Indianapolis Colts

2017 NFL draft rankings: Centers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Alabama’s Ryan Kelly was the gold standard at center last draft—the Colts nabbed him in Round 1, and he instantly upgraded their entire line. Expecting any of the 2017 center prospects to have that impact is a high bar, but here we find an ultra-experienced group with a couple names at the top that could be Week 1 starters.

Rank	Player	School	Measurables
1	Pat Elflein	Ohio State	6' 3", 300 lbs.
2	Ethan Pocic	LSU	6' 7", 302 lbs.
3	Mason Cole	Michigan	6' 5", 305 lbs.
4	Tyler Orlosky	West Virginia	6' 4", 296 lbs.
5	Kyle Fuller	Baylor	6' 5", 315 lbs.

Elflein was great as a guard for the Buckeyes last season. He hasn’t taken any steps back moving to center, and in doing so has made himself an even more appealing NFL prospect. He moves people in the run game and has a little sandpaper in his game. Pocic is a center who can get on the move, either to drop and protect his quarterback or pull as a lead blocker. Cole was a tackle for Michigan before sliding to center—his NFL future probably falls at the latter position, but the team that drafts him won’t complain about having the option.

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