The Eagles won the Super Bowl for a lot of reasons. It helped that the trinity of Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, and Mekhi Becton was one of the most formidable offensive interiors in the NFL. Having strong guard and center play has been a hallmark of the Eagles for … over a decade at this point. With Becton now on the Los Angele Chargers, the Eagles will have an open competition for his right guard spot. Tyler Steen and the newly added Kenyon Green will push for snaps, but it’s possible the Eagles draft another player to add to this mix. The funny thing about this guard and center class is that the best prospects played tackle in college. In terms of “true” guard and centers, this class is a bit thinner. But there are still interesting players!
1) Tyler Booker, Alabama
What stands out about Tyler Booker immediately is that he is huge for a guard. Standing tall at 6’5” and nearly 330 pounds. He carries his weight incredibly well and he makes his size felt as a blocker. He does his best work in the passing game. His long, strong arms land on a defender and neutralizes them.
In the run game, he can have some balance and speed issues, but he has great awareness and plays with a mean streak. Booker’s evaluation is really straightforward. He might be at his ceiling, but he will immediately help an NFL offensive line and could be the only true guard to go in the first round.
NFL Comparison: O’Cyrus Torrence, Buffalo Bills
2) Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Tate Ratledge is the other true interior lineman that deserves real highlighting in this class. A three year starter at Georgia, Ratledge has a ton of experience that shows up in how consistent he is. He has great size at 6’6” and 320 pounds. He’s also a tremendously good athlete for his size.
Injuries hampered his final season at Georgia, but there is still so much to love on tape. He is nasty, if not sometimes too nasty, in the run game. In the passing game, he rarely allowed pressure. Pad level is a hiccup in his game. His height makes things tricky against some interior linemen, which will only be exposed further in the NFL. It’s a fixable technical issue, but worth noting.
NFL Comparison: Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
The Rest
3) Jared Wilson, Georgia
4) Willie Lampkin, North Carolina
5) Seth McLaughin, Ohio State
6) Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
7) Tyler Cooper, Minnesota
8) Connor Colby, Iowa
