Rankings and what to watch for out of all the offensive guard, center prospects invited to the 2020 NFL Combine.
2020 NFL Combine: Offensive Guard, Center
Date: Friday, February 28: Offensive Guards, Centers
Live Stream: fuboTV (click to watch for free)
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Network: NFL Network
From the college perspective. here are rankings and quick looks at all of the offensive guards and centers invited to the 2020 NFL Combine.
Before getting into the top five breakdown, here’s a ranking of the best of the rest and what to look for.
2020 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center Best of the Rest Rankings
Number in parentheses is the projected round drafted before the NFL Combine.
28. Andy Pinter, Ball State 6-4, 300 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: A good all-around blocker who can move a little bit, he’s not a tackle at the next level, and he’s not bulky enough or physical enough for the inside. He has to show something amazing athletically to look draftable.
27. Cordel Iwuagwu, TCU 6-3, 311 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: Too smallish to be a regular power blocker on the inside, he’s got the fight and he’s productive, but he has to come out with a few NFL tools to be more than a flier.
26. Simon Stepaniak, Indiana 6-4, 321 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: A tough guy blocker for the run, he’s a brick wall with ridiculous strength. He doesn’t have the feet – he can’t be lumbering in the drills.
25. Cameron Clark, Charlotte 6-5, 294 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: There’s a whole lot to his game to like, but he’s not bulky enough. He’s not a tackle at the next level, and he’s not going to be a punishing guard. There’s a show his workout is good enough to earn a longer look as a must-have versatile free agent.
24. Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson 6-2, 310 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: He’s just not big enough. He might have been an ultra-productive tackle at the highest of college levels, and something has to stand out about his workout to get everyone over his lack of bulk.
23. Mike Onwenu, Michigan 6-3, 350 (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: Way big and way bulky, good luck getting around him. Can he move at all? The length might not be there, but he’s a tough, strong hitter who can crank up his stock by looking solid in the quickness drills.
22. John Molchon, Boise State 6-5, 318 (Free Agent)
NFL Combine What Matters: A good blocker without a set position, he’s a tweener who could see time anywhere on a line, but needs to work inside without the pop to be a top guard. If he can show power, this would be it.
21. Cohl Cabral, Arizona State 6-5, 304 (C/OT) (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: A true center with the blocking ability to be a starter for a long, long time. He’s ready to lead an NFL line right away, but if he can show off good feet, he could be thought of as a versatile backup at tackle, too.
20. Trystan Colon-Castillo, Missouri 6-4, 315 (C/OG) (6)
NFL Combine What Matters: He has the size and versatility to play anywhere on the inside, but he doesn’t have the length NFL teams will want. He has to look and be a bit stronger and more powerful, if possible.
19. Logan Stenberg, Kentucky 6-6, 317 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: There’s a whole lot not to like. He might not look like a bulky guard, and he’s not going to come up with great times, but he’s a baller who was outstanding for the UK line over the last few years. The short drills will mean everything.
18. Jack Driscoll, Auburn 6-5, 296 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: Good luck figuring this one out. He doesn’t have NFL size, and he’ll never flatten anyone, but he can move, and he can produce. He’ll be easy to pass up because of his lack of bulk, but someone will love his upside as an option for either guard spot.
17. Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas 6-4, 302 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: A tackle-sized blocker who’ll end up working on the inside, he doesn’t have the size of an NFL guard. Someone will want him as a jack-of-all-trades, but he has to look like a possible next-level starter.
16. Jake Hanson, Oregon 6-5, 297 (C/OG) (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: One of the meanest – in a good way – blockers in the draft, he’s the leader everyone will want. Now he has to show off the NFL ability and quickness to get past the lack of raw bulk.
15. Matt Hennessy, Temple 6-4, 302 (C/OG) (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: Can he move well enough to get scouts past his lack of bulk and size? He’s a smart, quick, veteran blocker who knows how to handle a line, but can he add any more pop to his frame?
14. Darryl Williams, Mississippi State 6-3, 310 (C/OG) (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: He’s not big enough, but he was a high-end SEC blocker with the versatility to work in a variety of ways in the middle of a line. He’s got a nice enough mix of skills to get drafted, but he has to look like the most athletic center.
13. Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon 6-5, 309 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: Draft him and he’ll find a starting home somewhere. Talented enough to play any position, he might be a true tweener without a true spot, and he doesn’t have one NFL tool in the box, but he’s a fantastic football player. Something has to stand out, though.
12. Jonah Jackson, Ohio State 6-4, 310 (C/OG) (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: Able to play anywhere in the interior, he can move well and he’ll fit for the faster-paced teams that like to wing the ball all over the place. If it’s possible to show pure power in this workout, he has to do it.
11. Shane Lemieux, Oregon 6-4, 316 (5)
NFL Combine What Matters: He looks the part of a big, tough guard who’ll bring his pop on every snap, can he move at all? There’s a whole lot to not like about his style and his game, but he’ll take over a line and make it his.
10. Nick Harris, Washington 6-1, 293 (C) (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: Opinions on him will be all across the board. On production, toughness and skills, he’s it. He’s a special center who can move as well as any middle man in the draft. But he just doesn’t have the size, and there’s no way to fix that.
9. Keith Ismael, San Diego State 6-3, 300 (C/OG) (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: He’s one of those guys who’ll drop a bit because he’s not the right size and he doesn’t have a set spot, and then he mans the pivot of a line for a decade. Is his shoulder okay after having it fixed up?
8. Netane Muti, Fresno State 6-3, 307 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: One of the best pure guards in the draft in pure talent and ability, he’s a strong, feisty blocker who someone will love to have as a good-value pick. So what’s the issue? He’s been way too banged up. The medical evaluation will be everything.
7. Solomon Kindley, Georgia 6-4, 335 (4)
NFL Combine What Matters: Here’s the bulk that’s so sorely missing. He’s got an NFL mindset who’ll destroy his many, and he has the size to be a dominant force. Just a wee bit of athleticism will make him a possible top 100 pick.
6. Cesar Ruiz, Michigan 6-4, 319 (C/OG) (3)
NFL Combine What Matters: The size is there to go along with the versatility. Watch out – everyone in Indy will love him. He’s going to have the athleticism to go along with the bulk, and he has a shot to win the combine and move up.
NEXT: No. 5 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center
5. Damien Lewis, LSU 6-3, 332 (3)
Why He’s Here On The List: A killer of a run blocker who’ll obliterate everything in his path. Yes, he was surrounded by a bunch of talent, and no, he can’t move all that well, but he’ll be a tone-setter on someone’s offensive front. No, he doesn’t have the ideal length, but he’d got the bulk.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Can he run at all? No one’s going to ask him to be a finesse pulling guard, but he’ll be the one to work behind for the hard yard. He just can’t be brutally slow and lumbering.
Bottom Line: Sort of ignored as one of the key cogs in a special offensive juggernaut, he might be the best pure blocking players in the draft, but he’s not for everyone. Don’t overthink this. He’s not going to do anything on the run, and he’s not going to be a finesse blocker, but he’ll be a fantastic mid-round value get just outside of the top 100.
NEXT: No. 4 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center
4. Ben Bredeson, Michigan 6-5, 316 (3)
Why He’s Here On The List: He’s a good enough all-around blocker to be a steady NFL starter for a long time. There isn’t a big ceiling and there isn’t anything that screams All-Pro superstar, but he’s a relatively safe option who can pop.
What The NFL Types Want To See: He’s got to be quick, and he has to look like a decent athlete, even though that’s not his game. He’s going to look the part, and teams are going to want him for his variety of tools, but he has to be able to move.
Bottom Line: There’s nothing boring about infrastructure. He might not generate a ton of love from the fan base of the team that takes him, but he’ll be as reliable and dependable as they come. He might slide if scouts are looking for a shot for the stars.
NEXT: No. 3 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center
3. John Simpson, Clemson 6-4, 330 (3)
Why He’s Here On The List: Combine the size, the movement, and the ability and the NFL upside, he’s as good and as strong as any guard-only blocker in the draft. He’s not an elite prospect like a Quenton Nelson, but he brings the power and he can move just enough to not be planted into the ground.
What The NFL Types Want To See: The feet have to be there. Among a group of guards who are all about the same, he can’t be brutally lumbering. He’s not going to blaze away with the wide receivers, but the short drills have to be okay. He might be a phone booth blocker, but just a little bit of movement will work wonders.
Bottom Line: There’s a whole lot to be concerned about – he grabs way too much and he’ll have problems with the elite interior speed rushers – but with his size and overall set of skills, he’s going to be a nice value pick after the second round who turns into a key part of an NFL interior.
NEXT: No. 2 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center
2, Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU 6-3, 315 (C/OG) (2)
Why He’s Here On The List: More of a top prospect as a center than a guard, he’s got good size for the position compared to several of the other top options, and he certainly knows how to get the job done leading a line. There’s nothing special about his game, but he’s a serious run blocker who dealt with elite of the elite defensive tackles and didn’t get pushed around.
What The NFL Types Want To See: Is there anything there to potentially move to guard if needed? Is he smooth enough to be more than just a powerful popper in the middle? Everyone will like his style and his leadership capabilities, but not if he’s painfully slow.
Bottom Line: Some scouts might want a little better frame, and he might not be the overall force that some of the other top interior blockers are, but he’s got more than enough going his way to be a longtime NFL starter who won’t require a whole ton of work.
NEXT: No. 1 Pre-NFL Combine Offensive Guard, Center
1. Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin 6-3, 321 (C) (2)
Why He’s Here On The List: In an okay year for interior linemen, Biadasz is the rock of a blocker who won’t get you beat. That might not seem exciting, but if you want a starting NFL center, here’s a starting NFL center. He won’t be a gamechanger for a line, but he’ll be a leader and a pro in every way for a team to rely on.
What The NFL Types Want To See: It sounds basic, but the bench press should be a big deal. It’s not the be-all-end-all for a player, but considering Biadasz’s ability and technique, the brutish raw power would help cement him as one of the top centers.
Bottom Line: Yet another fantastic Wisconsin offensive linemen who’ll do everything exactly as you’d expect. He’s not going to be dominant in pass protection, and he’s not the blaster of a blocker you might think he’d be, but he’s got the size, the technique, and the experience to be a starter right out of the box. He’s just a very, very good all-around blocker.
