With the NFL Combine comes an opportunity for players to stand out from the crowd,  get noticed and build momentum on their draft stock.  Scouts and coaches want to see interior lineman who can lead and control the heart of the offense so interviews are a key part of the process.  Here is a look at the centers who will be attending Indianapolis this year.

Weston Richburg – Colorado State

Richburg had an excellent Senior Bowl week and raised his profile somewhat.  The Colorado State product is highly intelligent and will wow evaluators during interviews and whiteboard sessions.  He possesses outstanding instincts and awareness and is the ideal player to build an offensive line around. 

What may ensure Richburg is the first center taken in the draft is his performances in the pulling drills were he could show his versatility to play guard if a team needed him to.

Travis Swanson – Arkansas

Swanson was,  for a long time,  the unanimous number one center in this draft but Richburg has caught and passed him in the eyes of many analysts.

He is a natural athlete who moves well with good body control and has no problems getting to the linebackers on a run play.  In Indy teams will be looking to see how quickly he fires off the ball and what his short-area quickness is.  As a pass blocker he is dominating and often does not get rushed as a result.  The many drills at the combine will definitely accentuate Swanson’s ability.

Marcus Martin – USC

The only true junior at the combine,  Martin started 20 games at left guard in his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to center for ten games last year.  Martin has a naturally thick build that allows him to successfully grind away in the trenches. 

The Trojan possesses tremendous core power and looks a very fluid player on tape which should translate very well to the drills at the combine.  Not only that,  but I also expect Martin to measure well.  With just one year at center,  scouts will be picking at his game to see if his potential is as advertised.

Bryan Stork – Florida State

An underrated piece of Jameis Winston’s success,  Stork is a competitor who is very alert and active.  While there are concerns about his lower body strength,  the main focus at the combine will be on Stork’s health.  The fifth-year senior left a game against Maryland due to a concussion and with the NFL’s long-time battle against the injury,  teams will be ultra-safe when assessing his long-term availability.

Tyler Larsen – Utah State

Larsen is a long-term starter who I expect to test well in the individual drills at the combine.  The 6’4” 312lbs. center moves extremely well laterally and has shown he can attack the second level of defenses.  It is likely he will bulk up a little more for the NFL,  but at this stage he should put on a solid show in pass protection drills.

Gabe Ikard – Oklahoma

After an up and down Senior Bowl week,  Ikard has a thing or two to prove between now and the NFL Draft.

Despite quality outings against Louis Nix from Notre Dame and Alabama’s defensive line,  Ikard often left a lot to be desired against weaker opponents.  The importance of 50 collegiate starts – 32 at center and 18 at guard - cannot be stressed enough.  Teams will keep a close eye on the former Oklahoma senior captain in the pulling drills to measure his athleticism and gauge if he is a moveable piece along the offensive line.

Russell Bodine – North Carolina

Bodine is a four-year junior who displays very good technique and athleticism – It has been reported that Bodine will run under five seconds in the 40-yard dash.  He excelled when playing alongside Jonathan Cooper (first round Cardinals) and Travis Bond (seventh round Vikings) but struggled at times without them in 2013.

Matt Armstrong – Grand Valley State

Armstrong is listed as a center but he should be classified as playing offensive line after he started at least one game in each of the five positions over the course of his college career.  The small school prospect is the first ever player invited to the combine from Grand Valley State.  He is very good athletically – he also threw the shot put – and teams could eye him as a developmental player in the final round.

Corey Linsley – Ohio State

Linsley was an anchor at the middle of the Buckeye offensive line.  He regularly benches 500lbs. and will undoubtedly be one of the favourites to raise the most reps on the bench press at the combine. 

Linsley is another who has already proved he is big and strong and now must display his quickness and lateral movements in drills.

James Stone – Tennessee

Stone possesses a stout frame with a thick lower half that is perfect for playing interior offensive line.  He has tremendous balance and surprising athleticism.  A quirky fact about Stone is he switches hands when snapping to a quarterback in the gun.

Jonotthan Harrison – Florida

Harrison is a versatile lineman who is adept at playing all three interior positions in the NFL.  He is quick off the snap and understands the use of leverage and positioning to win individual battles.

The Gator wont jump off the page at the combine but with the recent success of Florida offensive lineman he will not be overlooked.

Matt Paradis – Boise State

Paradis was a consistent force on the offensive line for Boise State and was named first-team All-Mountain West Conference during his junior campaign.  He is a tenacious competitor and the coaches will love what they see.  At 295lbs. he is on the light side and will certainly need to bulk up.  A strong combine could see Paradis’ name called in the later rounds.