Draft Preview: Guards and Centers

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February 18, 2020

By Noonefromtampa

Depending on who the Redskins sign in free agency, interior offensive line could be a key area for the team in this year’s draft. Chase Roullier returns at center but starting guards Erick Flowers and Brandon Scherff are both free agents. Key backups Wes Martin started five games in place of the injured Scherff, Ross Pierschbacher only played twelve snaps on special teams, and Tony Bergstrom is also a free agent. The Redskins will most likely be active in free agency or re-sign their own free agents to new deals. The Redskins will likely look for offensive line depth in the draft.

In the 2019 NFL draft seventeen interior offensive lineman (twelve guards and five centers) were chosen by various teams. The round-by-round breakdown was:

Round Center Count Guard Count
1 1 1
2 2 0
3 0 3
4 0 4
5 0 1
6 1 0
7 1 1

The top interior offense lineman in the 2020 NFL draft are:

Player Pos School Hgt Wgt Round
Tyler Biadasz C Wisconsin 6’3″ 319 2
Solomon Kindley G Georgia 6’4″ 335 2
Logan Stenberg G Kentucky 6’6″ 322 3
Shane Lemieux G Oregon 6’4″ 316 3
Ben Bredeson G Michigan 6’5″ 325 3
Ben Bartch G St. John’s 6’5″ 308 4
Cesar Ruiz C Michigan 6’4″ 319 4
Hakeem Adeniji G Kansas 6’5″ 310 4
Darryl Williams C Mississippi State 6’2″ 310 4
John Simpson G Clemson 6’4″ 330 4
Lloyd Cushenberry III C LSU 6’4″ 315 4
Netane Muti G Fresno State 6’3″ 310 4
Damien Lewis G LSU 6’2″ 335 5
Jake Hanson C Oregon 6’5″ 298 5
Jonah Jackson G Ohio State 6’3″ 309 5
Nick Harris C Washington 6’1″ 302 5
Ben Cleveland G Georgia 6’7″ 340 5
Frederick Mauigoa C Washington State 6’3″ 310 6+
John Molchon G Bosie State 6’5″ 322 6+
Jon Runyan Jr G Michigan 6’5″ 310 6+
Keith Ismael C San Diego State 6’3″ 311 6+
Kohl Levao G Hawaii 6’4″ 340 6+
Matt Hennessy C Temple 6’4″ 295 6+
Michael Onwenu G Michigan 6’3″ 350 6+
Sean Pollard C Clemson 6’5″ 320 6+
Simon Stepaniak G Indiana 6’4″ 319 6+

There is a lot of good value in the middle rounds for interior offensive linemen, especially for teams looking for centers. Also, there is a possibility of one of the top 2 interior offensive lineman (Tyler Biadasz and Solomon Kindley) sneaking into the bottom of the first round. With no second-round pick, the Redskins will probably look at this group in the later rounds on day 3 of the draft.

Tyler Biadasz, the 2019 Dave Rimington Trophy winner, started 27 games over two years as a key member of a very good Wisconsin offensive line. He can be a devastating run blocker and possesses good pass blocking skills and an excellent football IQ, but sometimes has balance issues which can led to inconsistency in play level.

Solomon Kindley – He and Andrew Thomas anchored the Georgia offensive line and cleared the way for D’Andre Swift. Kindley went head-to-head against first-round pick Quinnen Williams in 2018 and more than held his own. He played in 43 games over his four-year career so he has good experience at a top program.

Logan Stenberg and Shane Lemieux are the next best options at guard, with Stenberg impressing scouts at the Senior Bowl practices.

Players that might fit into the Redskins draft plans include:

Ben Bredeson – Had 46 starts at Michigan. If he drops into the fourth round, he might be a possibility as he had a good week at the Senior Bowl.

Darryl Williams – Can play center and guard. He could be a multiple position backup while challenging Roullier. Williams had a good week at the Shrine Bowl.

Ben Bartch, Damien Lewis, Hakeem Adeniji, Jonah Jackson and Michael Onwenu (Onwenu also had a good Shrine Bowl game) – Each of these players would be strong options at guard in the later rounds. Bartch is a small school prospect who may need some time to adjust to the NFL. Adenji, Lewis, Jackson, and Onwenu are from power 5 conference schools, which the Redskins seem to prefer.  All of them are decent run blockers who will need to work on pass blocking at the next level.  Bartch has the most upside of these guys and his potential will get him drafted sooner that the rest.