Which guards and centers will matter in the 2019 NFL Draft, and what’s the college perspective on all of the top prospects?
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Quenton Nelson turned into a star as the sixth overall pick last year, and a whopping eight interior linemen were taken in the top 40 selections. Guards and centers are no longer the guys who can simply fill in the gaps.
The positions are getting their just due.
There isn’t a Nelson in this draft, but there’s a ton of versatility with quick, athletic options who’ll try out at tackle but will kick inside. It’s a great draft for both positions, even if it’s not as strong as 2018.
15. OG Phil Haynes, Wake Forest
6-4, 322: The draft is missing the giant-bodied interior smash-blockers. That’s not really Haynes’ style, but he’s incredibly strong, has seen time at tackle, and he’s got the size and frame. The athleticism is lacking, and quicker interior defenders will be an issue, but he should be a late-round steal for someone looking for a good run blocker.
Projected Round: Fifth
14. OG Ben Powers, Oklahoma
6-4, 307: The tools aren’t there. He has decent size, and the will is there to get the job done, but he’s not athletic enough and he’s not strong enough to be a star at the next level. However, he’s always going full-bore, and he’ll be the rare Day Three pick who’ll find a starting gig.
Projected Round: Fourth
13. C Lamont Gaillard, Georgia
6-3, 305: A good guard at early on in his Georgia career, he turned into the center and quarterback of the line for two years at a high level. He’s a true leader for a line with the smarts and personality to make a line his. He’s just not big enough, and he doesn’t bring enough pop.
Projected Round: Fourth
12. OG Beau Benzschawel,Wisconsin
6-6, 309: There’s a whole lot of versatility and options among the top interior linemen in the draft. Benzschawel is an NFL guard. While he’s not the normal Wisconsin destructive force of a run blocker, he’s got the feet to handle interior pass rushers and is excellent at walling off his man.
Projected Round: Fourth
11. OG Dru Samia, Oklahoma (OT)
6-5, 305: He’s just one of those guys you want to provide a big-time attitude for your line. He can move, he’s great in pass protection, and he’s a reliable veteran. His power doesn’t quite match the fire – the bulkier defensive tackles will get to him – but he’ll never take a play off and he’ll always fight to make a block.
Projected Round: Fourth
10. OG NatE Davis, Charlotte
6-3, 316: Yeah, he might get a look-see at right tackle just to see if he fits, but with his body type and bulk, he’s a next-level guard. The feet and athleticism are just good enough to be fine in pass protection, but his worth will be for the ground game – he has to show he can crush as a right guard.
Projected Round: Third
9. OG Connor McGovern, Penn State (C)
6-5, 308: A better guard than a center for Penn State, he’ll find a spot somewhere on the inside of someone’s line. He’ll provide a nice pop for the ground game, and he’s got the strength to be one of the draft’s better power blockers. However, he’s a bit inconsistent and could take a little while to turn into a steady pass protector.
Projected Round: Third
8. C Elgton Jenkins, Mississippi State (OG, OT)
6-4, 310: The versatility is there to be tried out anywhere on the line, but his money will be made at center at the next level. He’s not an elite-level athlete for his size, and he’s not going to crush anyone on a regular basis, but he’s a good, sound blocker who’ll get the job done.
Projected Round: Third
7. OG Michael Jordan, Ohio State (C)
6-6, 312: In a draft full of too many smallish, quick blockers for the interior, Jordan is the big-bodied versatile option who can work at guard or center. The best part is that he’s just scratching the surface. Once he settles in at one spot and gets the technique down, he’ll be a steady starter.
Projected Round: Third
6. C Garrett Bradbury, NC State
6-3, 306: He’s not all that huge, but he doesn’t make mistakes, and he can move. If he’s not the first center off the board, he’ll be a close second with the strength to be a starter right out of the gate. The only big question mark is the lack of bulk – it would be nice if he checked in around 315ish – but he’s very, very quick.
Projected Round: First
5. OG Michael Deiter, Wisconsin (OT, C)
6-5, 309: An elite college blocker both as a tackle and a guard, he can even work at center, too. No, he’s not quite as good at any one position as some of the blockers lower on this list, but he can play anywhere.
The problem might be that he’s destined to be a very good starter who can fill in the gap anywhere, but not quite enough of a killer to be a perennial Pro Bowl talent at any one job. However, he has little technique work to do, and he’ll be ultra-reliable and solid no matter where he plays. He’ll be one of those guys who ends up being a sure-thing starter somewhere on a front five for ten years.
Power is going to be the issue early on. He’s not all that bulky, and he has to get a whole lot NFL stronger to be the guy the running game works behind, but yeah, the jack-of-all-trades thing will matter with him.
Take him somewhere after the first 75 picks, and as long as the rest of the line is set, you have a puzzle piece.
Projected Round: Third
Real Value: Early Third
NEXT: If he was just a little bit bigger …
4. OG Chris Lindstrom, Boston College (OT)
6-4, 308: The strength was a given, and there was no questioning the run blocking ability. And then he ripped off a 4.91 in the 40 at the combine.
There’s enough talent and athleticism there to try out at right tackle, and he might just stick on the outside. However, he doesn’t have the length to go along with the pure blocking talent – he’s going to end up at living at guard.
No, he’s not a massive blaster without the bulk to destroy too many NFL defensive tackles, but he’ll make a living as a technician of a right guard where his quickness will dominate in a zone-blocking scheme.
In terms of angles and doing all the little things right, it’s all there – he’d be a sure-thing top 20 pick if he was around 320ish on a 6-5ish frame – but as is he’s just fine. He’ll be impossible to get around as an interior pass blocker, and he’s more than capable of packing a punch, too.
Projected Round: Early Second
Real Value: Second
NEXT: Human beings this big shouldn’t be able to move this fast …
3. C Erik McCoy, Texas A&M (OG)
6-4, 303: Tremendously athletic for an interior blocker, he ran a shockingly amazing 4.89 40 to go along with the prerequisite strength and explosion.
He’s not massive, but he’s strong and tough for a center with the ability to work at guard and move around when and where needed. Very safe, very consistent, and with a good set of skills to handle any type of defensive lineman, he’ll be at his best once he settles in at center and turns into the quarterback of the line.
The lack of size will be a wee bit of a problem against the bulkier NFL defensive tackles, but he’ll win more than his share of battles.
He was a power blocker at A&M, and the concern in offseason workouts was going to be his overall athleticism and if the tools translate to the tape – those questions have been more than answered.
Projected Round: Second
Real Value: Second
NEXT: One of the safest picks of the draft …
2. OG Cody Ford, Oklahoma (OT)
6-4, 329: With his tremendous size and versatility, he can be put just about anywhere on a line and he’ll be a terrific starter for a long, long time.
The star on a fantastic Oklahoma offensive front, he could work on the outside at the next level with good enough feet and the mentality to hold his own against the speed rushers, but he’s going to grow into a Pro Bowl star on the inside.
Playing tackle might be a stretch. He can do it, but it’ll take some work, and there will be some big lumps taken before he gets comfortable. But at guard, he’s a Day One starter with a great attitude to turn into the one to work behind in key moments.
Wherever he works, he’ll take over and make a line his right away. He’s not Quenton Nelson, and he’s not worth a top 15 overall pick, but in the back half of the first round he’s a rock-solid safe pick with a massive upside if it all clicks at tackle.
Projected Round: Late First
Real Value: First
NEXT: He’s really good enough to be a tackle, but …
1. OG Jonah Williams, Alabama (OT)
6-4, 302: Fiiiiiiiiiine, he really is going to end up at guard, even though he might just be the best tackle in this draft.
He’s a technician of a blocker with the feet to be tried out at left tackle, but he’s missing the raw bulk to be a franchise guy on the outside. Of course it’s nice to have the road graders in the interior, but strength isn’t a problem for him, and the athleticism makes up for the shortcomings.
While he’s versatile enough to play anywhere, give him a little time at one spot and he’ll master the position.
No, he’s never going to be a blaster of a blocker, and there’s a chance that he’s really good at almost every position on the line, and not amazing at any one of them, but you don’t work at left tackle on Nick Saban’s line for a few years without being able to handle the job.
Wherever he ends up playing he’ll be fantastic for the next decade.
Projected Round: First
Real Value: Top 15 Overall
