The 2014 NFL Draft offensive guard prospects don’t offer the same top-end talent as last year, but there’s good depth. This year’s top prospect is Florida State’s Tre Jackson who features a combination of size and explosiveness off the ball.
Jackson is flying under the radar a bit, but look for him to gain some traction as the season progresses. It’s another year with a pretty weak center class. My top center is Oklahoma’s Gabe Ikard, but even he has some holes.
1. Tre Jackson, Guard, Florida State (1st Round)
Tre Jackson features the size and athleticism needed to develop into an elite guard at the next level. He’s a well-rounded prospect who can open running lanes and protect the passer. His explosiveness is the first thing that jumps out when you watch Jackson.
He routinely fires off the ball, gains inside hand placement, rolls his hips and delivers a powerful jolt. This allows him to get good arm extension and drive the defender off the ball. His arm length also helps Jackson Velcro on to pass-rushers.
Jackson shows good athleticism and fluid movements. This allows him to mirror the pass-rush and keep the quarterback clean. Don’t be surprised if Jackson finds a way to work his way into the top 20 picks. He’s that talented already with more room to grow.
2. Xavier Su’a Filo, Guard, UCLA (Early 2nd Round)
Xavier Su’a Filo is a nasty player who works to the whistle and loves delivering punishing blocks. He uses his long arms, thick lower half and strength to open holes in the running game. Su’a Filo is also athleticism enough to pull out in front of the running back and lead the play.
His thick lower half aids Su’a Filo’s ability to anchor against power pass-rush moves. Pass rushers have a tough time working their way into the backfield against him because he also does a great job gaining inside hands and controlling the defenders movement.
3. La’el Collins, Guard/Tackle, LSU (Early 2nd Round)
LSU plans on giving La’el Collins a shot at tackle this season, but based on what he showed at guard he’s a very promising prospect. Collins features excellent size, good raw power and a quick first step.
He is committed to keeping his pads down and gaining inside hand placement which helps him generate a strong push off the ball. Collins is someone an offense can plan to run behind all day long.
In pass protection, he keeps shows a wide base and balanced movement. His pass protection skills as a guard are above average, but it’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts to working in space at tackle.
4. David Yankey, Guard, Stanford (Early 2nd Round)
David Yankey brings some versatility to the table as he has experience playing both tackle and guard at Stanford. However, his best fit is at the guard spot because he lacks the fluidity and foot speed to consistently holdup in space.
Moving to guard also plays into Yankey’s strength, as he excels at generating a push off the line. He does a great job of firing off the ball low, gaining inside hands and keeping his feet moving to drive the defender off the ball.
Yankey is a solid guard prospect who projects to have a long NFL career, but it’s also possible that he has already reached his ceiling.
5. Gabe Jackson, Guard, Mississippi State (Early 2nd Round)
Gabe Jackson’s best attribute is his quickness and overall athleticism. He does a good job quickly going from a stance into his set. In the passing game, this allows him to gain position and anchor after the initial contact.
His use of leverage and commitment to gaining inside hand placement help him hold up against any type of pass rush. He’s also displays a ton of awareness and the ability to recognized the blitz.
In order to raise his stock, Jackson must do a better job keeping his legs moving when engaged in the running game. This will help him generate a better push and open bigger running lanes.
6. Anthony Steen, Guard, Alabama (2nd Round)
Anthony Steen is sound technical linemen who is a capable run and pass blocker. He does a good job maintain leverage which helps him anchor as a pass protector and generate a small push off the line. Steen isn’t a great athlete or overly powerful, but features enough natural ability to develop into a long-term starter at the next level.
7. Gabe Ikard, Center, Oklahoma (3rd Round)
Gabe Ikard is my top rated center prospect because of his terrific athleticism. He does a great job snapping the ball and stepping all in one quick motion. This allows him to get across the face of the defender and seal him from the play.
Ikard has a knack for slipping himself between the would-be tackler and direction of the play. He uses his long arms to create space and seal. His heavy hands allow him to Velcro to the defender and control his movements.
In the passing game, Ikard features the athleticism and balance to keep pressure out of the face of the quarterback.
8. Marcus Hall, Guard, Ohio State (3rd Round)
Marcus Hall is a fluid athlete who possesses ideal size. In fact, his long arms and athleticism could allow him to eventually move to tackle. In order to improve his draft stock Hall needs to improve his upper body strength and Velcro ability.
Hall would also benefit from showing more of a nasty streak. There are too many situations where he’s content just engaging the defense.
9. Hroniss Grasu, Center, Oregon (3rd Round)
Hroniss Grasu’s game is all about taking proper angles and getting in proper position. The spacing created by Oregon’s offense makes it really tough to evaluate Grasu. In most cases, he basically just gets his body in front of the defender. He needs to show he can fire off the ball and move people off the line.
Grasu also must improve his hand usage and overall strength. At this point, he’s real value is more about his athleticism than play on the field.
10. Spencer Long, Guard, Nebraska (Late 3rd Round)
Spencer Long is a hard worker who routinely works to the whistle. He shows good natural strength which helps him move defenders off the ball. However, he lacks great movement skills and plays stiff.
This stuffiness limits his ability to protect the passer and maintain leverage. Long has a future in the NFL, but it appears as though he has already reached his ceiling.
11. Russell Bodine, Center, North Carolina (5th Round)
Russell Bodine is a solid, but unspectacular prospect. He lacks any physical skill set that jumps off the tape. His best attribute surrounds his solid technique and balance. He does a good job keeping his pads low, getting his hands out in front maintaining a wide base.
12. Tyler Larsen, Center, Utah State (5th Round)
Tyler Larsen has some natural ability, but overall he plays with sloppy technique that includes high pad level. He also doesn’t show good explosiveness off the ball or fluidity.
13. Cyril Richardson, Guard, Baylor (5th Round)
Cyril Richardson is seen by some as one of the top interior line prospects available. However, there are plenty of holes in his game that keep him near the bottom of my rankings. Some of these concerns aren’t things that are easily correctable.
The main issues are his lack of arm length, stiff movements and overall explosiveness. He just doesn’t stand out as someone who can consistently win battles at the next level.
14. Brandon Thomas, Guard, Clemson (5th Round)
Brandon Thomas is an intriguing prospect because Clemson currently uses at the left tackle position. However, he doesn’t feature the balance or foot speed to protect the edge at the next level. His best bet would be to move inside to guard.
He has upside as a guard, but needs to do a better job keeping his pads low and gaining inside hands. Until he displays the ability to consistently do both he’ll remain on the lower end of my rankings.
15. Chris Burnette, Guard, Georgia (6th Round)
Chris Burnette features good size, bulk and is a solid overall athlete. He’s capable of holding up in pass protection because he can hold at the point of attack and keep pass-rushers in front of him. The issue is that Burnette isn’t explosive and doesn’t display a ton of power. He struggles to generate a push off the line, sustaining blocks and Velcroing to the defender. Burnette must do a better job exploding out of his stance and attacking the defensive line. It appears that he lacks that nasty streak evaluators want to see in an line prospect.
16. Bryan Stork, Center, Florida State (6th Round)
Bryan Stork is an undersized center prospect who struggles holding at the point of attack. He lacks the overall thickness and strength to keep defensive linemen from pushing him into the backfield. His best attribute is his quickness off the ball and how he snaps and steps all in one motion. However, I just don’t see how he can succeed in a league with big/quick defensive linemen. He’ll allow too much penetration for an offense to find consistency.
17. Travis Swanson, Center, Arkansas (7th Round)
Travis Swanson is a marginal prospect who lacks the skill level to really be effective at the next level. He plays with limited balance, a high pad level and narrow base. This limits his change of direction ability and anchor. Swanson also isn’t a fluid athlete and struggles to mirror the pass rush. He’ll have a tough time working his way into the starting lineup in the NFL.