-side of inside zone

+ Quick to erase the gap towards shade-techniques on down-blocks/pin-downs off GT power and similar concepts

+ Does well to apply force to the arm-pit of D-linemen on angular blocks, forcing them to find an anchor after giving ground initially

+ His short-area agility to execute reach- and hinge-blocks on the backside of run plays really stands out, often times incorporate a cross-over step to get it done

+ Light on his feet to release towards the second level and pin linebackers inside on misdirection plays for example

+ Very nimble for taking on long pulls and getting out in space for the screen game, being able to gather and occupy moving targets

+ Was only penalized twice across 745 snaps in 2023

 

Pass-protection:

+ Patient, confident pass-protector, who rarely oversets or stops his feet as rushers try to give him different looks

+ Understands how to maximize his length and keep (edge) rushers away from his frame

+ Capable of jumping out to wide-nine rushers and quickly cut off their angle, without making himself super vulnerable to losing instantly

+ You don’t really see Puni panic as guys try to crash across his face, with the lateral mobility to shuffle along and ride them into the pile

+ Showcases impressive fluidity in the lower half to flip and ride rushers trying to jump outside and beat him around the corner

+ When he recognizes that something is off and there’s a delayed rusher coming or the picture changes at the last moment, his eyes are lightning-quick to find his new responsibility and puts his body in the way

+ Continues to put in work deep into pass-pro reps, as his man starts chasing after the scrambling quarterback, yet Puni gets that extra shove to allow his guy to keep extending

+ Didn’t allow any sacks and just eight pressures in each of the last two seasons (783 combined pass-blocking snaps)

 

Weaknesses:

– Doesn’t offer overwhelming power to create vertical displacement in the run game

– You don’t really see him snatch the jersey of defenders and control blocks, as regularly there’ll be guys sliding off and getting involved on the tackle against him

– Can get a little overzealous faking the run and allows savvier defenders to swipe away the hands, putting him into recovery mode on what should be “easy” reps

– Gets his weight shifted too far over the outside foot and will be vulnerable to edge rushers who can attack inside the pec with force, in order to take the direct path towards the QB, if he stays out at tackle

– His more natural fit is at guard, but his poor pad-level could become an issue there

 

Dominick Puni is one of the more interesting offensive line prospects, but he looks more like a light-footed tackle than a rugged guard, but I thought a lot of the skills that are appealing about him otherwise make him a more attractive option inside. His short-area agility to execute reach- and scoop-blocks can be a valuable asset for a wide zone-based scheme, yet he also has the light feet and coordinative skills to get up to the second level and take on generally challenging pulling assignments. In pass-protection, he may be quite tall in his sets and limits his ability to anchor against power-rush attempts, but it’s in that more confined space when opponents don’t have the runway to build up momentum and it’s more about his lateral movement skills, that can really allow him to shine. He’ll never be a road-grader near the point of attack and even when setting against wider fronts, he’ll need to work on his ability to keep his weight centered better, but this guy may offer you four-position flexibility if he’s your sixth lineman early on and particularly at guard is where he excelled during Senior Bowl week. I don’t think he’s making it out of the top-100 picks.

 

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The next names up:

Brandon Coleman (TCU), Tanor Bortolini (Wisconsin), Hunter Nourzad (Penn State), Satao Laumea (Utah), Layden Robinson (Texas A&M), Isaiah Adams (Illinois), Drake Nugent & Trevor Keegan (Michigan), Andrew Raym (Oklahoma) & Javion Cohen (Miami)