National Football League

2023 NFL Draft guard-center rankings: Peter Skoronski the clear top prospect

Updated Apr. 11, 2023 11:33 a.m. ET

Typically only the focus of analysis when they have made a mistake, offensive linemen are the biggest, and yet most invisible players on the field for many football enthusiasts. That is certainly not the case for scouts, however, who recognize the critical role the brawlers play.

Offensive linemen are quite skilled, despite how they may look, and this year's class of interior blockers is a terrific demonstration of that fact. It boasts not only some of the most gifted linemen in the 2023 draft class but arguably its safest, as well. All 10 of the prospects listed below are realistic candidates to hear their names called over the first 100 selections, making it very comparable to the more celebrated classes of interior linemen over the past five years.

Previous positional rankings and scouting reports:

2023 NFL Draft QB prospect rankings: Bryce Young leads talented top 10 | FOX Sports

2023 NFL Draft RB prospect rankings: Bijan Robinson stands out in deep class | FOX Sports

2023 NFL Draft WR Rankings: Quentin Johnston leads the prospects | FOX Sports

2023 NFL Draft TE rankings: Dalton Kincaid leads "unique" top 10 | FOX Sports

2023 NFL Draft offensive tackle rankings: Paris Johnson leads top 10 prospects | FOX Sports

1. Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, Guard, 6-4, 313, Junior

Overview: The most celebrated offensive-line prospect in the 2023 NFL draft, Skoronski left Northwestern a year early for the pros, having dominated the Big Ten the past three seasons, earning at least Second-team all-conference accolades each year, all while playing left tackle. Recruiters expected Skoronski to be good — he signed with Northwestern as a four-star prep and one of the most highly decorated prospects in school history, after all — but the fact that he did so at such a high level and at left tackle was a surprise, as he was projected to play center due to his relatively short arms. Skoronski, a three-sport athlete in high school, proved more than capable of remaining outside at the college level but he faces more doubts in making the leap to the NFL.

Strengths: Good initial quickness out of his stance, sliding back with short, quick steps which keep him balance and ready to respond. If he's moved inside to guard it will not be because Skoronski lacks the footwork necessary to play tackle. Confident he can handle speed rushers, Skoronski shows great patience in allowing the edge rusher to come to him, latching on and showing impressive grip strength and lateral agility to mirror and sustain. Like a great cornerback in trail coverage, Skoronski possesses a real closing burst when he needs it, scooting to scoop and seal off defenders along the line and at the second level. Skoronski isn't just quick, he's strong (benching 30 reps of 225 pounds at the NFL Combine) and battle-tested, having started the past three seasons at left tackle against quality competition.

Concerns: Short arms (32 1/4") are likely to push Skoronski inside to guard in the NFL, a position where he never started at the collegiate level. Skoronski's below-average arm length is obvious throughout his tape, with longer-armed defenders too easily able to push him deep into the pocket or set the edge in the running game.

Bottom Line: Given how well he's acclimated to the NFL, it seems silly that Skoronski's predecessor, Rashawn Slater, was once viewed as a potential guard prospect by some scouts because he, too, has relatively short (33") arms. I see his greatest upside being inside. Wherever he plays, let's be clear. Skoronski is this year's best blocker. He is the only offensive lineman — at tackle, guard or center — to earn a Top 20 grade.

Grade: Top 20

Joel Klatt's top 50 players in 2023 NFL Draft

2. John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota, Center, 6-4, 301, Redshirt Senior

Overview: A three-star recruit out of Illinois back in 2017, Schmitz leaves Minnesota as of the iconic contributors in head coach PJ Fleck's remarkable turnaround of the program. It took Schmitz two years to get on the field, but once he took over the starting center job late in 2019, he became the very rudder behind Fleck's famous "Row the Boat" mantra, helping steer a once-grounded Gophers program to four consecutive bowl game wins.

Like his teammates, Schmitz steadily gained respect throughout his time in the Big Ten, graduating from Honorable Mention all-conference honors in 2020 to Second-team in 2021 before capping it off with First-team accolades as a senior, along with a host of All-American recognition. As proven as it gets, Schmitz seemingly had little to gain by competing in the Senior Bowl but did so anyway, staking his claim as the best pivot in the 2023 draft.

Strengths: Schmitz looks the part, with broad shoulders, wide hips and thick limbs. He has good snap-to-step quickness, literally beating defenders to the punch and showing sneaky body control to slither around defensive tackles to seal them from the action. He complements this quickness with NFL-ready power and football IQ. Demonstrates strong hands to snatch and sustain blocks, showing good core strength, balance and, frankly, grit, to hang on like a rat terrier, even when defenders gain an advantage.

Schmitz understands angles and leverage, doing the little things to recover when things go wrong. One of my favorite qualities about JMS' game is his decisiveness in switching off on twists, stunts and surprise blitzes. Schmitz' starting experience shows in his spatial awareness and communication with teammates, coordinating the blocking attack pre- and post-snap like a coach on the field. He blocks to the echo of the whistle and often far downfield.

Concerns: Schmitz lacks the eye-popping traits scouts expect of such a highly touted prospect. He has just average size, speed and general explosiveness for the position and it shows up on tape, with Schmitz winning more blocks with technique than sheer talent. His average arm length shows up against bigger DTs with Schmitz getting rag-dolled, at times, versus Wisconsin and Michigan State. He's quicker to the second level than he is adjusting to the moving targets once there, often serving more as a "road block" defenders have to go around than a true road grader. At 24-years old, Schmitz is also older than most prospects, having spent six years at Minnesota.

Bottom Line: Schmitz is the most pro-ready center in the 2023 draft, demonstrating the talent, toughness and desire over four starting seasons in the Big Ten and a stellar showing at the Senior Bowl to project as a longtime starter in the NFL. The first round is typically reserved for younger players with perceived higher ceilings than Schmitz would seem to have, but a club needing a leader in the middle could justify the selection.

Grade: Top 50

3. Joe Tippman, Wisconsin, Center, 6-6, 313, Junior

Overview: Few programs boast Wisconsin's track record of producing quality offensive linemen. Tippman, this year's top Badger blocker, is both bigger and more athletic than usual. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native earned three and four-star grades from recruiting services, picking Wisconsin over a host of other interested teams throughout the Big Ten, including Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue, as well as Cincinnati.

When he signed, Tippman weighed 283 pounds and was viewed as a tackle prospect, so perhaps it isn't surprising that it took nearly two years for him to see the field. He seized the starting center role in 2021, however, and started the next two years, earning Honorable Mention honors from both the league's coaches and media after each season. With 22 career starts at the college level, Tippman opted to forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL draft.

Strengths: Tippman has a rare blend of size and agility for the position. He skips out of his stance to pull, showing impressive balance and lateral agility on the move and adjusting to defenders. Tippman's rare athleticism isn't just clear on tape (where it matters most), he also is expected to work out exceptionally well.

Tippman was prominently featured each of the past two years in FOX sideline reporter Bruce Feldman's iconic "Freaks List," but a hamstring strain kept him from working out in Indianapolis, forcing us all to wait until Wisconsin's March 23 Pro Day to quantify the athleticism.

Tippman seems to enjoy intimidating opponents, seeking to bury them with pancake blocks when he can, showing good grip and core strength. The quickness shown as a run blocker is also evident in pass protection, where Tippman's mirror skills stand out. He shuffles laterally nicely, keeping his head on a swivel to help either guard, as needed, or when releasing downfield. Tippman is light on his feet and maintains good knee bend while closing in for contact, keeping his eyes up and generating power through his hips to deliver knockdown shoves.

Concerns: Isn't as powerful as his size suggests. Like most tall players, Tippman can struggle with pad level, sapping his own strength by losing the critical leverage battle inside that often goes to the lowest man. Most often, this results in a stalemate at the line of scrimmage for Tippman, but he does get jostled around, at times, and falls off more blocks than you'd like, as he's a bit top-heavy naturally and makes this worse by leaning into opponents, leaving himself off-balance.

Bottom Line: Tippman has the kind of athleticism normally associated with offensive tackles. That is very unusual for a center, as is his height, making Tippman a unique prospect. And the flashes on tape are lightning-strike bright. Tippman (who turns 22 this week) is not as polished as some of the other interior linemen on this list, but no one should be surprised if three years from now he's become the best of the bunch.

Grade: Top 50

4. O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida, Guard, 6-5, 330, Senior

Overview: A three-star recruit out of Greensburg, Louisiana, Torrence signed with then-Louisiana Ragin Cajuns' head coach Billy Napier in 2019 and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup at right guard, becoming the first true freshman offensive lineman at the program since 2004 to start a game. He'd go on to earn Second and then First-team All-Sun Belt honors as a sophomore and junior before taking the biggest gamble of his college career, taking a massive leap in competition by transferring to Florida to join Napier, who'd been hired as the Gators' head coach.

Both literally and figuratively, Torrence emerged as one of the biggest stories of the fall from a scouting perspective, becoming the first guard at Florida ever to be named a consensus All-American. He also is the proud owner of one of the most remarkable statistics of the 2023 NFL draft class — having never surrendered a single sack over his college career, according to PFF.

Strengths: Torrence is a hulking man with broad shoulders and thick limbs, including long arms (33 7/8) and catcher's mitts for hands (11 ¼"). He's much stronger than the 23 repetitions in the bench press would suggest, using those big hands to snatch opponents, often sustaining his initial grip for the duration of the rep. Broad as a barn door and maintains points of contact with his opponent, leaving few opportunities for pass rushers to gather much momentum. For such a big man, Torrence flashes surprising initial quickness and short-area agility, slipping from his initial responsibility at the line of scrimmage to the second-level efficiently on combo blocks. He's durable with no known injury concerns. Torrence started all 46 games in which he played over his college career. He also turned some critics into believers with a stellar week at the Senior Bowl.

Concerns: Torrence played just one position (right guard) and in one run-heavy scheme his entire career. He won't be seen as a fit in some NFL offenses. He had a pretty sloppy frame for most of his college career, though to his credit, Torrence shed some of the extra weight prior to the Senior Bowl, where he weighed in at 337 pounds and the Combine (330) after being listed at Florida at 347. He flashes good initial quickness off the snap but is far too inconsistent in this area, too often ranking as the last of the Gators' blockers off the ball. He can be downright sluggish off the snap and lacks the flexibility of some of the other blockers on this list, relying on his width and grip strength to recover. He's also slower in recognizing twists and stunts than his starting experience would suggest.

Bottom Line: The analytics on Torrence are misleading. He's enjoyed such incredible success in pass protection, in large part, due to three reasons 1) his grip strength 2) his broad frame and, not insignificantly, the fact that he's blocked for two very mobile quarterbacks in Anthony Richardson and Levi Lewis (at Louisiana), who ran for a combined 19 touchdowns during his three seasons as a starter. Torrence has some starting-caliber qualities but he's not the sure thing his stats and hype elsewhere might lead you to believe.

Grade: Second round

5. Cody Mauch, North Dakota State, Guard, 6-5, 302, Redshirt Senior

Overview: It is easy to understand why college recruiters overlooked Mauch, as he played nine-man football in tiny Hankinson, North Dakota, a town with a 2021 population of just 922 people, starring at quarterback, tight end and defensive end. His first real contributions at North Dakota State actually was at tight end, as well, as he caught a two-point conversion in 2019 before taking over at tackle during the 2020-21 split-season. Mauch (whose last name is appropriately pronounced "Mock") earned the first two starts of his career at right tackle but the Bison staff quickly switched him to the blind side, where he remained for the next two and a half years, earning All-American accolades the past two seasons and a starring role at the Senior Bowl as this year's favorite small-school phenom.

Strengths: Mauch looks the part of an NFL offensive lineman with a large, well-developed frame and good overall athleticism. While perhaps lacking the exceptional combination of length and speed required to stay at left tackle in the NFL, Mauch is a legitimate pro-caliber athlete, showing light feet and balance to mirror in pass protection, as well as when adjusting to moving targets at the second level as a run blocker. Along with that quickness, Mauch offers pro-ready power and tenacity, attacking opponents with the kind of enthusiasm that will make him a favorite of teammates, coaches and fans. He has excellent weightroom strength (29 bench press reps at the combine) and it shows up on tape with Mauch generating movement at the point of attack in the running game. He eased concerns about his pending position switch and level of competition with a stellar week (notably, at guard) at the Senior Bowl.

Concerns: Stubby (32 3/8") arms virtually guarantee Mauch will be asked to slide inside to guard (or even center) in the NFL, positions he never played prior to the Senior Bowl practices. He has a tendency to let his pad level rise while playing offensive tackle and must improve in this area at guard or find himself vulnerable to bull rushers. Similarly, Mauch will occasionally drop his head on contact, leaving him susceptible to over-arm swim moves — a technique he'll see much more often in close quarters inside.

Bottom Line: Mauch is facing the steepest jump in competition of any of the linemen in this article, as well as an expected position switch, so he may require a bit of patience. I believe he has all of the physical traits, as well as the work ethic and grit, to successfully make this transition, however, projecting as a future longtime starting left guard.

Grade: Second Round

6. Steve Avila, TCU, Center/Guard, 6-4, 332, Redshirt Senior

Overview: Avila is a perfect illustration of just how big football is in Texas. He earned a four-star grade from ESPN as a recruit out of Arlington but ranked as just the ninth-best offensive guard from the state that year, which might explain why he only had only a few scholarship offers (Utah, Kansas State, UT-San Antonio, North Texas) before ultimately choosing to stick close to home with TCU.

It took Avila two years to crack TCU's starting lineup but once he did, he was a mainstay prized for his versatility and dependability, spreading his starts between center (17), left guard (15), right tackle (two) and right guard (one) over the next three years. Avila was voted a team captain prior to TCU's magical 2022 season and, for the second consecutive year, did not allow a single quarterback sack. He was named a consensus All-American, making him the first player at TCU since 2015 (wide receiver Josh Doctson) to be so honored.

Strengths: Avila has an ideal frame for the interior offensive line with a stocky, square core with good overall weight distribution and thick limbs, including 33" arms and vices for hands. He's a powerful dude with impressive core strength and balance to anchor and offers legitimate knockback power as a drive blocker when he keeps his technique. He's quicker and more agile than he looks, showing good snap-to-step fluidity as a center (2021) and the body control to mirror in space. He has very good patience as a pass blocker. Like a spider on a web, Avila invites defenders to come to him before pouncing with powerful hands to latch and control. He didn't allow a single sack in 2021 (at center) or 2022, despite playing left guard for the first time. Avila turned heads with his power at both the Senior Bowl and Combine (28 reps).

Concerns: This strongman is actually currently better in pass protection than in the running game. He bounced around at various positions and is a bit behind in his development as a result. Avila needs to do a better job of maintaining his knee bend and keeping his feet shuffling through contact, both of which take away from his power. Avila's strike zone varies, as well. He shows inconsistent hand placement, too often delivering high initial punches and grabs that slip off and force him to readjust.

Bottom Line: Don't blame Avila for TCU's disappointing performance in the national title game against Georgia. He was as effective in slowing down Jalen Carter as anyone all year long and followed up a magical final season in Waco with a terrific week in Mobile. Whether at center or guard, Avila has the frame and physicality of a longtime NFL starter, likely earning him a Day 2 selection.

Grade: Second-Third Round

7. Ricky Stromberg, Arkansas, Center/Guard, 6-3, 306, Senior

Overview: A celebrated recruit out of Tulsa, Stromberg delivered on expectations as a true freshman for Arkansas, starting 44 games in four years, culminating in a senior season in which he earned the prestigious Jacobs Blocking Award as the best offensive lineman in the SEC. Starting all 12 regular season games at center, Stromberg didn't allow single sack or even a quarterback hit in 2022, becoming just the third Razorback to ever win the award. Given his track record of success against top competition, Stromberg didn't need to compete in the all-star banquet but he did anyway, starring at the East-West Shrine Bowl practices, cementing his position as one of the better interior linemen in this draft.

Strengths: Stromberg has terrific snap-to-step quickness, delivering strong, accurate punches to defenders a split-second after delivering the ball. He has surprising initial twitch out of his stance to gain positioning on the defender, showing quickness and body control to turn and seal them off. Stromberg can generate movement at the point of attack, winning with pad level, leg drive and desire. He plays with his knees bent and butt down, smoothly sliding laterally in pass protection.

He understands angles and leverage, inviting defenders into traps by leaning or dropping his shoulder (to indicate the direction of the play) before pinching back and sealing them off from the action. Good flexibility and core strength enable him to anchor. He has impressive awareness and competitiveness and isn't satisfied with making one block, competing until the whistle. Possesses a quality frame for the position with above-average arm length (33 ¼") and both broad shoulders and wide hips, giving him a square-ish body conducive to maintaining balance through contact. He was called for just two penalties in 3,121 career snaps according to Pro Football Focus, allowing just four sacks over his 44 starts, including none in 2022.

Concerns: Stromberg is just as quick to lose his burst as he is to show it. At his best in close quarters. He can get to the second level but struggles adjusting to moving targets and is forced to lunge, resulting in some terrific blocks but some whiffs, as well. We see too many "barely" blocks on tape with Stromberg gaining early position to technically win the rep, only to get tossed aside a split-second later, leaving his assignment still capable of getting back into the play. The same waist-bending that he uses to lure defenders also gets him in trouble with simple swim moves.

Bottom Line: The tape isn't as dominant as his analytics and awards suggest, but he did consistently beat SEC defenders the past four seasons, starting at three different positions. Sometimes players with lengthy college careers get overly nitpicked and don't generate as much buzz as they should. Stromberg shouldn't get out of Day Two, but he'll wind up starting early in his NFL career regardless of where he was selected.

Grade: Second-to-third round

8. Luke Wypler, Ohio State, Center, 6-3, 303, Redshirt Sophomore

Overview: The youngest player on this list (21), Wypler signed with Ohio State as a consensus four-star recruit and the top-rated prep overall from New Jersey in 2020. He took over as the starter for the perennial playoff-contending Buckeyes a year later, establishing himself as one of the nation's top centers over the next two seasons. Wypler, an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten choice by league media in 2022, surprised some in choosing to bypass his remaining eligibility and enter the NFL early.

Strengths: Built like a cinder block with a naturally low center of gravity. Wypler is cat-quick out of his stance, showing the flexibility and balance to pull off difficult scoop blocks and stalk defenders at the second level. This change of direction was quantified at the Combine with Wypler posting the swiftest short shuttle (4.53 seconds) of any of the blockers in this article and the third-quickest of any offensive linemen tested this year, overall. While quickness is Wypler's calling card, he's also quite powerful and surprisingly clean with his technique, given his relative inexperience. While certainly aided by his stumpy frame, Wypler consistently wins the leverage battle and he has a Cy Young winner's feel for the strike zone, delivering explosive, accurate punches to the chest of opponents. Wypler has excellent strength (29 bench-press repetitions at the Combine) to latch and hang on, frustrating bigger defenders with their inability to shake him. He seems to just scratching the surface of his potential.

Concerns: Wypler has just average size for the position and, while physical, he absorbs more than he delivers. Even among the short-armed, Wypler (31 5/8 inches) stand out, somewhat negating Wypler's impressive bench press strength. When he misses with his initial punch, Wypler lacks the length to recover, resulting in some frenetic scrambling. He was greatly aided by the talent surrounding him, including Ohio State's massive duo at offensive tackle and a savvy, accurate quarterback who got the ball out on time.

Bottom Line: There is a precociousness to Wypler that plenty of NFL teams — especially those favoring zone blocking schemes — will appreciate. Scouts also recognize the pipeline of talent from Columbus. Wypler will be the sixth Ohio State center drafted in the last 10 years.

Grade: Third Round

9. Olusegun "Olu" Oluwatimi, Michigan, Center, 6-3, 309, Redshirt Senior

Overview: Oluwatimi took a winding path to becoming the most celebrated offensive lineman in the country, originally signing with the Air Force Academy as a two-star recruit out of Hyattsville, Maryland. He opted to transfer to Virginia, sitting out the 2018 season before emerging as the Cavaliers' starting center in 2019, earning Honorable Mention All-ACC honors. He would go on to start 22 games over the next two seasons for Virginia, topping out with second-team all-conference accolades in 2021 and being named one of three finalists for the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center.

Oluwatimi opted to transfer yet again prior to the 2022 season, joining a Michigan squad that had just been honored with the Joe Moore Award as the nation's top blocking unit. With Oluwatimi leading the charge, Michigan repeated as the Joe Moore Award (and more importantly, Big Ten) winners this past season with the New Jersey native taking home the Rimington and Outland (nation's best interior lineman) trophies.

Strengths: He has a compact, naturally balanced frame that is well-suited to winning leverage battles. Wide-hipped with thick limbs and at least adequate arm length (32 ¾"). As battle-tested as it gets, with Oluwatimi starting 45 games over his college career, all at center and against two different conferences. He's football-smart and a technician. Was charged with making the line calls (including in his year at Michigan) and shows great awareness of the action around him, adjusting on the fly. Quick and composed, taking sharp angles to his stations in the running game and playing with proper knee bend, hand placement and effort to sustain once he connects.

Concerns: He lacks the eye-popping physical traits to match his publicity. Even among the interior offensive linemen, Oluwatimi possesses a relatively stubby frame and he isn't the powerful drive-blocker that Michigan's downhill rushing attack suggests. Oluwatimi has more of a catch-and-corral style that was significantly aided by the tight splits run by Michigan. He isn't especially agile, lacking the speed and is more smart than sudden when blocking at the second level. These limitations could leave him in trouble against the quick-twitch penetrating defensive tackles he'll see in the NFL, as well as longer-armed bull rushers.

Bottom Line: Oluwatimi has the reputation and track record to suggest a relatively seamless transition to the NFL, but there are enough size and athleticism limitations on tape to suggest he might still be available in the middle rounds. I see a classic battler whose game is more than the sum of its parts.

Grade: Third-to-fourth round

10. Anthony Bradford, LSU, Guard, 6-4, 332, Redshirt Junior

Overview: Muskegon, Michigan is hardly a recruiting hotbed for SEC teams but LSU was able to lure Bradford out of Big Ten country. He won three high-school state titles, as well as the "Big Man Bench" at the 2018 Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, a national competition among high school recruits, lifting 225 pounds a shocking 31 times. Bradford saw limited action as a reserve in his first two seasons in Baton Rouge but started five games in 2021 – the season-opener at right guard and four conferences games (Auburn, Kentucky, Florida and Mississippi) later in the year at left tackle. He started 12 of 13 games for LSU this past season, including 10 at right guard and one apiece at left and right tackle. Bradford gave up his remaining eligibility to enter the 2023 draft early, leaving LSU with 29 game appearances, including 17 career starts in four seasons.

Strengths: Simply a massive man with the kind of natural power every team is looking to develop. More anchored than the Titanic, abruptly stopping oncoming bull rushers in their tracks. A connoisseur of collisions, generating great force to serve as one of the more intimidating blockers in this draft class. A legitimate earth-mover in the running game whose strength was quantified at the Combine when he posted a staggering 34 reps of 225 pounds, even with long (33.5") arms. Bradford bullies opponents at the point of attack, bashing them with a powerful initial pop, latching on and surging forward due to his upper body strength and leg drive. For such a big man, Bradford shows an intriguing explosive burst when he needs it, firing out of his snap when asked to block on the move.

Concerns: He's undeniably talented but has not yet played to his gifts. Bradford's elow-average conditioning that threatens to put him in the doghouse with a coaching staff at any point. He's sluggish out of his stance and gets slower as he leaves the tackle box, trudging laterally and downfield like he's running through sand. Lacks ideal anticipation, at this time, for tricky twists and stunts, too often failing to pick up looping rushers in time. He flashed at both left and right tackle in starting opportunities but was far too inconsistent while there, mistiming snaps and struggling with counter-moves.

Bottom Line: Bradford is scheme-specific, projecting best as a pure drive-blocking right guard in a run-heavy offense in an era most NFL teams are increasingly turning to the passing game. Further, he plays with a Hulk-Smash style that, while perhaps entertaining to fans, might leave teammates and coaches frustrated. Bradford is undeniably gifted, though. If he commits to his craft, Bradford may very well prove a better player in the NFL than he was in college, with a ceiling as high as any interior offensive lineman in this class.

Grade: Third-to-fourth round

Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.

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