B/R NFL Draft 400: Top Centers for 2015
Each spring, 256 players are drafted into the NFL and roughly another 100 are added as undrafted free agents. With close to 350 new players entering the pros each year, it's tough to keep track of them.
Everyone knows who Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and Amari Cooper are. But what about the rest of the class? At Bleacher Report, our aim is to thoroughly cover the draft unlike any other outlet, so we're not stopping with coverage of the top 32 picks or even the top 200 picks. We're covering the top 400 draft-eligible players, with a full scouting report on each one.
The top 400 players have been tracked, scouted, graded and ranked by myself and my scouting assistants, Marshal Miller and Dan Bazal. Together, we have viewed a minimum of three games per player (the same standard NFL teams use), and oftentimes, we've seen every play from a player over the last two years. That's led to the grades, rankings and scouting reports you see here.
Players are graded on strengths and weaknesses, with a pro player comparison added that matches the player's style or fit in the pros. Position by position, the top 400 players are broken down for easy viewing before the final release of a top 400 big board before the draft.
In the case of ties, players were ranked based on their overall grade.
The Grading Scale
1 of 15
At the end of each scouting report you'll see a Final Grade that falls somewhere between 9.00 and 4.00 on a unique grading scale. This scale comes from the teaching I had from Charlie Casserly, Michael Lombardi and other former and current front office personnel in the NFL. I've tweaked it this year to be more transparent, and the result is each player receiving a number grade as well as their ranking.
This applies to all positions.
| Grade | Label |
| 9.00 | Elite, No. 1 pick |
| 8.00-8.99 | All-Pro Potential |
| 7.50-7.99 | Pro Bowl Potential |
| 7.00-7.49 | Top 15 Player Potential |
| 6.50-6.99 | Rookie Impact/Future Starter |
| 6.00-6.49 | Rookie Impact/Future Starter |
| 5.50-5.99 | Future Starter |
| 5.10-5.49 | Quality Backup |
| 5.01-5.09 | Backup Caliber |
| 5.00 | Draftable Player Cutoff |
| 4.75-4.99 | Priority Free Agent |
| 4.50-4.74 | Camp Player |
| 4.00-4.49 | Not NFL Caliber |
14. David Andrews, Georgia
2 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'2" | 294 lbs | 31 7/8" | 5.12s | 27 reps |
STRENGTHS
An impressive athlete at center, David Andrews has been a gritty worker for the Bulldogs. He understands angles and can handle line calls from center. Andrews is football-smart, and it shows on the field and in his preparation.
Andrews plays with leverage and can be a nightmare for defenders at the second level. Despite his smaller frame, he has big, strong hands and can lock up defenders when he gets his mitts on them.
A three-year starter, Andrews didn’t give up a sack in his final two years at Georgia.
WEAKNESSES
Andrews doesn’t have an NFL frame, especially in his narrow, thin lower body. Andrews will not be a fit for teams running a power-blocking scheme and must be selected by a zone team. He’s not only short but has a narrow frame that is pushing the limits at 294 pounds. He’ll get beat up by nose tackles and has to have help to control power players.
Andrews may be maxed out physically and in technique.
PRO COMPARISON: Chris Myers, Free Agent
A small center with great experience in the SEC, Andrews is a mirror image of who Chris Myers was coming out of college.
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Backup)
13. Dillon Day, Mississippi State
3 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'4" | 299 lbs | 32" | 5.26s | 23 reps |
STRENGTHS
A four-year starter at center in the SEC, Dillon Day is experienced, tough and has been tested against elite NFL prospects.
He’s good on his spot and won’t get walked off his snap radius. He has an NFL body with a thick frame and a solid base. He has active, strong hands in the run game and will get the initial push to drive tackles off the ball. He does a good job getting the angle on defenders.
WEAKNESSES
Day missed a game against Texas A&M in 2014 after the SEC suspended him for stomping on two LSU players on separate plays. Day comes off as stiff in his lower body and has poor leverage. He’s a below-average athlete who lacks the bulk and strength to dominate in one-on-one situations. He’s often off balance and panics when pressured or starts to lose his leverage.
PRO COMPARISON: Jonotthan Harrison, Indianapolis Colts
A good college center with experience, instincts and football smarts, Day and Jonotthan Harrison have more than an SEC background in common.
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Backup)
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
12. Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
4 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'3" | 310 lbs | 30" | 5.15s | Injured |
STRENGTHS
A standout East-West Shrine Game performer, Brandon Vitabile has upside that will excite NFL teams.
He’s a 50-game starter at Northwestern who brings experience and durability to the table. A high-motor competitor, Vitabile is agile with good pad height and nice balance. He can get enough push to dump defenders and finishes blocks with meanness. He’s a head-up blocker who plays with nice posture and active hands.
Off the field, he’s a high-character, intelligent man who has interned twice at Goldman Sachs. Zone and power-blocking teams will take notice.
WEAKNESSES
Good luck watching a complete game without Vitabile ending up on the ground multiple times. He doesn’t have ideal length or punch ability and will get caught letting defenders into his chest instead of punching to generate separation. He has a hard time maintaining blocks and has to win with his first step, as he doesn't redirect when his first pass set fails.
PRO COMPARISON: Tim Lelito, New Orleans Saints
An average athlete with average length, Vitabile doesn’t wow with metrics but is a finisher who can play for a long time in the NFL at a level comparable to Tim Lelito.
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Backup)
11. Jake Smith, Louisville
5 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'4" | 304 lbs | - | 5.52s | 23 reps |
STRENGTHS
Jake Smith is a tough character with positional versatility coming out of Louisville with a late-round grade.
He has quick, active hands and moves his feet to keep up with defenders on his spot. He’s a competitor and has produced at guard and center in a pro-style offense. He sinks his heels in and will squat down against nose tackles who get inside his frame.
Smith doesn’t redirect well with power or agile feet but can regain leverage with effort and motor.
WEAKNESSES
Smith has to win with effort, as his strength and athleticism are below average for an NFL talent. He’s not a functional mover and can get caught up in traffic moving off his spot. He’s a snap-and-block center and won’t be liked by zone-blocking teams. He’ll miss wide and high too often in pass protection.
PRO COMPARISON: Jeremy Zuttah, Baltimore Ravens
Smith has the look of a pro and brings enough technique and effort to will his way into a job in the NFL. He carries a ceiling comparable to that of Jeremy Zuttah.
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Backup)
10. Cole Manhart, Nebraska-Kearney
6 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'5" | 298 lbs | - | 5.35s | 24 reps |
STRENGTHS
A stud small-school tackle who looks like a potential guard or center in the NFL, Cole Manhart is a big man with good feet. He’s a raw player with great size and length, and he gets out of his spot well and can go to the second level and attack.
He’s versatile, having played tackle and center, and showed nice awareness and read-and-react skills when facing twists, stunts and blitzes.
WEAKNESSES
Manhart doesn’t have great play strength, especially in his lower body, and doesn’t sink well to anchor against defensive tackles who are head-up. He didn’t face one NFL-level talent in college and wasn’t invited to the Senior Bowl to showcase his talent against major competition.
The lack of functional strength is a major sticking point for Manhart and could be the difference between being a late-round pick and undrafted free agent.
PRO COMPARISON: Luke Bowanko, Jacksonville Jaguars
A long, lean straight-line athlete with potential if coached up, Manhart could be this year’s Luke Bowanko as a surprise starter at center.
FINAL GRADE: 5.05/9.00 (Backup)
9. Chad Hamilton, Coastal Carolina
7 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'2" | 292 lbs | 34" | 4.87s | - |
STRENGTHS
Chad Hamilton is a small-school athlete with amazing length and quick, agile feet.
He was a dominant player against Big South competition, which is what a weaker-competition player must be. He’s an easy mover with smooth feet and can show fluid movement working off the line forward or backward. He beat up FCS competition while demonstrating good technique in his feet. He resets well and doesn’t lack for bend in his knees.
He was a smart, instinctive blocker and looks NFL-ready from play-call and technique standpoints.
WEAKNESSES
Hamilton has not been tested by NFL-caliber defenders. He’s short and has the look of a center despite experience at tackle. Hamilton has limited experience at center and is a complete projection here.
He’s a bit awkward when moving against a speedy pass-rusher and will lean and lunge to reach them. He doesn’t have the lower-body power to anchor against a bull rush.
PRO COMPARISON: A.Q. Shipley, Arizona Cardinals
While limited athletically, Hamilton has the toughness and smarts to produce in the pros, much like A.Q. Shipley.
FINAL GRADE: 5.15/9.00 (Backup)
8. Max Garcia, Florida
8 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'4" | 309 lbs | 33 ⅛" | - | - |
STRENGTHS
A versatile, three-position player along the Florida offensive line, Max Garcia has NFL potential at center.
Garcia is a fighter and considered a leader in the Gators locker room. He has good length and big hands and passes the eye test. He’ll stand in his spot and fight defenders with his hands and shows good placement with a potential knockout punch.
Garcia had a productive Senior Bowl week and stood his ground against top-tier defensive tackles of all shapes, sizes and strengths.
WEAKNESSES
Garcia lacks the physical tools to be a sure-thing starter in the NFL. He’s stiff and heavy when asked to move even laterally to protect a reach in the A-gap. He’s a snap-radius player only who must be protected on the sides.
Garcia’s leverage struggles when engaged, and he’ll get caught ducking his head and losing his legs too often. He’s not a threat at the second level, and a move to center permanently protects him from needing to pull or shoot down the line.
PRO COMPARISON: Eric Wood, Buffalo Bills
A smart, tough, versatile player with strength but marginal athleticism, Garcia’s prospects and ceiling mimic Eric Wood’s.
FINAL GRADE: 5.15/9.00 (Quality Backup)
7. Greg Mancz, Toledo
9 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'4" | 301 lbs | - | - | Injured |
STRENGTHS
A versatile lineman capable of playing either guard spot or center, Greg Mancz has immediate value for the NFL.
He’s a leader who is well-versed in pro-style blocking and has taken his experiences at tackle, guard and center and filed them away in a great football mind. He’s a smooth technician with expert hand placement and high-level angles and leverage. He’s athletic enough to move off his spot and work down the line on pulls and traps.
WEAKNESSES
Coming out of Toledo, Mancz doesn’t have NFL-level strength on the field or in the weight room. Mancz is primarily a shotgun snapper who may need to adjust to under-center play in the pros.
He’s a glass of water over 300 pounds and needs to add bulk and strength to his lower body. As a blocker, Mancz often required help with moving nose tackles and didn’t make dominant blocks in space or when dumping tackles on the line—and that was in the MAC, not the SEC.
Mancz injured his shoulder at the East-West Shrine Game and has not been able to workout post-surgery. According to NFL.com's Gil Brandt, this is his third shoulder operation.
PRO COMPARISON: Bryan Stork, New England Patriots
A good athlete with a football mind and pro-readiness, Mancz’s scouting report reads almost identical to Bryan Stork’s last year.
FINAL GRADE: 5.30/9.00 (Quality Backup)
6. Andy Gallik, Boston College
10 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'2" | 306 LBS | 32 ¾" | 5.50 s | 29 Reps |
STRENGTHS
A powerful, compact blocker with big, strong hands, Andy Gallik is a throwback and a street-fighter at center.
He’s balanced and plays with a wide base that allows him to squat on bull rushes. Gallik has loose hips and can sink and bend at the knees to throw punches. He keeps his eyes up and back straight and won’t get bullied or pressured into panicking. He’s a brick wall anchoring the center of the line.
Gallik looks like a potential starting center.
WEAKNESSES
Gallik is an average athlete when asked to move off his spot and will be downgraded in zone-blocking schemes. He won't impress in a moving scheme and is slow working through pulls or traps and when the situation calls for him to get to linebackers. He can struggle to reach shaded defenders who have a good first step and will get beaten to the A-gap at times.
PRO COMPARISON: Roberto Garza, Free Agent
A good center but a bad athlete: That sums up both Gallik and veteran Roberto Garza. And like Garza, Gallik can have a long, productive starting career.
FINAL GRADE: 5.30/9.00 (Quality Backup)
5. Reese Dismukes, Auburn
11 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'3" | 296 lbs | 32 ¼" | 5.31 s | 23 Reps |
STRENGTHS
A 50-game starter at Auburn, Reese Dismukes is a bright leader in the middle of the line. He has good lateral quickness, good first-step burst and is an average athlete in space.
The Auburn scheme asked him to fire out and get to linebackers, and he did a solid job there with balance and a wide, firm hand placement. He’s a fighter and won’t give up ground easily when in a one-on-one situation. He can win with leverage and a high motor against most college tackles.
WEAKNESSES
Short arms and a lack of bulk are two key issues Dismukes faces as a blocker. He played in a shotgun-heavy offense and could have an adjustment period depending on the scheme. His short arms will cause problems with a head-up tackle, and he can get rocked back on his heels after the snap. Dismukes has a tendency to get caught bending his back and not playing with leverage in pass protection.
PRO COMPARISON: Stefen Wisniewski, Free Agent
Dismukes isn’t a great athlete but is a great worker and can carve out a long career for himself. He’s not as athletic as Stefen Wisniewski, but their styles are similar.
FINAL GRADE: 5.30/9.00 (Quality Backup)
4. Shaq Mason, Georgia Tech
12 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'1" | 300 lbs | 31" | 4.99s | 25 reps |
STRENGTHS
A right guard in college, Shaq Mason has the size, instincts and short-area power to be a very good NFL center.
Mason attacks coming off the line of scrimmage and is a bulldozer when he latches onto a defender. He keeps his pads low and hands strong and churns his feet and hips through the defender to be an impressive drive-blocker.
Mason is a finisher who loves to dump defenders post-block. He’s balanced, controlled and patient as a blocker in both the run and pass games. Mason doesn’t lunge or lean at a consistent level, which is impressive since most short-armed blockers try to cheat in this area.
He can play guard or center at the NFL level and will surprise people with his power.
WEAKNESSES
A combine snub, it’s tough to get a read on how the NFL views Mason. He’s short with short arms and will struggle to reach on the outside in pass protection. If a pass-rusher gets leverage and is able to bend him backward, he can’t recover due to his shorter arms.
Mason isn’t as experienced as most linemen in the passing game thanks to Georgia Tech’s offense, and because of that, he can be inconsistent with his hand placement (he almost hugs defenders at times) and wasn’t asked to hold his spot long before the ball came out.
PRO COMPARISON: Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders
Mason doesn’t have ideal NFL size, but neither did Rodney Hudson, who became a top-tier player at the center position in Kansas City.
FINAL GRADE: 5.30/9.00 (Quality Backup)
3. B.J. Finney, Kansas State
13 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'4" | 318 lbs | 32" | 5.25 s | 20 Reps |
STRENGTHS
A walk-on-turned-four-year-starter at Kansas State, B.J. Finney made 52 straight starts for the Wildcats.
A former wrestler, Finney plays with that toughness and leverage at center. He’s a pro-caliber player with early starter potential thanks to his lower-body strength, leverage and awareness in pass protection.
Finney is technically savvy in the run game, showing strong hands and the power to ride out blocks. He loves to let defenders beat themselves by over-pursuing and then coming back to drill them out of the play. In pass protection, he’s not been as tested but was very productive and rarely allowed pressure with his well-timed and strong punch.
WEAKNESSES
Finney will not impress you with movement skills or flexibility and may not be ideal for a zone-blocking scheme. He’s tall but has just 32” arms, and when he gets his back bent in a negative, he’ll struggle to reach and fight off defenders.
Finney may be maxed out in terms of strength, and he’s not going to grow longer arms anytime soon. With his struggles to move off his spot and change direction, he could be viewed as more of a tier-two center than a starter.
PRO COMPARISON: John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings
John Sullivan isn’t a great mover, but he’s strong, smart and tough in the middle of the line. That’s what Finney has going for him.
FINAL GRADE: 5.60/9.00 (Future Starter)
2. Hroniss Grasu, Oregon
14 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'3" | 297 lbs | 32 ⅛" | 5.01 s | - |
STRENGTHS
A four-year starter who never missed a game at Oregon, Hroniss Grasu is a lean, quick, agile center prospect. He’s a fighter up front and plays with good, functional strength.
Grasu can move off his spot and was asked to get downfield to take on linebackers at the second level. His hands are tight and his base is wide when engaging a defender. He’s a high-accuracy downfield blocker who will knock defenders around and look for more contact.
Grasu can be a Week 1 starter in a zone-blocking scheme, especially if there is a lot of shotgun involved.
WEAKNESSES
Grasu has been a shotgun-only center at Oregon, with quarterback Marcus Mariota coming under center just five times in 2014. A lack of power will be an issue for man-blocking teams, as Grasu doesn’t roll through defenders or bulldoze rushing lanes.
His game film is clean, but he doesn’t dominate in any one area or trait. The timing of the Oregon passing game and the amount of misdirection has protected him from having to hold up in pass protection for longer periods of time, so his redirection and recovery skills aren’t well-tested.
PRO COMPARISON: Maurkice Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers
A smaller center but an upper-echelon athlete with toughness, instincts and big upside, Grasu is a similar prospect to Maurkice Pouncey.
FINAL GRADE: 5.65/9.00 (Future Starter)
1. Cameron Erving, Florida State
15 of 15
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | 40 | Bench Press |
| 6'5" | 313 lbs | 34 ⅛" | 5.15 s | 30 Reps |
STRENGTHS
Cameron Erving came to Florida State as a defensive tackle, moved to offensive tackle and eventually slid inside to center to revitalize a struggling offense. His versatility and athleticism are major reasons for his ranking as the best center in this class.
Erving has incredibly long arms with the build of a tackle and uses his length well to keep defenders off his body. He shuffles and slides well and plays with very good balance. He’s a tough player who won’t back down or get shy in the trenches. He’s agile enough to work to the second level and is accurate with his hands. His first step out of the gate is very good, showing his old skills on the defensive side.
WEAKNESSES
Erving has been on the offense for just three years and is still very raw. That’s a concern more at center than tackle, because he’ll be expected to make line calls and be required to be more cerebral.
Erving is a work in progress with upside but also comes with the risk of never fully developing. He likes to catch pass-rushers at center and has to learn to use his arms there like he did at tackle. He’s not yet comfortable as a combination blocker and hasn't fully grasped the concepts of angles and leverage on the inside.
PRO COMPARISON: Max Unger, New Orleans Saints
A tall, lean, athletic center prospect, Erving could be a star if he continues his development. That’s exactly how Max Unger was viewed coming out of Oregon.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
