Complete NFL Draft Rankings – C:

You are currently viewing the best centers in the 2020 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 10 will get selected in the draft, about a dozen 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 2020 center prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 16, 2020)

2020 NFL Draft C Rankings

1. Cesar Ruiz, JR, Michigan

Cesar Ruiz NFL Draft

Ruiz played with some very smart and experienced linemen at Michigan (Bredeson and Runyan), but he has the highest ceiling of them all. Despite not having great width or strength, Ruiz is athletic, gets out of his stance fast, and uses great leverage on his blocks. He doesn’t have the choppy movement you see with a lot of linemen, and stands out as a natural mover and bender on film. He doesn’t have the best frame if you play him at guard, which isn’t something you can change with an NFL diet or workout regimen. Ruiz has experience playing at right guard as well as center, and could play all 3 interior line positions effectively.

2019 Stats

13 games, 2.5 years as a starter at center and right guard, All-Big 10 2nd Team


2. Tyler Biadasz, rJR, Wisconsin

Tyler Biadasz NFL Draft

Biadasz is the classic center prospect who’s production and success in college outweighs his NFL ceiling. When this happens I often overrate them because I value college success in linemen so highly, but I expect Biadasz to be a solid starter early in his career. Like all Wisconsin linemen, he’s been really well coached and can excel in a number of different blocking schemes. While he doesn’t possess elite strength or athleticism, he’s above average in both regards and has flexible hips while bending well. He was the Rimington trophy winner and a consensus first team All American for a reason, and should be able to translate his intelligent play to the next level.

2019 Stats

14 games, 3 years as a starter at center, Consensus 1st Team All-American, All-Big 10 1st Team


3. Lloyd Cushenberry III, rJR, LSU

Lloyd Cushenberry NFL Draft

Cushenberry doesn’t have as much experience as some of the other center prospects, but he has a unique skillset for the position. He combines the power of a guard and IQ of a center with the length of an offensive tackle, as he has extremely long arms despite standing only 6’3". He embraces the “we" mentality that you want to see from offensive linemen, and was highly regarded at LSU for his selflessness, work ethic, and leadership. A member of the Joe Moore award for best offensive line in the country, Cushenberry has a lot of tools to work with and has already seen success at the college level. His biggest limited is lack of foot speed, which could cause him trouble on 3rd down passing situations or twists.

2019 Stats

15 games, 2 years as a starter at center, All-America 3rd Team, All-SEC 1st Team


4. Matt Hennessy, rJR, Temple

Matt Hennessy NFL Draft

Matt Hennessy entered the draft a year early after a breakout season that saw him receive some All-America attention, as well as a 1st team all-conference selection. He uses his hands especially well and maintains solid pad level, while having very quick feet for a 6’4" center. He has room in his frame for more weight, which could be necessary to deal with big nose tackles. Hennessy has ideal toughness for an interior linemen and the football IQ needed to play the pivot at the next level. While he only played center in college, I could see him performing well at left guard as well.

2019 Stats

12 games, 3 years as a starter at center, All-AAC 1st Team


5. Darryl Williams, rSR, Mississippi State

Darryl Williams NFL Draft

Darryl Williams is a strong, tough offensive lineman who has seen success at a couple positions for Mississippi State. After starring at left guard in his sophomore and junior seasons, he moved to center where he will likely fit better as a pro. Williams lacks ideal size at 6’2 1/2", but shows a good ability to wall off defenders and plays with above average quickness. While he doesn’t have the same physical traits as some of the top centers in the class, he plays with ideal toughness and has been on the NFL radar since he was a sophomore beating up on SEC defensive tackles.

2019 Stats

13 games, 3 years as a starter at left guard and center, All-Conference SEC by PFF


Complete draft rankings for 2020 – Center

RANK NAME SCHOOL AGE HT WT
1 Cesar Ruiz Michigan JR 6'3" 307
2 Tyler Biadasz Wisconsin rJR 6'3.5" 314
3 Lloyd Cushenberry III LSU rJR 6'3" 312
4 Matt Hennessy Temple rJR 6'4" 307
5 Darryl Williams Mississippi State rSR 6'2.5" 304
6 Keith Ismael San Diego State rJR 6'3" 309
7 Nick Harris Washington SR 6'1" 302
8 Cohl Cabral Arizona State SR 6'5" 300
9 Kyle Hinton Washburn SR 6'2" 295
10 Jake Hanson Oregon rSR 6'4.5" 303
11 Sean Pollard Clemson SR 6'5.5" 309
12 Frederick Mauigoa Washington State SR 6'4" 310
13 Dustin Woodard Memphis SR 6'2" 290
14 Luke Juriga Western Michigan rSR 6'4" 295
15 Trystan Colon-Castillo Missouri rJR 6'3" 313
16 Donell Stanley South Carolina rSR 6'3" 325
17 Zach Shackelford Texas SR 6'4" 305
18 Levi Brown Marshall rSR 6'3.5" 301
19 Colton Prater Texas A&M SR 6'4" 300
20 Sam Tecklenburg Baylor rSR 6'4" 310
21 Jordan Johnson UCF SR 6'2" 320
22 Spencer Blackburn Eastern Washington rSR 6'2" 290
23 Jake Fruhmorgen Baylor rSR 6'6" 305
24 Johnny Wilson Oklahoma State rSR 6'3.5" 314
25 Tim Lynott Colorado rSR 6'2" 301
26 Zach Larsen Southern Utah SR 6'1" 305
27 Adam Holtorf Kansas State rSR 6'4" 300
28 Jared Thomas Northwestern rSR 6'2.5" 300
29 Garrett Larson Boise State rSR 6'4" 305
30 Nick Buchanan Florida rSR 6'3" 285
31 TJ McCoy Louisville rSR 6'1" 305
32 Jake Lacina Augustana rSR 6'4" 300
33 Junior Diaz Florida Atlantic rSR 6'2" 300
34 Hunter Littlejohn Indiana rSR 6'3" 315
35 Kaleb Kim Auburn SR 6'4" 300
36 Boss Tagaloa UCLA SR 6'1" 315
37 Christian Montano Tulane rSR 6'4" 300
38 Derron Gatewood UTEP rSR 6'2" 300
39 Grant Stewart Colorado-Mines rSR 6'2" 305
40 Bobby Reynolds UL-Monroe rSR 6'2" 285
41 Jack Kramer Bowling Green rSR 6'3" 300
42 Aaron Brewer Texas State SR 6'3" 270
43 Tre Coney Reinhardt SR 6'1" 315
44 Steven Hayes Ohio SR 6'4" 320
45 Sterling Strother Yale SR 6'5" 320
46 Cy Sirmon Montana rSR 6'4" 290
47 Mac Patrick James Madison SR 6'2" 290
48 Dontae Duff Liberty rSR 6'1" 330
49 Sosaia Mose North Texas rSR 6'2" 290
50 Wyatt Wozniak Indiana State rSR 6'3" 300
51 Josh Sokol Sacred Heart rSR 6'3" 295
52 Sid Acosta UNLV rSR 6'1" 300
53 Matt Burrell Sam Houston State rSR 6'3" 305
54 Collin Olson Iowa State rSR 6'1" 290
55 Dallas Connell Florida International SR 6'3" 300
56 Mario Farinella Delaware rSR 6'2" 305
57 Nate Warnock Kent State rSR 6'4" 300
58 James Officer IV Olivet Nazarene SR 6'1.5" 286
59 Matt Jones Youngstown State rSR 6'3" 325
60 Thomas Burton Tennessee State rSR 6'2" 305
61 Gabe Spurlock Duquesne SR 6'4" 295
62 Andrew Poenitsch Ball State rSR 6'3" 275
63 Hayden Eatinger Missouri Western rSR 6'3" 280
64 Liam Shanahan Harvard SR 6'5" 270
65 Jordan Seal Carson-Newman SR 6'5" 310
66 Brian Chaffin Rice rSR 6'2" 280
67 Dallen Collins Idaho State SR 6'2" 290
68 Brandon Floores Incarnate Word SR 6'4" 295
69 Jeff Arnold Indiana (PA) rSR 6'3" 280
70 Dominic Jordan Norfolk State SR 6'2" 290
71 Garrett Stauffer Portland State rSR 6'3" 290
72 Call Dyer West Alabama rSR 6'4" 360
73 Steve Eipper Central Michigan rSR 6'4" 290
74 Samuel Lefebvre Laval SR 6'3" 300
75 Joe Murphy Azusa Pacific SR 6'4" 310
76 Niko Culnan Albany SR 6'2" 305
77 Jared Maciejczak Chadron State rSR 6'5" 295
78 Lee Dufour UAB rSR 6'4" 310
79 Mike Yerardi Massachusetts rSR 6'4" 320
80 Connor Vikupitz Air Force SR 6'3" 265
81 Cole Phelps Central Connecticut SR 6'1" 280
82 Matt Cella Kutztown SR 6'3" 285
83 Trevor Curle Saginaw Valley State rSR 6'3" 295
84 Terence Hickman Incarnate Word SR 6'3" 285
85 Cody Hooks Houston Baptist SR 6'4" 305
86 Noah Perez Tarleton State rSR 6'2" 280
87 Parker Coogan Columbia SR 6'2" 300
88 Alex Deters Princeton SR 6'2" 275
89 Brady Hogue Westminster (PA) SR 6'3" 270
90 Gibril Ghee Hampton rSR 6'2" 310
91 Ford Higgins Navy SR 6'2" 260
92 Ryan Malarkey Muhlenberg SR 6'1" 295
93 Cameron Bailey Morehead State rSR 6'2" 320
94 Isaiah Kent-Schneider Drake rSR 6'5" 290
95 Justin Rosendahl Quincy rSR 6'4" 300
96 Tim Roell Dayton rSR 6'2" 265
97 Patrick Quintana Trinity (TX) SR 6'0" 320
98 Eli Teeselink Presbyterian rSR 6'0" 285
99 Zach Smith Hope SR 5'11" 265

WordPress Tables

Overall Opinion of the Centers

Centers are generally smaller and not always as fast, often leading to lots of linemen transitioning to play it at the next level. This year, a large number of talented centers will be available, all having experience snapping the ball already. Over the past 10 years, only 6-7 centers are drafted in the average year. In the 2020 center class, I currently have 11 players with draftable grades. The position is deeper than the guard class up top which is rare, and many players have 3 or 4 years of starting experience in power 5 programs. Guys like Nick Harris and Jake Hanson are great value options who you can draft in late rounds and plug in immediately, while the top 5 players listed above all have pro bowl potential. It is certainly an above average year for the centers, and any team looking for interior offensive linemen may look here longer than they look at guard.

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