2023 NFL Draft – Center Rankings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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2023:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | EDGE | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

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.