2018 NFL Draft – Center

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – C:

You are currently viewing the 80 best centers in the 2018 NFL Draft. Our top center prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best interior offensive linemen in college football. Even though only about 7 or 8 will get selected in the draft, about 15 more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2018 center prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 26, 2018)

2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Billy Price moved to center after playing left guard the first few years of his career. After being a big time defensive star in high school, Price moved to the o-line at Ohio State and starred as a redshirt freshman. Price is ultra durable, tough, and gritty. He started 55 consecutive games at Ohio State, and has the body and mindset necessary to do the same thing in the NFL. His strength makes him NFL-ready, and he has good leverage and foot speed. Price can also block in space, or in traffic. He reportedly has a difficult personality to deal with, which is his biggest problem.

Stats

14 games played, and spent all 4 years as a starter at LG/C. All-America 1st team as a senior, and All-America 2nd team as a junior. All-Big10 1st team twice.

Ragnow has great size and strength for the center position, and has experience at center and right guard. He was a four year starter at Arkansas, and was off to an All-American senior season before an ankle injury ended it early. Ragnow has power to move the line in the run game, and is a great pass blocker. He is excellent at finding his second man and reading defensive shifts. He isn’t particularly quick when he’s pulled outside to block in the open field, nor does he use great form on the run. He luckily won’t have to deal with that much from the center spot.

Stats

7 games played, and spent all 4 years as a starter at C/RG. SEC Honorable Mention as a senior, and SEC 2nd team as a junior.

James Daniels is an athletic center who has elite quickness but lacks strength. He is ideal for a zone blocking system like he played at Iowa. Daniels takes good angles and has good mechanics, and has such a quick first-step that he almost always gets himself in the proper position. His movement is smooth, and he probably has the best reactive athleticism of any center in the class. The problem will be whether or not he’s strong enough to line up across from big nose tackles in the NFL, and whether or not he can add weight without sacrificing foot speed.

Stats

12 games played, and spent 2 1/2 years as a starter at C/LG. Big10 Honorable Mention as a senior, Big10 3rd Team as a Junior.

Mason Cole is an incredibly versatile and hardworking lineman who never misses a play. He became the first Michigan offensive lineman to start in week one as a true freshman, and never missed a game from there. He spent two seasons at left tackle and two at center, performing well at each position, although better on the inside. Cole has a high football IQ and is great in pass protection, using awareness and athleticism to stay in front of almost every type of defender. He lacks elite power that most other centers have, and will need to refine his body a bit to take the next step as an NFL center.

Stats

14 games played, and spent all 4 years as a starter at LT/C. All-Big10 2nd team as a senior and junior. Big10 Honorable Mention as a sophomore.

Will Clapp is a big-bodied center who can also play either guard position. He does a good job holding his ground against powerful d-linemen, and has consistent footwork. Clapp’s best attribute is his intelligence and pre-snap reads. He is always barking out adjustments and who to prepare from on the defense. He also shows this awareness during his blocking. Even though Clapp is able to maintain his positioning, he doesn’t have much athleticism to get in front of linemen with great acceleration. He also has short arms that minimize some of the benefits of his 6’5" frame.

Stats

13 games played, and spent all 3 years as a starter at C/LG/RG. All-SEC 1st team as a junior.

Complete draft rankings for 2018 – C

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2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |