‘14 NFL Draft: Guard & Center Rankings

[RS12]

The prospects on the interior of the offensive line don’t offer the same top-flight quality as does the offensive tackle position but make no mistake about it, the center and guard positions are loaded with legitimate NFL prospects. Guards will litter the draft’s second day while a few centers could sneak into the third round.

#NameSchoolYearRound
1David YankeyStanford4Jr1-2



Terrific guard prospect that’s effective on the line of scrimmage or blocking in motion. Plays with terrific fundamentals, strong at the point of attack and easily gets to the second level to annihilate linebackers. Offers first round potential and comes with a large upside.


2La’el CollinsLSU3Jr2nd
College left tackle better suited for guard. Athletic, smooth and easily moves about the field. Terrific pass protector and shows a lot of skill blocking in motion. Looked dominant at guard in 2012.

3Cyril RichardsonBaylor5Sr2nd
Large, powerful lineman that consistently dominates opponents. Strong, controls opponents and plays both tough and smart. Likely to struggle in a zone blocking scheme.

4Xavier Su’a-FiloUCLA3Jr2nd
Versatile tackle/guard prospect best on the inside. Possesses a thick build, blocks with leverage and shows a good degree of versatility in his game. Has a funky body shape and reportedly short arms but comes with starting potential for the next level.

5Anthony SteenAlabama5Sr2-3
Tough, efficient blocker who gets the most from his ability. Plays with terrific fundamentals, keeps his head on a swivel and plays through the whistle. Not a dominator and lacks great upside yet polished.

6Gabe JacksonMississippi State5Sr2-3
Dominant small area blocker whose game has leveled off. Tough, strong and controls opponents once engaged at the point of attack. Lacks great upside but does offer starting potential for the next level.

7Billy TurnerNorth Dakota State4Sr3rd
Small school left tackle prospect better inside at guard. Fluid, athletic and strong. Plays with a nasty attitude, works through the whistle and a terrific run blocker. Lacks the footwork necessary to stay on the blind side yet has a tremendous amount of upside in his game.
Best of the Rest

http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=8783

 

[tm1119]

A guy like Gabe Jackson or Anthony Steen in the 3rd would be a great value. Go D in rounds 1 and 2 and sure up the o line in the 3rd sounds like a plan to me.

 

[burmafrd]

A guy like Gabe Jackson or Anthony Steen in the 3rd would be a great value. Go D in rounds 1 and 2 and sure up the o line in the 3rd sounds like a plan to me.

yeah Jackson appeals to me because he has been very consistent and is very strong. We need real muscle there in the middle of the line - someone that can flat out hit any DT straight up and move him back.

 

[xwalker]

A guy like Gabe Jackson or Anthony Steen in the 3rd would be a great value. Go D in rounds 1 and 2 and sure up the o line in the 3rd sounds like a plan to me.

Yankey, Collins and Richardson all have really high upsides, IMO. I like Jackson also.

I see a guy like Steen as ready-early, but lacking in upside.

 

[KDM256]

Would take a chance on Jackson & Steen inthe 4th or 5th round

 

[Future]

A guy like Gabe Jackson or Anthony Steen in the 3rd would be a great value. Go D in rounds 1 and 2 and sure up the o line in the 3rd sounds like a plan to me.

I think that would be my goal too, though it depends how it shakes out.

If I had to choose, I'm taking Jackson over Steen. Its kind of like comparing guys like Warford to Barret Jones last year. The Bama guys might be more NFL ready now, but down the road, they have limited upside. I always like going with the upside guys, especially in the later rounds.

 

[RS12]

Gabe Jackson - G - Bulldogs
Mississippi State senior G Gabe Jackson accepted an invitation to play in the 2014 Reese's Senior Bowl.

The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder is blessed with premier size, strength and awareness. "He has a very firm anchor in pass protection, and he can create movement at the point of attack in the run game," NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah noted last month. We like his athleticism, flexibility and knee bend, but Jackson sometimes appears to be less than the sum of his parts. Jackson is likely ticketed for the middle rounds despite top-notch talent because he doesn't play as explosive as his gifts suggest he should, and his motor and aggressiveness have both been questioned.


Source: Senior Bowl on Twitter

 

[SportsGuru80]

Gabe Jackson - G - Bulldogs
Mississippi State senior G Gabe Jackson accepted an invitation to play in the 2014 Reese's Senior Bowl.

The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder is blessed with premier size, strength and awareness. "He has a very firm anchor in pass protection, and he can create movement at the point of attack in the run game," NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah noted last month. We like his athleticism, flexibility and knee bend, but Jackson sometimes appears to be less than the sum of his parts. Jackson is likely ticketed for the middle rounds despite top-notch talent because he doesn't play as explosive as his gifts suggest he should, and his motor and aggressiveness have both been questioned.


Source: Senior Bowl on Twitter

That's who I like as well...

 

[burmafrd]

never draft a lineman with a questionable motor

 

[jnday]

never draft a lineman with a questionable motor

Don't draft a lineman that needs to add strength or bulk either. This is not the case with Jackson, but it is a big gamble to draft linemen and hope they they get bigger and stronger. Warford was a good example from last year. He had the size and strength to step in from day one and start in the NFL. On the other hand, Arkin was a good example of hoping a lineman can add the power needed. Draft the big, strong linemen with nasty attitudes.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

yeah Jackson appeals to me because he has been very consistent and is very strong. We need real muscle there in the middle of the line - someone that can flat out hit any DT straight up and move him back.

As much as I want a DE and DT with our first 2 picks, there are definitely a few guards I'd take in round 2.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Don't draft a lineman that needs to add strength or bulk either. This is not the case with Jackson, but it is a big gamble to draft linemen and hope they they get bigger and stronger. Warford was a good example from last year. He had the size and strength to step in from day one and start in the NFL. On the other hand, Arkin was a good example of hoping a lineman can add the power needed. Draft the big, strong linemen with nasty attitudes.

Kinda hard to compare because it's not like we chose Arkin over Warford. Arkin was a 4th round pick, and as you get later in the draft, it's more acceptable to take risks. I personally don't think Arkin was worth the risk, considering how far he was from contributing, but had he been taken 2 rounds later, I'd have no problem with the way it turned out.

For Warford, he was an early 3rd rounder, which meant he would've needed to be our second rounder and apparently there was either something about Warford the coaching staff didn't like, or something about Escobar the coaching staff really liked.