2020 NFL Draft Preview: Centers

The Miami Dolphins current starting center is Daniel Kilgore. After trading for Kilgore last year, Kilgore was playing well until he tore his triceps in October; only 4 games into the season. Now healthy, Kilgore will be looking to have an improved, full and productive season. While I think Kilgore is a pretty solid player, I believe his veteran presence on our line is super important to the success of our offense. He is a veteran leader that can help out our younger guys.

Now, with that said, Kilgore is entering his 9th year and it would be wise to invest in a younger center to learn under Kilgore. So, lets continue our look into the potential 2020 draft class and start with Tyler Biadasz from Wisconsin.

Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin (Jr)

Biadasz is a tough run blocker that plays with nastiness and intensity. He’s got a great motor – giving top level effort on every play. He does a great job of latching unto defenders and eliminating them from the play. He’s also got good awareness, recognizing stuns and blitzes. In the ground game I think he needs to drive defenders better, but this is clearly his biggest strength. I think he does a pretty good job in pass protection, however; it isn’t as good as his run blocking. I saw him loose his balance quite a few times and occasionally he simply got beat. Overall, Biadasz is a tough leader for the Wisconsin offensive line and could end up being a starter early in his NFL career.

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Jake Hansen, Oregon (Sr)

I couldn’t help but notice Hansen when I was scouting his teammate Lemieux. Hansen is going to be a starting center in the NFL next season. He’s rock solid is pass protection, showing a great anchor, fantastic hand use, terrific awareness and good strength. In run blocking he does need to improve – he needs to drive better mainly. I did see him loose his balance a couple times when attempting to move guys, so he’s not a perfect prospect but I was very impressed with his tape. I can’t wait to watch Oregon’s O-line this season.

Nick Harris, Washington (Sr)

Harris is a smaller center but is a very tough and determined one. He has a sense of toughness that is very evident in his game. He’s got heavy hands and uses them well. He’s very aggressive and quick to engage defenders and help with double teams. He is also very aggressive getting to the second level, however, he often over pursues and defenders juke around him quite easily. I think he is a very balanced out center – he’s good at both pass protection and opening up holes for the ground game. He certainly needs to drive better though, and I think he can add more strength (I saw him get beat in both pass and run blocking by stronger defenders throwing him off). Harris’ film taught me one main thing though about him – he will not give up in a fight. He fights with tremendous determination and grit. He may not be the most talented center in this draft but I could easily see him starting early in his career.

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Llyod Cushenberry, LSU (Jr)

Cushenberry is entering his second year as LSU’s starting center. He’s got great size, standing at 6’4” and weighing in around 315 lbs. He does a good job of latching unto defenders and can hold his own against bull rushers. He shows a good understanding of his responsibilities and plays with good technique. He does a good job of hustling to follow the play, trying to get a block, however, he’s not the most athletic guy and once he gets going it is hard for him to stop or change directions – making it easier for defenders to avoid him. He does show good potential overall, but he clearly needs to improve in many areas. For as big as he is, he’s not dominate in either pass or run blocking. He’s slow out of his stance which requires him to have to recover immediately. I rarely saw him drive defenders, he simply turns them away from the play. He needs to focus on finishing plays too (maybe conditioning is to blame for this?). I like Cushenberry’s potential but I really hope we see a step up in his film this season.

Other notable center prospects:

Fredrick Mauigoa, Washington St. (Sr)
T.J. McCoy, Louisville (Sr)
Kenny Cooper, Georgia Tech (Sr)
Zach Shackelford, Texas (Sr)
Jack Anderson, Texas Tech (Jr)
Sean Pollard, Clemson (Sr)
Keith Ismael, San Diego St. (Jr)
Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (Jr)