OFFENSIVE GUARDS
1. Chase Bisontis · Texas A&M · Junior · 6’6 · 330
Texas A&M will likely send four offensive linemen into the draft this season, and five of their linemen from the 2024 season. Bisontis was the most impressive to me in the group, with a big frame, good movement skills, and displays of dominance against even some of the best defenses in college football. He showed great discipline and skill in the pass game, picking up blockers with ease, and is more than capable of handling himself on an island with a bigger defensive lineman. He is a decent pull blocker but would be better suited to a zone-gap scheme, as his ability to perform clear-outs and reach blocks really impressed me. Entering the 2025 season, Bisontis is my top-ranked guard because of his big frame and strong projectability, as well as an already polished skill set that will translate to the NFL.
2. Olaivavega Ioane · Penn State · Junior · 6’4 · 335
When you talk about Ioane as a prospect, the first thing you have to mention is the sheer size and power he possesses. On the interior of the offensive line, every team needs a guy like Ioane who can dominate his opponent by getting low and winning with power. Penn State has one of the best offensive lines in the nation and will likely send three to six players to the NFL this year. But in my opinion, there is nobody better than Ioane. He was a steadfast anchor on the interior of the Penn State offensive line, which leaned heavily on the run game with two of the best running backs in the nation. His ability to create gaps with dominant power and to get low and create a seal was impressive. There will be some concerns about his lack of agility to get upfield and pull as a blocker. He is on the slower side, but that is something that comes with carrying as much weight as he does. I’m confident he will succeed in the NFL, and I think he could be a day-one starting guard.
3. Anez Cooper · Miami · Senior · 6’6 · 345
If you like to see guards with dominating size and power, Cooper is just that—and some. His massive frame gives him a wide base and allows him to take up a lot of space. He has long arms and immense power, making him an elite power-run blocker. He can seal off big nose tackles and create gaps for running backs, making him one of the best run-blocking linemen in the class, regardless of position. Size and power are the name of the game for Cooper, and he is one of the best at it. He can sometimes have trouble with hand placement and may even have his strength used against him. But some refinement in technique could shape him into an excellent NFL starting guard.
4. Emmanuel Pregnon · Oregon · Senior · 6’4 · 320
It has been a journey for Pregnon as he has made his way through college. Starting his career at Wyoming as an unrated recruit for most people, he did not find the field until his third year out of high school (used two redshirts, one for COVID and one free) as a redshirt sophomore. He played well as a redshirt sophomore for the Cowboys and elected to enter the transfer portal for his fourth season, transferring to USC, where he was one of the best left guards in the Big Ten and did not allow a sack in 2024. With one more year of eligibility remaining, Pregnon transferred again and has had an excellent season at Oregon. While he is on the older side, Pregnon is a very skilled pass protector on the interior of the offensive line and will be a great NFL depth piece who can come in and make an impact as a swing guard.
5. Cole Hutson · Texas · Senior · 6’5 · 310
Hutson is a guard playing in a tackle’s body, and while some people may have concerns that he is too tall to be a guard, the film shows me something else. Hutson is going to be in the conversation as the best pass-protecting guard in this year’s draft class, and I came away incredibly impressed with his polished skills on the interior of the Texas offensive line. You may watch hours of Texas film and never see Hutson dominate an opposing defensive lineman, but you will also see very few struggles. You will seldom see an offensive lineman with the discipline and polished skills that you see with Hutson. He is incredible at pass protection, and the left side of the Texas offensive line, alongside Trevor Goosby, was elite overall. Hutson handles stunts well and does an incredible job of handing off his guy and picking up rushers up the middle. He lacks power and will not be someone who pancakes the man in front of him, but he’s strong and does a good job sealing off lanes in the zone run game. Maybe the most underhyped prospect in the draft.
6. Jaeden Roberts · Alabama · Junior · 6’4 · 325
Roberts is a big offensive lineman with an aggressive mentality and a massive frame, with length and strength that he uses to get quick leverage early in the run game. He knows exactly how to use his massive size and power to get leverage and create gaps in the run game with ease. Roberts is a subpar pass blocker and can miss assignments, resulting in early pressure up the middle. Roberts is aggressive and likes to try to get up on linemen early on snaps and often looks to jump-set bigger linemen. Roberts’s wide base is good and allows him to take up space and keep quicker guys in front of him. In the pass game, Roberts can get stiff and struggles with lateral movement at times, but he is sure to be one of the best zone blockers in the draft, with upside to be a solid pass protector as well. If Roberts can improve his pass-blocking skill set, he could be one of the best offensive linemen in the draft.
7. DJ Campbell · Texas · Senior · 6’3 · 315
Texas may well have the best offensive line in the nation, immediately after a year in which they sent four starters to the NFL. Campbell was the only returning starter on the line, and he has replicated his performance from last season, when he impressed scouts at right guard. Campbell comes in at just 315, which is slightly undersized for an offensive guard, but his power is dominating, and he is one of the strongest players in this year’s draft. Campbell excels in the run game, where he wins with dominating power and a strong lower half. Campbell has good mobility and can pull effectively in both the run and pass games. He sometimes has a base that gets too wide and can struggle to make the necessary lateral steps to keep up with faster rushers. With some development, I think he could very easily be a starting guard in the NFL for years to come.
8. Kam Dewberry · Alabama · Senior · 6’3 · 345
If your team needs to add some bulk and power to the interior of your offensive line, look no further than Kam Dewberry. One of the strongest players in the class, Dewberry comes in shy of 350 pounds and displays the skills to be one of the best run blockers in the entire draft. In the run game, Dewberry is a forklift, churning his legs and getting an upright lift with his arms to push back interior defensive linemen. He is a great zone blocker as well, taking that first step and shifting his hips to create zone gaps for his running back. Dewberry does not have great length, and in the pass game, at times, his weight and leverage can be used against him. But I think his power in the run game and anchor potential in the pass game make him a high-quality guard prospect.
9. Patrick Kutas · Mississippi · Senior · 6’4 · 315
One of the top players in the transfer portal this season was Patrick Kutas, who chose to leave Arkansas for Ole Miss for his senior season. Kutas has proven to be a very skilled guard who provides consistency on the interior of the offensive line and makes an impact in every part of the game. In the pass game, he does a great job of squaring up to tackles and has a solid base to anchor himself and keep the pocket clean. In the run game, he is more agile than he is powerful and loves to be used as a pull blocker or to get off his block and make an impact play at the second level. He has a relatively average frame for a guard and may not dominate with power on the interior, but consistency in the pass game is something that NFL teams will love to see. There has been a clear improvement from Ole Miss’s offensive line, especially on the interior, this season, and it is very possible you can credit that to the addition of Kutas. He will likely be a late-round draft pick who I think can rotate in at either guard spot, and if he does get into the game, he may not give the job back.
10. Josh Thompson · LSU · Senior · 6’4 · 305
Thompson is yet another example of a player with a tackle’s skill set playing guard in this year’s draft. When you watch the LSU offense, Thompson may not be the guy that catches your eye, but his discipline and consistency on the interior could make him a valuable NFL player. In the modern NFL, teams that pass a lot are looking for guards who can pass protect and consistently make an impact, and Thompson is just that. He may never be the type of guard who takes over the game with dominant power, but his technique is almost flawless, and he does a great job positioning himself to keep his QB clean. In the run game, he may not have a ton of power, but he does hold his own, especially as a zone blocker, where he can create gaps and stand strong. Thompson may not have the traits to be a top draft pick, but his consistency will get him selected, and I expect him to start as a depth player who could make the most of an opportunity if he is put on the field.
11. Jeremiah Wright · Auburn · Senior · 6’5 · 340
Auburn will likely send five to six offensive linemen to the NFL this season and may have the best line in all of college football. Wright is a brick wall with a massive frame who packs a punch and dominates on the interior of the offensive line. He has elite strength to hold his assignment in the pass game, combined with dominant run-game power to create a seal and allow the running back to power through the zone gap. Wright can struggle with stunts, and when the defense forces him to shift his momentum and come back laterally to pick up a blitzer. His massive frame and dominant power can limit his lateral movement. Still, when he squares up against the opposing defender, he is a wall that never gets pushed back and an elite run blocker. He will be a perfect fit for a power-run scheme in the NFL, using his big, powerful frame to create run lanes up the middle. Should be a great late-day two or early-day three pick.
12. Ar’maj Reed-Adams · Texas A&M · Senior · 6’5 · 340
Maybe the biggest case of malpractice in college football was Texas A&M’s use of Ar’maj Reed-Adams in 2024, one of the biggest and strongest offensive linemen in the sport. Texas A&M is all but certain to send four offensive linemen to the draft in 2025, and ARA was one of the bigger names entering the year. His massive frame and dominant power made him appealing to NFL teams, but some misuse and struggles in pass protection raised concerns. ARA was often asked to pull in the run game, a skill he was capable of, but he was much better at as a power downhill run blocker. In pass protection, he struggled, often missing assignments and failing to get off double teams to pick up the blitz. These struggles raised concerns among many scouts, and he will need to clean up his act in 2025. If he can show that he can be productive in every facet of the game, he could shoot up draft boards.
13. Fernando Carmona · Arkansas · Senior · 6’5 · 325
Carmona was the full-time left tackle for the Razorbacks in 2024, where he was solid and put himself on the radar as an NFL-caliber offensive lineman. After high school, Carmona was a three-star recruit who committed to San Jose State, where he played some tight end but was profiled as a tackle. He transferred to Arkansas as a junior and has played well against some of the nation’s fiercest competition. He found some issues at tackle: he struggled to get wide kicks against faster speed rushers, and a lack of finesse in his upper body held him back. Moving to the interior, Carmona can play into his big frame and will try to win with power more than he had to at tackle. He was a subpar run blocker at tackle, but moving to the interior will be a better fit for him in the future. He has great movement skills and will develop into a run blocker with time as he becomes more comfortable in the interior.
Centers
1. Connor Lew
School: Auburn • Junior • 6’3″ • 300 lbs
Lew is the best run-blocking center in the class, who has had an incredibly successful career at Auburn since being thrown right into the fire as a freshman in 2023. Despite being just 300 pounds on the dot, Lew plays with a lot of power, and when you watch the film, you can see him standing up defensive tackles that have 50+ pounds on him. He is quick with his snaps and uses his hands early to create gaps in the run game. Auburn will likely send four to six offensive linemen to the draft this season, and Lew may very well be the best of them. He has excellent strength and power, but can maintain his more petite center frame to get upfield and impact the second level. He does a great job of getting upfield and making impact blocks on linebackers, giving his running back a little extra support. He knows when to get off his blocks and get moving to make the most impact for his running backs. The biggest concern I have for Lew is that sometimes defensive linemen can win early with fast lateral movement, getting to his left outside shoulder and turning him around. This is splitting hairs, but making sure he can handle faster 0-tech DTs will be important in the NFL. Lew is still young, but he has been the anchor for Auburn’s elite offensive line over the last three years, and his polished skill set could make him a first-round pick come April. An injury may raise concerns, but he should still be a gem in this year’s draft.
2. Jake Slaughter
School: Florida • Senior • 6’5″ • 295 lbs
Many people had Slaughter ranked as the top center in this year’s class entering the season, but the emergence of Connor Lew at Auburn has taken some of the attention away from him. Slaughter is a big center who, at 6’5, would be one of the tallest centers in the NFL. His big frame may raise some concern in the NFL about his ability to generate power and stand up to smaller but stronger nose tackles. But for Slaughter, the film shows a strong and talented player with a great ability to anchor himself and make impact blocks, one-on-one or as a help blocker in the zone run. Ideally, I think Slaughter will join a pass-heavy team that also runs a zone-run scheme, allowing him to read the defense and make impact blocks. Slaughter reads defenses well, helps his line pick up defenders, and is well known as a great leader to the Gators’ offensive line. While his power is not dominant, you will not see many guys pushing Slaughter back into the quarterback position. I think he has day-one starting talent and should be a solid second or third-round addition.
3. Parker Brailsford
School: Alabama • Junior • 6’2″ • 290 lbs
Brailsford is an undersized center who started his career at Washington and followed his coach to Alabama, where he found great success. Despite lacking size, Brailsford knows how to throw his weight around and use every bit of his frame to hold up against bigger defensive linemen. He clearly is one of the quicker offensive linemen in the draft, who knows how to get upfield and make impact blocks downfield. The biggest gripe with Brailsford’s stock is his size, but we have seen players like Tyler Linderbaum succeed in the past when they can hold up against bigger linemen. While Brailsford is not Linderbaum, we will see a lot of those comparisons on draft day. While he won’t win with power, Brailsford has enough strength to hold up in pass protection and uses his elite movement skills to have success in the run game. Brailsford is a very intriguing prospect who will have very different opinions on draft day, but he is a guy I think can find success in the right NFL offense.
4. Logan Jones
School: Iowa • Senior • 6’3″ • 300 lbs
Originally, when he arrived in Iowa, Jones was a defensive end known for his power off the edge and his ability to disrupt the pocket for opposing quarterbacks. But as a sophomore after an injury, Jones elected to change positions and moved to center, where he has seen immense success. On the interior of the offensive line, you can really see where Jones played defensive end with his ability to get off the line of scrimmage and get early leverage on bigger defensive tackles. One of his most impressive games of the season was against Iowa State, where he held his own against Dominique Orange and impressed me with his balance and power. I do think that Jones is more likely a center-only prospect in the NFL, as gaining more weight may limit his ability to get upfield and impact the second level.
5. Pat Coogan
School: Indiana • Senior • 6’5″ • 310 lbs
Coogan entered the transfer portal from Notre Dame after the team made a massive run to the 2024 National Championship. He found his way to Indiana, where he will be positioned to lead their young offensive line. Coogan is experienced and knows how to use his taller, longer frame to get leverage in the run game and generate power. He does a good job keeping blockers at a distance and reading defenses. The biggest concern with Coogan is that because of his size, he can struggle to pick up inside assignments as needed and gets to his man late. This often allows middle pressure, and guys have already gotten onto his hip when he engages. He reads the defense well and knows where he needs to be, but teams will need to work with him so he is quicker to get to his assignment.
6. Matt Gulbin
School: Michigan State • Senior • 6’4″ • 310 lbs
I have listed Gulbin as a center because that is where he has played in college, and I think he is more than capable of succeeding at center in the NFL. Many scouts may feel that Gulbin’s 6’4, 310-pound frame is a bit too big for a center and that he may struggle some with having the quickness to get off the line of scrimmage and make impact blocks downfield. But I also think that while he does have subpar quickness compared to some smaller centers, his strength and power allow him to use another aspect of his game: standing up defensive linemen in one-on-one blocks in the middle of the field. Being able to pick up bigger defensive linemen in solo blocks is valuable to teams and will make it easier for them to handle complex pass rushes if he is trusted to go one-on-one and does not need double-team help. Regardless, I think Gulbin could be a solid starting center or an elite sixth lineman who can play guard or center.
7. Bryce Foster
School: Kansas • Junior • 6’5″ • 330 lbs
Foster transferred to Kansas for his junior year after spending two years at Texas A&M. He is a big guy playing on the interior and brings strengths and weaknesses. He gets the ball to the QB quickly and with precision every single snap. He is quick and has the finesse to get upfield and gets to the second level very well. He doesn’t have great power, and guys can bully him backward. He’s not always the best in the run game as he has a subpar first step, which isn’t ideal. But he is a solid pass protector and has the skills necessary to be a pro. I think he could be an excellent sixth lineman who can play the three interior spots with ease. He is a big guy, so I think the power will come as coaches work with him, and I love the upside for this kid.
8. Sam Hecht
School: Kansas State • Senior • 6’4″ • 295 lbs
Hecht has been the starting center at Kansas State for each of the last two seasons and has proven to be an anchor for one of the best offensive lines in the Big 12. Hecht is consistent and does a great job of making impact blocks without being flagged, which sounds easier than it is. Despite being under 300 pounds, he can hold up one-on-one but is best at opening gaps in the zone run scheme, giving running backs space to gain significant yards. Hecht could improve his pass protection and, at times, can be late getting off his double team, but he does a good job of shifting the line and picking up pressure from the defense. He has held up against some of the best defensive tackles in the Big 12 and has proven capable of making impact blocks. He has the physical tools and, with some development, could be a true starter.
9. Connor Tollison
School: Missouri • Senior • 6’4″ • 290 lbs
Tollison is likely the most agile center in this year’s draft; his ability to get into the field in the run game and make plays at the second and third levels of the defense will earn him a shot in the NFL. Much of this agility comes from a lack of size, which is also the biggest concern in Tollison’s profile. At just 290 pounds, Tollison is going to struggle immensely with bigger defensive tackles, who can push him back, especially in one-on-one blocking schemes. He’s often going to need help on the interior, especially in pass protection, as he may not have the heft to keep up with bigger defensive linemen. In the run game, he’s very skilled. While he doesn’t dominate with power, his ability to seal off a block, get off the block, and then get to the next level is impressive and very helpful for running backs looking to get upfield. Tollison will be limited to playing center in the NFL, as he lacks the size to play anywhere else along the offensive line. In the right scheme, he could be successful, but I think it is more likely that he is a backup in the NFL if he cannot add more weight and remain consistently quick off the line.
10. Nick Dawkins
School: Penn State • Senior • 6’5″ • 295 lbs
Dawkins is on the bigger side for a center prospect coming in at 6’5″ tall. We have seen other players make this work, but this is something that could raise concern for NFL scouts. Dawkins will have to be able to play with his pad level lower to win early on snaps while still making quality contact with defensive tackles. Dawkins struggled at times on the interior of the Penn State offensive line with defensive tackles, getting into his chest and lower than him to push him back into the pocket. He also struggled at times to pick up blitzes and shift the offensive line in the directions necessary to prevent pressure. As a run blocker, he showed high-quality agility to get to the second level and impact the game, but his lack of power may be concerning to NFL scouts. I think that if Dawkins added some weight, he could possibly move to guard at the NFL level and if that first step quickness carries with him, he will be successful. If he can add some weight, you may be looking at a guy who can be that sixth offensive lineman on the interior, but there is a bit of work to do that may scare scouts.
