2024 NFL Draft | Rookie Interior Linemen Rankings: Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Zach Frazier, Christian Haynes, Cooper Beebe and More
A solid class of interior offensive linemen are available in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft with multiple prospects projected to be selected in the first three rounds.
What makes a prospect a guard or center instead of a tackle? Presumably, one might assume that the “best” linemen are always tackles, and guards and centers are the best of the rest. That’s not the case.
Guards and centers aren’t failed tackles. Each position has its own techniques, so the skill set for each is nuanced. Tackles need fast footwork and long arms, as one of their primary responsibilities is blocking speedy edge pass rushers.
Guards are usually shorter relative to tackles and play with a lower pad level and leverage since they typically block bigger, heavier interior defensive linemen.
Centers are generally more cerebral. They work with quarterbacks to diagnose the defensive front and are responsible for doling out blocking assignments and making last-second adjustments.
These are all basic football insights, but often, you’ll read scouting reports that make it sound like offensive linemen are interchangeable. Tackles who don’t work out simply play guard. Right tackles can eventually play left tackle. Guards can one day, if they improve enough, move to tackle. These are all gross generalizations, and sure, in a pinch, a blocker is a blocker.
However, the NFL is like human chess, where coaches refine talents to fit specific tactics. Players hone their skills at the highest levels of training and preparation. So, when you think of guards and centers, be mindful of the nuance.
Note: Please see my offensive tackle rankings if you feel someone is missing from this list. I may view a tackle as better suited as an interior lineman and vice versa. In a few select cases, I’ve included a player in both categories (tackles and interior). For example, Washington’s Troy Fautanu is No. 5 on my tackles list and excluded here.
MORE: Defensive Tackles | Edge/Defensive Ends | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Offensive Tackles
1. Graham Barton, C, Duke
An intense prospect with a well-rounded game who spent most of his career at left tackle, teams are evaluating Barton just about everywhere along the offensive line. He will likely end up moving inside.
Barton does an excellent job driving and manipulating his matchup where he wants them to go. Arm length is below average. Plays with great hand placement and pad level. Finds and moves well at the second level.
An elite blend of balance, toughness, aggression and technique should catapult him into the second half of the first round. In my most recent 2024 NFL Mock Draft, he is picked at No. 27 of the first round by the Arizona Cardinals.
2. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
With terrific power and a heavy-handed style of play, Powers-Johnson plays with a nasty disposition. He does great at sinking into his hips and driving into his opponents.
He has below-average athleticism and quickness in his feet and lower body. He has an average lower half and could afford to tighten up his body in the weight room. His game tape relies heavily on toughness and persistence instead of desirable measurables.
JPJ has a long way to go when having to play in space and adapting his talents to the full playbook. He is an early second-round prospect.
3. Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
A thick-built, country-strong prospect, Frazier is a force in the trenches. When he gets his hands on his opponents, he drives them and wins one-on-one battles. He delivers a shock with his hands.
He has short arms and average movement in space. Pass blocking is still a work in progress, although he looks more comfortable in double teams. He allows defenders in too tight in pass pro. Frazier must improve his mirroring and dig in to anchor or hold his ground.
Tough as nails with a few pressing issues, Frazier projects as a Round 3 pick.
4. Christian Haynes, OG, UConn
With four years of starting experience, Haynes has a lot of really good tape. With a sturdy, compact frame, his plays have a solid bend and flex for a player of his size.
Pass protection needs to be more consistent, and he can be too much of a waist bender in his technique. His hand technique goes out the window when he gets out in front of his feet.
Haynes has great positioning and a tremendous ability to finish blocks. He brings intensity and attitude to his game every play. He projects as a late Day 2 selection.
5. Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
Beebe’s wide frame and broad shoulders complement his excellent feel for positioning and angles. The big knocks on him are his short arms and middling athleticism. However, Beebe plays with great balance and patience. He uses his mass to impose on defenders and anchors really well consistently.
He lacks quickness and burst. Beebe doesn’t have a great range to play out in space and is sometimes a half-step slow when pulling.
Short arms also cause inconsistent hand placement and can be too easily swatted away by defenders looking to disengage and create separation.
Beebe projects as a late Round 3 pick.
