Complete NFL Draft Rankings – C:

You are currently viewing the best centers in the 2023 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 2023 center prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 25, 2023)

2023 NFL Draft C Rankings

1. John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

John Michael Schmitz NFL Draft

John Michael Schmitz spent multiple seasons as a rotational lineman before getting his first taste of being a starter in 2020. He didn’t allow a single sack until this past season, but really shines as a run blocker. Schmitz is constantly looking for work, and is as good as anyone I’ve scouted at opening up holes at the second level despite only being an average athlete. With a 6’4" 320 pound frame, he has prototypical NFL size for the interior, and plays with a ton of power to open up holes and maintain his anchor for sustained blocks. He finishes blocks well, and has a very high football IQ to read defenses pre play. He’s also very experienced snapping to quarterbacks both in the shotgun or under center, and never had any botched snaps in his career.

2022 Stats

12 games, 767 snaps: Allowed 5 QB hurries, 1 QB hit, 2 sacks


2. Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan

Olusegun Oluwatimi NFL Draft

Oluwatimi transferred to Michigan in 2022 and had no issues anchoring the top rated offense line in the nation. The 202 Rimington Trophy winner had an excellent season in both run blocking and pass blocking, and should have a balanced skillset as he heads to the NFL. Oluwatimi shows good range in getting to the second level, and has impressive agility and flexibility. Football IQ is another strength, helping him call out defenses preplay and identify blitzers midplay. He has decent size at 6’3" 305 pounds, and is capable of being the low man in goal-to-go situations.

2022 Stats

13 games, 834 snaps: Allowed 4 QB hurries, 5 QB hits, 0 sacks


3. Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State

Luke Wypler NFL Draft

Luke Wypler was a highly touted recruit by center standards out of high school, and took over as a starter in his 2nd season at Ohio State. While he probably lacks the size to play any position other than center (6’3" 300), he has very impressive athletic traits. Wypler is very fast getting to the second level and getting out on screens, with very quick feet underneath. He is flexible and gets out of his stance really fast to help him win initial leverage against interior linemen. He’s been successful in both pass protection and run blocking, but is less experienced and versatile than some of the other top prospects. Wypler is a bit riskier of a pick than some other centers, but his quickness and finishing ability give him a very good upside.

2022 Stats

13 games, 827 snaps: Allowed 7 QB hurries, 0 QB hits, 1 sack


4. Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

Joe TIppmann NFL Draft

Joe Tippmann is a very big and athletic center prospect who could probably play most positions on the offensive line despite only having collegiate experience at the pivot. He’s very quick off the ball and has the size to hold his own with big defensive linemen, and has the nasty streak to finish his blocks which coaches love. He’s been very productive as a pull blocker and enough awareness to react against twists and stunts. While he’s clearly the top overall athlete in this year’s center class, he’s had significant issues with his technique that have led to a ton of holding calls, and his 6’6" frame is vulnerable to leverage issues against smaller defensive linemen.

2022 Stats

12 games, 758 snaps: Allowed 2 QB hurries, 2 QB hits, 1 sack


5. Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas

Ricky Stromberg NFL Draft

Ricky Stromberg was the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Year this past season, thanks to some significant improvement is pass protection. Stromberg struggled dropping back in pass protection earlier in his career, struggling to mirror quicker linemen if he didn’t latch on immediately. This year he figured out how to compensate for that, but will need to prove he has quick enough feet and hips to maintain that success at the next level. What you do know about Stromberg is that he’s an elite run blocker who opens big holes and plays with great power, particularly in the upper body. He has a good football IQ and leadership traits and had no issues delivering accurate snaps out of shotgun or under center. He also has good size to play guard when needed, standing at 6’4" 315 pounds.

2022 Stats

12 games, 898 snaps: Allowed 11 QB hurries, 0 QB hits, 0 sacks


Complete 2023 C draft rankings

RANK NAME SCHOOL AGE HT WT
1 John Michael Schmitz Minnesota 6th 6'4" 301
2 Olusegun Oluwatimi Michigan 6th 6'3" 309
3 Luke Wypler Ohio State 3rd 6'3" 303
4 Joe Tippmann Wisconsin 4th 6'6" 313
5 Ricky Stromberg Arkansas 4th 6'4" 306
6 Juice Scruggs Penn State 5th 6'3" 301
7 Jarrett Patterson Notre Dame 5th 6'5" 306
8 Alex Forsyth Oregon 6th 6'4" 303
9 Jake Andrews Troy 5th 6'3" 325
10 Brett Neilon USC 6th 6'2" 286
11 Alan Ali TCU 6th 6'4" 301
12 Trevor Downing Iowa State 5th 6'4" 299
13 Grant Gibson NC State 6th 6'1" 307
14 Alex Pihlstrom Illinois 6th 6'6" 302
15 Ahofitu Maka UTSA 5th 6'3" 310
16 James Jackson South Alabama 6th 6'2" 316
17 Jacob Gall Baylor 6th 6'2" 296
18 Eric Douglas South Carolina 6th 6'4" 295
19 LaQuinston Sharp Mississippi State 6th 6'2" 302
20 Alama Uluave San Diego State 5th 6'1" 303
21 Jake Guidone Connecticut 6th 6'3" 299
22 Ryan Walk Oregon 6th 6'2" 294
23 Erik Sorensen Northern Iowa 6th 6'6" 317
24 Michael Gerace Maine 5th 6'3" 305
25 Jamezz Kimbrough Central Michigan 6th 6'2" 296
26 Brad Cecil South Florida 5th 6'3" 294
27 Robert Congel Oklahoma 6th 6'4" 329
28 Drew Bones Illinois State 6th 6'5" 323
29 Owen Drexel Pittsburgh 6th 6'2" 291
30 Cam Reddy Liberty 5th 6'2" 310
31 Dacquari Wilson North Carolina A&T 6th 6'2" 293
32 Mike McAllister Youngstown State 6th 6'3" 305
33 Corey Luciano Washington 6th 6'3" 307
34 Matthew Weimann St. Thomas 5th 6'3" 307
35 Patrick Flynn New Hampshire 6th 6'3" 294
36 Matthan Hatchie UT-Martin 5th 6'2" 310
37 Jakari Robinson Bowling Green 6th 6'1" 311
38 Johnny Jordan Virginia Tech 6th 6'1" 300
39 Manase Mose North Texas 6th 6'2" 297
40 Trent Hixson Nebraska 6th 6'4" 305
41 Shea Baker Rice 6th 6'1" 310
42 Malik Sumter Georgia State 5th 6'1" 299
43 Chandler Dolphin Utah State 6th 6'3" 308
44 Mike Purcell Elon 6th 6'4" 315
45 Brian Greene Michigan State 6th 6'3" 300
46 Tyson Pauling Portland State 5th 6'5" 299
47 Nick Weber Florida Atlantic 6th 6'3" 300
48 Levi Nesler Murray State 6th 6'1" 320
49 Logan Langemeier Georgia Southern 5th 6'4" 285
50 Sam Allan Kent State 6th 6'2" 285
51 Nick Olsofka Holy Cross 5th 6'4" 295
52 Logan Floyd Idaho 5th 6'3" 300
53 DJ Stuckey UNLV 6th 6'3" 288
54 Jack Burns Duke 5th 6'4" 295
55 Ashton Gist Charlotte 5th 6'1" 282
56 Connor Bishop Army 4th 6'3" 275
57 Connor Pettek UC-Davis 6th 6'3" 289
58 Brian Anderson North Carolina 6th 6'3" 300
59 Bryce Petersen Nevada 6th 6'2" 292
60 Reid Francis Incarnate Word 4th 6'4" 305
61 Sam Marrazzo UCLA 6th 6'3" 300
62 Shyron Rodgers SE Missouri State 5th 6'3" 330
63 Cameron Watson North Alabama 5th 6'2" 280
64 Russell Baker Texas State 5th 6'4" 317
65 Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez Boise State 5th 6'2" 305
66 Scottland Vise Central Washington 6th 6'2" 300
67 Cam Marriott Morehead State 5th 6'3" 300
68 Calvin Barkat McNeese State 5th 6'3" 280
69 Kevin Toote Pace 5th 6'1" 294
70 Chris Ocasio Toledo 5th 6'2" 300
71 Hank Manos South Carolina 5th 6'4" 305
72 Hayden Huttula Michigan Tech 6th 6'2" 304
73 Joe Schreiber ETSU 5th 6'3" 295
74 Marouf Hamade Ferris State 5th 6'2" 302
75 Howard Watkins Jr. Eastern Kentucky 6th 6'3" 289
76 Craig Wood Central Connecticut 6th 6'3" 305
77 Jordan Palmer Mid Tenn State 5th 6'0" 295
78 Matt Armendariz Colorado-Mines 6th 6'0" 297
79 Zach Ross Iowa State 5th 6'3" 295
80 Mitchell Borchardt Gustavus Adolphus 5th 6'4" 320
81 Robert Mervin UTEP 6th 6'3" 325
82 Dallas Black Southern 6th 6'1" 265
83 Will Ebert North Central 5th 6'1" 275
84 Joe Bastante Stonehill 5th 6'1" 315
85 Conner Lierz Emporia State 5th 6'2" 301
86 Matt Metcalf Linfield 5th 6'2" 270
87 Kordell Watts West Alabama 5th 6'2" 313
88 Colby Byrd Norfolk State 6th 6'3" 300
89 William Lay III Georgia Tech 6th 6'1" 275
90 David Hudson UL-Lafayette 6th 6'0" 270
91 Tyrese Bobbitt Shaw 5th 6'3" 313
92 Mario Locke Peru State 5th 5'10" 285
93 Jarren Hightower Kansas Wesleyan 5th 6'0" 290
94 Dae'Quawn Montgomery SE Oklahoma 5th 6'1" 326
95 Quinton Bobo Bowie State 5th 6'0" 265
96 Boomer Warren Hardin-Simmons 5th 5'9" 260
97 Radson Jang New Mexico 6th 6'2" 255
98 Trevor Gabriele Wheaton 4th 6'0" 260
99 Alexander Dean Alma 5th 5'11" 260
X Nick Brahms Auburn 6th 6'4" 300

WordPress Tables

Overall Opinion of the Centers

I really like the top 8 or 9 players in the 2023 center draft class, which is enough to make up almost an entire draft of decent centers. The pivot spot usually has some great depth due to all the undersized linemen transitioning to the position at the next level, but this year the depth is surprisingly weak. However undrafted free agents rarely have a strong impact on how a draft class is remembered, especially at center. There is also a ton of experience among the top prospects, most being 6th year players with 30+ games as starters. Expect multiple of these guys to compete for starting jobs immediately in their rookie seasons.

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