Complete 2026 NFL Draft C Rankings:
You are currently viewing our center rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft. The 2026 C class didn’t have many stars immediately stand out, but how will that change over the coming months and years?
Our top center prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented interior offensive linemen in college football. Even though only about 10 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite.
We’ll provide you with inside information to help you know which linemen will be stars, who will be a bust, and which sleepers will shock the world.
BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2026 NFL draft center prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.
(Last Updated: April 22, 2026)
1. Connor Lew, Auburn
C | 6’4″ | 310 lbs | 3rd Year
Connor Lew Scouting Report
Connor Lew may be the youngest center prospect in the 2026 NFL draft, but you wouldn’t guess it based on the way he plays.
He’s a very intelligent player who is constantly alert and quickly picks up stunts or blitzers. Lew is incredibly quick and explodes out of his stance, allowing him to gain immediate leverage, help secure a block for another lineman, or get up to the second level. His quick feet and hips allow him to compensate for mistakes and quickly adjust when needed. He has strong hands and is regularly able to latch on to defenders within their frame.
While Lew has adequate size, he doesn’t have overpowering strength. He’ll likely need a lot of help against nose tackles in the run game, and doesn’t have any experience playing a position other than center which limits his versatility.
Connor Lew 2025 Stats
7 games, 7 starts at Center: 420 snaps, 2 sacks, 0 hits, 2 hurries, 4 total pressures, 98.4% pass block win rate, 3 penalties
2. Logan Jones, Iowa
C | 6’3″ | 299 lbs | 6th Year
Logan Jones Scouting Report
Logan Jones is an exceptionally athletic and experienced center who could excel at the next level if he’s drafted to a team that wants to emphasize the zone run.
Jones bursts off the line as well as any center in the class, and looks especially fluid when he’s able to block in the open field. He has been a frequent flier on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List thanks to his 36″ vertical and 705 pound squat. His athletic ability first got him on NFL drafts boards 2 years ago, but he wasn’t a particularly good football player at that point. Now he is, looking dramatically better with his hand placement, leverage, and footwork. He plays very disciplined, with 0 penalties called on him in 2025 and only 1 sack allowed over the past two seasons.
Strength is an area of concern for Jones, and isn’t likely to get much better. He has a narrow build with below average mass, and struggled to anchor against bigger bodies. He’s also an older prospect who will turn 25 early in his rookie season.
Logan Jones 2025 Stats
13 games, 13 starts at Center: 766 snaps, 1 sack, 0 hits, 2 hurries, 3 total pressures, 99.1% pass block win rate, 0 penalties
3. Jake Slaughter, Florida
C | 6’5″ | 303 lbs | 5th Year
Jake Slaughter Scouting Report
Jake Slaughter has been the backbone of Florida’s offensive line for three seasons, bringing experience, leadership, and reliability to the center position.
Slaughter has handled protection calls, line adjustments, and game management responsibilities at a high level, consistently earning praise from coaches for his command of the offense. He plays with good play strength, leverage, and balance, showing the ability to anchor versus power and recover quickly in pass protection. Slaughter’s hand placement and technique are clean, and he understands angles well in the run game, even if he is not a dominant mover. His football IQ and toughness show up snap after snap, especially in high pressure situations.
The athletic traits aren’t particularly special, and offensive line coaches shouldn’t expect him to excel in open space. Still, the combination of leadership, strength, and experience should help him compete for a starting job right away in the NFL.
Jake Slaughter 2025 Stats
12 games, 12 starts at Center: 748 snaps, 1 sack, 1 hit, 2 hurries, 4 total pressures, 99.1% pass block win rate, 7 penalties
4. Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
C | 6’4″ | 310 lbs | 5th Year
Matt Gulbin Scouting Report
After spending his first four seasons playing just about every o-line position at Wake Forest, Matt Gulbin transferred to Michigan State where he became one of the better centers in the nation. Teams will love his intelligence and experience, having started double-digit games at all 3 interior offensive line positions.
Gulbin has a very strong anchor and has great recovery to hold his ground after being beat early. He’s solid in pass pro and has consistent hand placement to effectively latch on, and has the upper body strength to redirect defenders. PFF graded Gulbin as the top-graded run blocking center in the FBS this past season, and you can see why. He takes great angles when climbing to the second level, effectively sealing off defenders. If Michigan State ever has a big run, you can probably find a key block from Gulbin. He shows good leg drive to open up big holes and excels on angle blocks.
Gulbin doesn’t have the same explosion out of his stance as some of the other centers at the top of the class, and his overall average physical traits will struggle to stand out. He has average at best foot speed, and it led to some compromising positions against speedier rushers which led to holding calls.
Matt Gulbin 2025 Stats
11 games, 11 starts at Center: 727 snaps, 2 sacks, 1 hit, 2 hurries, 5 total pressures, 98.8% pass block win rate, 4 penalties
5. Brian Parker II, Duke
C/RT | 6’5″ | 305 lbs | 4th Year
Brian Parker II Scouting Report
Brian Parker II has excelled over the past two seasons for Duke, where he’s played exclusively tackle. He’ll be kicking inside at the next level, and has a chance to follow in the footsteps of Duke alumni Graham Barton, who made the same transition before becoming a 1st round pick in 2024.
Parker has an impressive mix of size, strength, and short area quickness. He has shown a good ability to diagnose and respond to stunts and blitzes, playing very alert at all times. His anchor looks strong enough to withstand bigger bodies even though he has limited experience with that in his college career. Teams will also love his aggressive style of play, as he loves to block through the whistle on run plays and is always looking for work.
He won’t be able to stick outside in the NFL due to length and choppy kicks, and will need to keep his feet moving against bigger bodies once he gets to center or guard.
Brian Parker II 2025 Stats
13 games, 13 starts at Right Tackle: 902 snaps, 3 sacks, 2 hits, 15 hurries, 20 total pressures, 96.3% pass block win rate, 4 penalties
6. Jager Burton, Kentucky
C/LG/RG | 6’4″ | 315 lbs | 5th Year
Jager Burton Scouting Report
Jager Burton is one of the more intriguing interior offensive line prospects in the 2026 class, with elite athleticism that jumps off the tape immediately. He consistently explodes out of his stance, showing excellent quickness, range, and ability to get to landmarks faster than most interior defenders.
Burton’s movement skills show up in space, on pulls, and climbing to the second level, making him a natural fit for zone heavy schemes. He also brings rare versatility, with at least 500 career snaps at each of the three interior offensive line positions, giving him strong positional value. His awareness and hand usage have improved with experience, particularly in pass protection.
While teams will love his versatility, athleticism, and experience, there are legitimate concerns about his power. His feet tend to get stuck and he struggles to sustain his blocks against bigger defenders, which he won’t be able to avoid in the NFL.
Jager Burton 2025 Stats
12 games, 12 starts at Center: 819 snaps, 0 sacks, 0 hits, 12 hurries, 12 total pressures, 97.4% pass block win rate, 2 penalties
7. Sam Hecht, Kansas State
C | 6’4″ | 303 lbs | 5th Year
Sam Hecht Scouting Report
Sam Hecht burst onto the scene following a great showing at the Senior Bowl, and his tape shows him winning in many of the same ways. Hecht certainly fits the mold of an NFL center, with a high IQ and thick frame.
Hecht looked significantly improved this past season (just his second as a starter), improving his hand placement and reducing his holding penalties while continuing a streak of 0 sacks allowed in his career. He has solid core strength to anchor down, and matches that will good footwork and body control. He’s athletic in space and can get out and be effective blocking downfield.
Hecht may be strong, but you won’t see as much power as you’d expect. He doesn’t really drive defenders back or rattle them with his punch. His lack of arm length will also likely become a bigger issue at the next level.
Sam Hecht 2025 Stats
12 games, 12 starts at Center: 759 snaps, 0 sacks, 1 hit, 7 hurries, 8 total pressures, 98.0% pass block win rate, 0 penalties
8. Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
C/LT | 6’7″ | 312 lbs | 5th Year
Trey Zuhn III Scouting Report
Most NFL teams are viewing Trey Zuhn as an interior lineman due to length and marginal open field athleticism, but he was a very effective left tackle during his time at Texas A&M. He played over 3000 snaps at the blindside tackle position for the Aggies, and occasionally swung inside to center while earning All-Conference and All-America recognition this season.
Zuhn wins with a quick first step, refined hand placement, and good awareness to recognize stunts and blitzes. He does a good job of maintaining a wide base and plays with active feet to play with proper leverage and handle a bullrush.
Despite his successful career, there are no physical traits that really stand out on tape. He’s fairly average across the board, and his high cut frame will present new challenges dealing with powerful nose tackles at the next level.
Trey Zuhn III 2025 Stats
13 games, 13 starts at Left Tackle (12) and Center (1): 776 snaps, 2 sacks, 1 hit, 7 hurries, 10 total pressures, 97.7% pass block win rate, 1 penalty
9. Pat Coogan, Indiana
C/LG | 6’5″ | 311 lbs | 5th Year
Pat Coogan Scouting Report
Pat Coogan is one of the unsung heroes for Indiana whose leadership and consistent play has helped them to their historic season. After starting 26 games for Notre Dame, Coogan transferred to Indiana where his high level of play was finally noticed.
I was a big fan of Coogan’s 2024 tape prior to last year’s draft, and this year’s tape was much of the same. Coogan wins with timing, proper hand placement, and a strong understanding of angles and leverage. He excels at identifying coverage and blitzes, and has gotten national recognition for some of his pre-game speeches down the stretch of the season.
Despite having prototypical size for an NFL offensive lineman, he doesn’t play quite as strong as you’d expect. He’s also not particularly athletic, with slow mirroring ability that will cause problems against faster NFL d-linemen. The athletic limitations won’t be able to improve at the next level, which limits his ceiling. But his leadership and preparation will get him drafted as a backup interior lineman.
Pat Coogan 2025 Stats
16 games, 16 starts at Center: 1027 snaps, 0 sacks, 0 hits, 10 hurries, 10 total pressures, 97.9% pass block win rate, 2 penalties
10. Parker Brailsford, Alabama
C | 6’2″ | 289 lbs | 4th Year
Parker Brailsford Scouting Report
Parker Brailsford has the twitch, intelligence, and rough style of play that teams look for in a center. After starting his career at Washington, where he was a starter for the top offensive line in college football in 2023, he followed Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. He easily fits into the category of players who would be potential 1st round picks if only they were a little bit bigger.
Brailsford gets out of his stance lightning fast, paired with great change of direction and open field speed that help him spring big plays. He does a great job of keeping his feet moving even against bigger defenders, and plays with good bend which helps him maintain proper leverage and open up gaps in goal line situations.
Brailsford’s small size will cause problems at the next level unless he’s paired with some super sized guards next to him, and he can play a bit out of control causing him to miss some blocks.
Parker Brailsford 2025 Stats
14 games, 14 starts at Center: 905 snaps, 1 sack, 3 hits, 10 hurries, 14 total pressures, 97.6% pass block win rate, 5 penalties
Complete 2026 NFL Draft Center Rankings
| RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | AGE | HT | WT | 40YD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connor Lew | Auburn | 3rd | 6'4" | 310 | |
| 2 | Logan Jones | Iowa | 6th | 6'3" | 299 | 4.90 |
| 3 | Jake Slaughter | Florida | 5th | 6'5" | 303 | 5.10 |
| 4 | Matt Gulbin | Michigan State | 5th | 6'4" | 305 | |
| 5 | Brian Parker II | Duke | 4th | 6'5" | 309 | 5.14 |
| 6 | Jager Burton | Kentucky | 5th | 6'4" | 312 | 4.94 |
| 7 | Sam Hecht | Kansas State | 5th | 6'4" | 303 | 5.10 |
| 8 | Trey Zuhn III | Texas A&M | 5th | 6'7" | 312 | 5.03 |
| 9 | Pat Coogan | Indiana | 5th | 6'5" | 311 | 5.19 |
| 10 | Parker Brailsford | Alabama | 4th | 6'2" | 289 | 4.95 |
| 11 | Bryce Foster | Kansas | 5th | 6'5" | 310 | 5.45 |
| 12 | James Brockermeyer | Miami (FL) | 5th | 6'3" | 298 | 5.30 |
| 13 | Jaren Kump | Utah | 6th | 6'5" | 313 | 5.27 |
| 14 | Connor Tollison | Missouri | 5th | 6'4" | 295 | 5.38 |
| 15 | Mason Randolph | Boise State | 5th | 6'4" | 311 | 5.25 |
| 16 | Nick Dawkins | Penn State | 6th | 6'4" | 305 | 5.22 |
| 17 | Jack Walsh | Wyoming | 5th | 6'4" | 304 | 5.20 |
| 18 | Pete Nygra | Louisville | 5th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 19 | Austin Blaske | North Carolina | 6th | 6'5" | 311 | 5.20 |
| 20 | Gavin Gerhardt | Cincinnati | 6th | 6'4" | 309 | 5.21 |
| 21 | Luke Petitbon | Florida State | 6th | 6'3" | 304 | |
| 22 | Ryan Linthicum | Clemson | 5th | 6'3" | 302 | 5.54 |
| 23 | Jordan White | Vanderbilt | 6th | 6'2" | 293 | 5.09 |
| 24 | Gus Zilinskas | Rutgers | 5th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 25 | Brady Wilson | Virginia | 6th | 6'1" | 290 | 5.40 |
| 26 | Noah Fenske | Southern Illinois | 6th | 6'4" | 299 | 4.88 |
| 27 | Ka'ena Decambra | Arizona | 5th | 6'4" | 291 | 5.26 |
| 28 | Jim Bonifas | Iowa State | 5th | 6'5" | 318 | 5.12 |
| 29 | Jackson Carsello | Northwestern | 5th | 6'4" | 301 | 5.08 |
| 30 | Jacob Spomer | Fresno State | 6th | 6'2" | 290 | 5.06 |
| 31 | Brock Dieu | Washington State | 5th | 6'2" | 300 | 5.50 |
| 32 | Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli | San Diego State | 5th | 6'3" | 329 | |
| 33 | Elijah Fisher | UL-Monroe | 6th | 6'3" | 305 | 5.17 |
| 34 | Van Wells | Oregon State | 4th | 6'2" | 291 | 5.47 |
| 35 | Coltin Deery | TCU | 4th | 6'3" | 336 | |
| 36 | Davis Heinzen | Wisconsin | 5th | 6'5" | 305 | 5.27 |
| 37 | Devin Kylany | Wake Forest | 6th | 6'4" | 320 | |
| 38 | Ben Coleman | Arizona State | 7th | 6'3" | 322 | 5.62 |
| 39 | Chad Lindberg | North Carolina | 6th | 6'7" | 320 | |
| 40 | Austin Collins | Syracuse | 6th | 6'3" | 302 | 5.15 |
| 41 | Julius Pierce | Florida International | 7th | 6'4" | 298 | 5.08 |
| 42 | Greg Crippen | Michigan | 5th | 6'4" | 301 | 5.43 |
| 43 | Josiah Tingley | UT-Martin | 6th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 44 | Zarian McGill | Colorado | 6th | 6'2" | 309 | |
| 45 | Koli Faaiu | Texas A&M | 5th | 6'3" | 327 | 5.39 |
| 46 | Will Flowers | Appalachian State | 6th | 6'3" | 285 | |
| 47 | J'Onre Reed | USC | 6th | 6'3" | 311 | 5.42 |
| 48 | Tay Yanta II | North Texas | 6th | 6'4" | 316 | 5.47 |
| 49 | Ryan Buttz | Indianapolis | 4th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 50 | Reid Williams | UNLV | 6th | 6'1" | 288 | 5.31 |
| 51 | Raheem Anderson | Western Michigan | 5th | 6'2" | 304 | 5.55 |
| 52 | Jack Hollifield | Tulane | 5th | 6'3" | 297 | 5.37 |
| 53 | Canon Boone | Mississippi State | 5th | 6'4" | 315 | |
| 54 | Cameron McLaurin | Duquesne | 5th | 6'0" | 283 | 5.27 |
| 55 | Zach Greenberg | James Madison | 5th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 56 | Ryan Merklinger | Chattanooga | 5th | 6'4" | 320 | |
| 57 | Josh Kreutz | Illinois | 5th | 6'2" | 290 | 5.47 |
| 58 | Costen Cooley | Air Force | 4th | 6'4" | 285 | |
| 59 | Noah Devlin | SE Louisiana | 6th | 6'3" | 300 | |
| 60 | Quincy Hughes | Wofford | 5th | 6'2" | 303 | 5.12 |
| 61 | Jalen Grant | NC State | 6th | 6'1" | 305 | |
| 62 | Ashton Flinn | ETSU | 4th | 6'4" | 290 | |
| 63 | Caydon Christensen | Concordia-St. Paul | 5th | 6'3" | 302 | 5.71 |
| 64 | Jake Mitchell | Harding | 5th | 6'2" | 270 | |
| 65 | Ryan McKenna | William & Mary | 6th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 66 | Alex Padgett | Bowling Green | 5th | 6'6" | 311 | 5.62 |
| 67 | Eric Meeks | Marshall | 5th | 6'2" | 303 | 5.34 |
| 68 | William Bergin | Pennsylvania | 5th | 6'3" | 300 | |
| 69 | Jake Timm | Buffalo | 5th | 6'4" | 306 | 5.66 |
| 70 | Landon Nelson | Louisiana Tech | 6th | 6'1" | 294 | 5.37 |
| 71 | Vincent Byrd | Norfolk State | 4th | 6'3" | 306 | 5.60 |
| 72 | Jeremiah Frazier | Alabama State | 5th | 6'2" | 316 | 5.41 |
| 73 | Ryan Whitely | Saginaw Valley State | 5th | 6'1" | 286 | 5.09 |
| 74 | Aidan Tweedy | Northern Illinois | 5th | 6'3" | 300 | 5.37 |
| 75 | Andrew Madrigal | Nevada | 5th | 6'3" | 337 | 5.62 |
| 76 | Thomas Johnson | Coastal Carolina | 5th | 6'2" | 290 | |
| 77 | Brady Anderson | Wagner | 4th | 6'3" | 295 | |
| 78 | Dwayne Allick | Boston College | 6th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 79 | Wes Hoeh | Connecticut | 5th | 6'3" | 275 | |
| 80 | Edward Riley | Southern Utah | 5th | 5'10" | 273 | 5.52 |
| 81 | Dean Abdullah | Sacramento State | 5th | 6'4" | 299 | 5.40 |
| 82 | Christian Loving | Bethune-Cookman | 6th | 6'3" | 315 | |
| 83 | Zach Holmes | Boise State | 5th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 84 | Nolan Reynolds | Utah Tech | 5th | 6'5" | 295 | |
| 85 | Nick Marinaro | Ohio | 5th | 6'1" | 290 | |
| 86 | Holden Kareokowsky | SE Louisiana | 5th | 6'2" | 302 | 5.65 |
| 87 | Drew Daniels | Pittsburg State | 4th | 6'2" | 285 | |
| 88 | Aloali'i Maui | Southern Miss | 4th | 6'1" | 324 | 5.59 |
| 89 | Jon Fagley | Bryant | 5th | 6'3" | 290 | 5.62 |
| 90 | Drew Wilder | Tennessee Tech | 5th | 6'3" | 305 | |
| 91 | Bryce Leos | Howard | 5th | 6'5" | 295 | |
| 92 | Jack Bailey | Northwestern | 7th | 6'3" | 295 | |
| 93 | Almetris Smith Jr. | Jackson State | 5th | 6'0" | 293 | 5.11 |
| 94 | Chandler Kirton | Austin Peay | 5th | 6'0" | 295 | |
| 95 | Chad Staley | Florida International | 4th | 6'2" | 285 | 5.46 |
| 96 | JT Reed | Montana State | 6th | 6'3" | 290 | |
| 97 | Jake Picard | Villanova | 6th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 98 | Hunter McKinney | UW-River Falls | 5th | 6'2" | 310 | 5.34 |
| 99 | Simon Wilson | Tulsa | 5th | 6'0" | 307 | 5.82 |
| 100 | Caleb Bayer | Trinity (TX) | 4th | 6'3" | 295 | |
| 101 | James Carrington III | Buffalo | 6th | 6'2" | 283 | 5.51 |
| 102 | David Stickle | Rice | 6th | 6'4" | 290 | |
| 103 | James Reddick II | South Carolina State | 5th | 6'2" | 305 | |
| 104 | Joshua Trask Jr. | Southern | 5th | 6'5" | 315 | |
| 105 | Darius Bell | East Carolina | 5th | 6'4" | 303 | 5.54 |
| 106 | Colin Lyons | Akron | 5th | 6'3" | 295 | |
| 107 | Tautai Lio Marks | UCLA | 6th | 6'1" | 305 | |
| 108 | Samuel Petros | Mercyhurst | 4th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 109 | Gage Saint | North Alabama | 6th | 6'4" | 305 | |
| 110 | Maxwell Wentz | Dartmouth | 4th | 6'4" | 295 | |
| 111 | Wyatt Lawson | South Dakota | 5th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 112 | Austin Gentle | Memphis | 5th | 6'3" | 295 | |
| 113 | Cade Klimczak | Montana | 7th | 6'1" | 285 | |
| 114 | Luke Beltavski | Robert Morris | 5th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 115 | Charlie Pickard | Oregon | 5th | 6'4" | 304 | 5.39 |
| 116 | Ivan Escobar | UTEP | 5th | 6'2" | 305 | |
| 117 | Zac Elam | Coastal Carolina | 5th | 6'0" | 291 | 5.49 |
| 118 | Keean Kamerling | Northern Iowa | 5th | 6'4" | 290 | |
| 119 | Dillon Botner | Montana | 7th | 6'6" | 280 | |
| 120 | Cooper Frazier | Southern Miss | 6th | 6'3" | 300 | |
| 121 | Otto Hess | Ball State | 5th | 6'7" | 330 | |
| 122 | Marcus Miller | Mid Tenn State | 6th | 6'4" | 305 | |
| 123 | Jake Eichorn | Utah State | 5th | 6'5" | 303 | 5.49 |
| 124 | Carson Lee | West Virginia | 6th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 125 | Elias Ripley | Lamar | 5th | 6'2" | 305 | |
| 126 | Mike Bartilucci | The Citadel | 5th | 6'1" | 300 | |
| 127 | Benjamin Roy Jr. | Massachusetts | 5th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 128 | Slade Edwards | Central Washington | 5th | 6'2" | 290 | |
| 129 | Noah McKinney | NC Central | 4th | 6'2" | 299 | 5.60 |
| 130 | Jake Henry | Stephen F. Austin | 6th | 6'2" | 290 | |
| 131 | Santos Valdez | New Mexico State | 5th | 6'0" | 318 | 6.00 |
| 132 | Cameron Williams | Kennesaw State | 6th | 6'1" | 325 | 5.71 |
| 133 | Mason Cook | Georgia State | 6th | 6'3" | 285 | |
| 134 | James Dawn II | Sam Houston State | 4th | 6'3" | 320 | |
| 135 | Will Washenberger | Wayne State (NE) | 6th | 6'3" | 300 | |
| 136 | Grayson Lewis | LIU | 7th | 6'2" | 311 | 5.48 |
| 137 | Hudson Mesa | San Jose State | 5th | 6'1" | 295 | |
| 138 | Jerred Durian | North Central | 4th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 139 | Terrance Caldwell | Northern Arizona | 5th | 6'2" | 315 | |
| 140 | Jawaun Singletary | Incarnate Word | 7th | 6'1" | 313 | 5.56 |
| 141 | Tramel Brown II | Alcorn State | 6th | 6'1" | 331 | 5.77 |
| 142 | Will Pieroni | Murray State | 6th | 6'1" | 295 | |
| 143 | Juan Gonzales | Southern | 5th | 6'2" | 315 | |
| 144 | Brayden Szeman | Calgary | 6th | 6'2" | 295 | 5.15 |
| 145 | Blake Martin | Mercer | 5th | 6'4" | 300 | |
| 146 | Drew Lawson | North Alabama | 5th | 6'2" | 300 | |
| 147 | Bryce Lusk | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 5th | 6'1" | 295 | |
| 148 | Evan Scribner | Sacred Heart | 5th | 6'3" | 275 | |
| 149 | Billy Thursland | East Texas A&M | 5th | 6'1" | 295 | |
| 150 | Davion Pyles | Newberry | 5th | 6'1" | 342 | 5.93 |
| 151 | Joe Ta'ase | NM Highlands | 5th | 6'2" | 333 | 5.64 |
| 152 | Hayden Philpot | Hardin-Simmons | 4th | 5'11" | 300 | |
| 153 | Quentin Ross | Grambling State | 6th | 6'3" | 320 | |
| 154 | Jordan Love | Tarleton State | 5th | 6'2" | 290 | |
| 155 | Cole Casto | Weber State | 5th | 6'3" | 280 | |
| 156 | Bryce Crowley | Utah Tech | 7th | 6'2" | 305 | |
| 157 | Isaiah Bunn | Eastern Kentucky | 5th | 6'2" | 310 | |
| 158 | Christian Forbes | Stony Brook | 6th | 6'3" | 285 | |
| 159 | Caleb Rentz | Presbyterian | 4th | 6'3" | 275 | |
| 160 | Joel Akers | Dordt | 4th | 6'1" | 285 | |
| 161 | Max Sepulveda | Albany | 5th | 6'1" | 300 | |
| 162 | Frank Bean | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 5th | 6'1" | 285 | |
| 163 | Daniel Casillas Jr. | Morgan State | 4th | 6'2" | 315 | |
| 164 | Danny Valenzuela | Incarnate Word | 5th | 6'3" | 290 | |
| 165 | BJ Ragland | Chattanooga | 5th | 6'1" | 285 | |
| 166 | Joseph Bradford | Nicholls | 4th | 6'1" | 290 | |
| 167 | Collin Tunc | Monmouth | 6th | 6'1" | 290 | |
| 168 | Danny Fish | Davidson | 4th | 6'2" | 280 | |
| 169 | Liam Coppinger | Eastern Kentucky | 4th | 6'3" | 300 | |
| 170 | Tom Luther | Davidson | 4th | 6'3" | 265 | |
| 171 | Ta'von Burrows | Hampton | 5th | 6'2" | 295 | |
| 172 | Aidan Stair | Robert Morris | 4th | 6'0" | 290 | |
| 173 | Rashad Beckham | Benedictine (KS) | 4th | 6'0" | 270 |
MORE NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
Traits That Make a Center Prospect Great
There’s a lot more than goes in to scouting interior offensive linemen than most fans realize. Strength, flexibility in the hips/knees/ankles, and blocking technique are among some of the most important factors of scouting the top center prospects.
Some of the factors we consider when scouting are included below.
Flexibility
Having flexibility in the hips, knees, and ankles is necessary to react to oncoming rushers and quickly recover. Being stiff or upright is a recipe for getting beaten consistently, so being smooth and bendy provides a massive advantage for all offensive linemen, including centers.
Quickness
Linemen rarely need to sprint 40 yards, but having quick feet is as important as any trait. While everyone thinks about linemen as mostly big, much of the play in the trenches is decided by footwork. If you don’t have the quickness to properly move your feet, you’re going to find yourself out of position.
Mental Traits
Beyond the traditional roles of offensive linemen, the center has a particular assortment of mental traits they need to have. Overall football IQ, play recognition, effective communication, and consistency in challenging environments are all vital given their role in pre-snap reads and snapping the ball.
Power
Generating power in the run game to open up holes, holding your base against massive nose tackles, and keeping your balance when passing off a block are just a few ways that power is important for a lineman. It isn’t all about bench reps, power is usually generated from the core and lower body.
2026 C Draft Prospects FAQs
Who is best center in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The best center in the 2026 NFL Draft is Connor Lew from Auburn. Lew has the intelligence and quickness teams covet at the position, and should be a plug-and-play starter at the next level.
Who was the best center in the 2026 NFL Draft at the start of the season?
Entering the season, the best center in the 2026 NFL Draft was Jake Slaughter from Florida. The 5th year center would have been drafted had he entered the previous year’s draft, but opted to return to help his hometown team take that next step.
How good is the center draft class in 2026?
After a weak 2025, the 2026 center draft class is looking stronger than average, despite not having a surefire 1st round talent. There’s a ton of depth in the class, with a good mixture of young talent and veterans.
