2013 Draft
Centers
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46	Barrett Jones	C	1	Alabama	rSr	6040	306	2nd
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - To quote NFL Draft Scout - "Try hard player who gets by on solid fundamentals." OL leader for national champs. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.43. Combine - DNP. Pro Day (Brandt) - Jones still has his foot in a boot, so all he did was get measured and execute 27 lifts of 225 pounds on the bench press. He is targeting one of the later dates at Alabama to work out. PFW Audibles - "I know other (evaluators) who love Jones. I don't understand it. If he played at Auburn instead of Alabama, no one would be talking about him. He's smart, tough and a captain, but he's a bad athlete and weak. I don't understand the infatuation." Based on NFL Draft Scout - Typically characterized as a try-hard player who gets by with excellent fundamentals (uses his hands and feet very well to consistently defeat his opponent). While he may lack the raw athleticism of a Tyron Smith or Joe Staley, he is smooth and efficient when easing back at the snap in pass protection or getting to the second level. Latches on and keeps his feet moving on contact, rarely allowing his opponent to make the play even if he's relatively close to the ballcarrier. Won’t blow defenders off the ball with pure strength. Not a flashy athlete /may struggle to excel at the NFL level. Compared to Bruce Matthews - Nick Saban has publicly compared Jones to Matthews, who saw action at all five positions during his 19 years in the pros.
54	Travis Frederick	C	2	Wisconsin	rJr	6035	312	2nd
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Big guy who lacks a bit of athleticism and fluidity. Smart - makes the OL calls. Minor weight issue. Can be a smidge slow to handle explosive defenders at the snap. Can play both OC and OG. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.27. Combine Forty - 5.58. Ten - 1.85. Reps - 21. Pro Day (Brandt) — Frederick stood on his numbers from the combine. Frederick’s versatility on the offensive line — he has started at both guard and center, and performed at a high level in doing so — makes him a desirable pro prospect. PFW Audibles - "I didn't think (he) was a center. I think he is better at guard. He is effective. I put him at the bottom of (Round) Two. With the coaching change and no centers in the draft, he picked a good year to come out and maybe he'll go a little higher." Based on NFL Draft Scout - Top-notch football IQ and overall intelligence to recognize what the defense is doing and adjust the offensive line accordingly. Has bulked up, carrying his weight well for a 335-plus pounder. Mobile enough to get to the second level and block in space. Thick upper body with the base strength to anchor off the snap and hold his ground. Works hard with his technique and doesn't make many mistakes. Fights with a finishing attitude and understands different scenarios, keeping his head on a swivel. Better foot quickness and agility for a blocker with his size. Comes from an “OL factory”and has starting experience at both guard and center. High character individual / very coachable. Lacks elite athleticism and has some stiffness in his hips. Must keep his weight in check to stay mobile. Susceptible to explosive interior linemen off the snap and will have to to set up quicker to gain position and block off-balance. Compared to John Moffitt. (Like Moffitt, Frederick lined up at both guard and center displaying the same sound technique and powerful base).
109	Khaled Holmes	C	3	Southern California	rSr	6030	302	3rd-4th
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Injury (pec?) prevented him from working out at the combine. Another smart, tough, lunchpail center who's great blocking on the move. Can be overpowered. Ankle injury in 2012. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.17. Combine - DNP. Pro Day (Brandt) - Holmes — who was at the combine — ran the 40 in 5.29 and 5.31 seconds. He had a 29 1/2-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot-8 broad jump. He did the short shuttle in 4.74 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.66 seconds. He has 35 1/8-inch arms, which is long, and big 10 1/4-inch hands. PFW Audibles - "...has very good size like Peter Konz did last year. It would surprise me if he were drafted to play guard. Holmes uses a lot of finesse. I thought he had some trouble snapping the ball in the games I saw. He didn't get it back very quick and some (defensive linemen) got on top of him." Based on NFL Draft Scout - Broad shouldered, quick-footed athlete well-suited to playing any of the three interior positions. Quick off the snap. Shoots his hands into the pads of his opponent with the quick feet and balance to turn and seal off defenders from the action. Good agility when blocking at the second level with impressive straight-line speed, showcasing the ability to block on the move 10+ yards downfield. Alert. Keeps his head on a swivel / competitive - looks to help out his teammates. Tough. Played through a nagging ankle injury throughout much of the 2012 season that earned the respect of his teammates and the coaching staff. Good bloodlines…Highly intelligent Struggles against power and may be limited to zone-blocking schemes in the NFL. Could be pushed deep into the pocket by bigger, explosive defenders (including, but not limited to Lotulelei) and may be viewed as strictly as offensive guard convert at the next level. Plays high too often… Spends too much time on the ground. Leg injuries will need to be investigated by NFL teams. Compared to Peter Konz -- ultimate pro position could be guard. While he possesses the intelligence to remain on the pivot his athleticism and lack of ideal power in his base could necessitate a move to the outside.
129	Brian Schwenke	C	4	California	Sr	6-3	305	4th
BRS (Gollin) - Great Combine numbers. (Fourth rated lineman along with Lane Johnson, Long and Bailey) who ran the forty under 5.00). I Liked what I saw during Senior Bowl Week - scrapper who can square up in pass pro and anchor against the inside rush. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.23. Combine Forty - 4.99. Ten - 1.68. Reps -  31. Pro Day (Brandt) — Schwenke, as well as the other linemen at the pro day, did not work out in the positional drills. Schwenke stood by his numbers from the combine. Based on NFL Draft Scout - Compact build well-suited to interior line play. Naturally low center of gravity and uses it, along with a wide base and excellent use of leverage to anchor against bigger, more powerful bull-rushers. Exceptional initial burst off the snap to turn and seal off defenders. Quick, active hands and an explosive pop on contact. Keeps his legs driving through the play to finish blocks. Alert, competitive blocker who looks to help his teammates and blocks to the whistle. Very good burst to the second level, with improved awareness as he gained experience at the position. Made all of the line calls. Durable. Had only one season at center. Struggled at times with low shotgun snaps…only average COD and awareness when re-directing to make effective downfield blocks. Must sustainin downfield blocks better. Compared to Max Unger -- value lies not only his versatility but in his short-area quickness, reliability and smarts.
182	Braxston Cave	C	5	Notre Dame	rSr	6032	303	5th-6th
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Smart, heady but more finessy than physical and lacks nastiness. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.18. Combine Forty -5.33. Ten - 1.87. Reps - DNL. Pro Day (Brandt) - Cave posted 32 strength reps and completed a position workout. PFW Audibles - "I was not a fan of Braxton Cave and I went there a few times wanting to like him. I kept him alive in the sixth (round)." Based on NFL Draft Scout - Anchor of Notre Dame's offensive line. Tough and strong at POA with good base strength and balance in his stance. Works hard to gain body position to create run lanes. Good blitz pickup awareness and is known as a smart, heady player. Experienced. Not an explosive blocker, but a smooth mover who blocks with leverage and stays steady. Choppy footwork and average foot quickness are exposed in space. Spends too much time on the ground / slower than ideal hands. Leaves you wanting more, lacking a consistent nasty demeanor. Struggled to sustain blocks during practices at the Senior Bowl, playing TE and lacking the athleticism to recover. Will have to be more aggressive with his hands and stay balanced in his stance. Compared to Collin Baxter.
197	Dalton Freeman	C	6	Clemson	rSr	6-4	286	6th
Combine: DNP. Pro Day (Brandt) - No write-up.
223	Graham Pocic	C	7	Illinois	rSr	6-5	310	6th-7th
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Strong, gritty, lunchpail dude who projects to the late rounds. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.26. Combine - DNP. Pro Day (Brandt) - No write-up. Based on NFL Draft Scout - Physically strong and aggressive with the grit to finish through the whistle and tough-out the battles in the trenches. Against very tough Big Ten competition, has been routinely tested as the rock of the Illinois line. Although not likely to be a Day 1 or 2 pick like the first four prospects on this list, Pocic currently projects as a mid-to-late round player and a borderline top-five senior at his position.
266	Mario Benavides	C	8	Louisville	rSr	6-3	279	7th-FA
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Is that (279 lb) weight correct? If it is, he may have a problem. Smart "QB of the OL" who gets by mainly on toughness and technique. Check out injuries. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.14 . Combine - DNP Based on NFL Draft Scout - Quick hands and feet suitable for a zone-blocking scheme. Impressive lateral agility as a trap blocker with the short-area quickness to get to the second level. Surprisingly stout when anchoring against the bull rush due to good core strength and excellent use of leverage. Adept at shotgun snapping. Highly intelligent. Made all of the line calls while at Louisville with good awareness, making late adjustments to handle surprise blitzes. Keeps his head on a swivel and is highly competitive, helping out his teammates and looking to knock defenders over when he senses them off-balance. Tough. Struggled against bigger, more powerful and physical defenders. Gets by on guile, toughness, leverage and hand play but might be maxed out. Too often makes it to the second level only to see defenders beat him to the punch. Various injuries ( incl. staph infection and MCL tear,, will need to be checked out. Compared with A.Q. Shipley Like Shipley, Benavides has proven to be a tough, reliable center at the college level, capable of getting by despite less than ideal physical traits. However, he could have a hard time making a team despite his smarts, quickness and intangibles.
310	T.J. Johnson	C	9	South Carolina	rSr	6042	310	7th-FA
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Effort guy who struggles in the trenches. Has technique issues to clean up. Played both G and T. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.28. Combine Forty - 5.33. Ten - 1.83. Reps -  32. Pro Day (Brandt) - Write up was all Lattimore. Nothing about Johnson. Based on NFL Draft Scout - Always looking to block someone and continues to fight through the whistle. Effort isn't an issue / gets the most out of his abilities. Quick hands off the snap with a lot of experience pulling and getting to the second level. Versatile experience as a four-year starter in the SEC with playing time at OG and OT. Plays too tall at times and struggles with leverage. Often overextends and lowers his head, falling off blocks and ending up on the ground. Struggles to redirect and handle secondary moves by defenders. Slow feet /doesn't look comfortable in space. Short arms /needs to improve his hand placement to avoid penalties. Compared with Dallas Reynolds
331	Matt Stankiewitch	C	10	Penn State	rSr	6026	302	7th-FA
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Another "big ugly" who run-blocks better than he protects. Gritty, smart, leader. "Assignment sound." Ran 2.5/10ths of a second slower than pre-combine est. Kind of reminds me of Sendlein. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.18. Combine Forty - 5.42. Ten - 1.84. Reps - 27. Pro Day (Brandt) - Stankiewitch was weighed and measured and only did the broad jump. He recorded a jump of 8-foot-2. Based on NFL Draft Scout - Better run blocker than in pass pro/ a tough, gritty player who does a nice job extending off the snap with good hand placement and strong wrists. An assignment-sound player who looks to eliminate defenders from the play, blocking through the whistle. Only one year of true starting experience, but does have playing experience at OG and is a team leader. Penn State has also produced several nasty interior linemen for the next level - Stankiewitch has draftable potential.
346	Joe Madsen	C	11	West Virginia	rSr	6033	310	7th-FA
Big Red Sheet (Gollin) - Awareness, Quickness, Balance - Si. "Move the Pile Strength?" Mmmm...No! Mostly a shotgun snapper. Pre-Combine Forty: 5.25. Combine Forty - 5.20. Ten - 1.84. Reps -  25. Pro Day (Brandt) - No write-up. Based on NFL Draft Scout - Playing in this offense, Madsen has proven to be a capable shotgun snapper, with the combination of awareness, quickness and balance scouts are looking for in middle to late round center prospect. To improve his standing with scouts, he’ll need to to get stronger, as he relies on quickness and technique to create holes. When faced with stronger defenders, Madsen struggles to generate movement at POA – plays lower but also ducks his head on impact, at times, which can lead to successful swim moves by his opponent.