PFF ranks college football's Top 10 interior offensive line candidates for the 2023 NFL Draft
They’re not the quickest or the flashiest but great interior offensive linemen are a hot commodity each year in the NFL draft. Pro Football Focus recently released its list of the top 10 interior OL candidates for the 2023 NFL Draft, which includes some of the most experienced and versatile players in the country.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, three interior linemen went in the first round: Texas A&M’s Kenyon Green, Boston College’s Zion Johnson and Chattanooga’s Cole Strange. PFF predicts fewer guards will go in the first round in 2023 but it’s a position that’s always top of mind for NFL scouts.
Here are the top 10 interior offensive line candidates heading into the 2022 college football season.
Top 10 IOL candidates for 2023 NFL Draft
Although Kansas State senior Cooper Beebe has only played 134 snaps at guard, he’s one of the top offensive linemen in the country, regardless of position. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound tackle didn’t allow a single sack last season while earning an 81.4 run-blocking grade and 87.5 pass-blocking grade from PFF.
2. Andrew Vorhees, USC
Vorhees is one of the most versatile IOL on this list, having started at right guard, left guard and left tackle in his career. The sixth-year senior has four seasons of starting experience under his belt (37 starts).
3. Christian Mahogany, Boston College
A two-year starter for the Eagles, Christian Mahogany will be counted on to anchor a line that must replace a handful of starters. He’s racked up 22 career starts and is one of the top guards in the country, checking in at 6 foot 3, 335 pounds.
Pro Football Focus calls Layden Robinson “may be the most physically imposing interior lineman at the top of this class.” After his first year starting, the Aggie redshirt junior could have declared for the draft but opted to return to improve his draft stock instead.
5. John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
Minnesota’s starting center, Schmitz has appeared in 44 career games while starting 23 of them. He has slowly earned more accolades, picking up All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2020 before being named to the Coaches’ All-Big Ten Second Team in 2021.
Chandler is one of a few returning starters for the Cardinals, but he’s the definite anchor in the group. He has started 40 straight games at Louisville and earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2021. He passed up an opportunity to enter the NFL Draft to return to Louisville in 2022.
7. Jarrett Patterson, Notre Dame
Patterson opted to return for an additional year with the Fighting Irish, giving them an experienced interior player. Patterson has racked up 34 starts at center at Notre Dame over the past three seasons and has not allowed a sack.
8. Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
Virginia transfer center Olusegun Oluwatimi is due to start for his third football program in his career this year. Pro Football Focus says Oluwatimi is “the type of center who can go toe-to-toe with a head up nose tackle and move him off the line of scrimmage.” He posted a 90.2 run-blocking grade last season.
9. Braeden Daniels, Utah
PFF labels Utah left guard-turned-right tackle Braeden Daniels one of the biggest hit-or-miss prospects heading into the 2022 season. Daniels lost more battles than any other OL on the list, however, he also had the third-most “big-time” blocks.
10. Jordan McFadden, Clemson
Jordan McFadden is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound tackle who’s destined to play guard in the NFL. He’s played over 800 snaps at the tackle spots and returns as Clemson’s best lineman in 2022.