My 2018 NFL Draft Interior Offensive Line Rankings
I always have to mention this, these are not projections of where these players will go, rather where I personally think they should go. Unlike my prospect breakdowns, these round grades DO take into account positional importance, so you may notice Josh Allen is graded as 1st to 2nd round prospect rather than a 2nd to 3rd round grade.
GUARDS
#1 – Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
Without taking positional importance into account, Nelson is the number one overall player on my board. This interior offensive line class is loaded, but he stands out from the bunch. A powerful blocker who has enough agility to pull but enough strength to be one of the best run-blocking guards I’ve seen.
Grade: Round 1
#2 – Isaiah Wynn, Georgia
Wynn is a top 15 player on my board not taking into account positional importance. He has the added plus of being able to play guard and tackle, and he had the best Senior Bowl of any offensive lineman that I saw there. Biggest knock on him is his size.
Grade: Round 1-2
#3 – Will Hernandez, UTEP
Another guy who cracks the top 15 on my pure talent board. Hernandez is really, really raw, but he is a nasty blocker with a mean streak who has some of the best strength in the class, which he showed at the combine. He sometimes plays high, but that can be fixed with NFL coaching.
Grade: Round 1-2
#4 – Tyrell Crosby, Oregon
Crosby played mostly tackle at Oregon, but I see it very likely that he will transition inside to guard at the NFL level because of his prowess in the run game, but you could certainly play him outside.
Grade: Round 2
#5 – Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech
I feel I’m pretty high on Teller, but I think he could be a steal in the late day-two range. Teller has great size at 6’5″, 315 pounds, he plays with a mean streak, and his one of the strongest in this class.
Grade: Round 3
#6 – Austin Corbett, Nevada
Corbett can play any position on the offensive line, but I listed him as a guard here. I do appreciate his versatility, but his 19 bench press reps at the combine raised a huge red flag for me.
Grade: Round 3-4
#7 – Braden Smith, Auburn
Grade: Round 4
#8 – Skyler Phillips, Idaho State
Grade: Round 5
#9 – Colby Gossett, Appalachian State
Grade: Round 5
#10 – Tony Adams, NC State
Grade: Round 5
#11 – Taylor Hearn, Clemson
Grade: Round 5
#12 – Jaryd Jones-Smith, Pittsburgh
Grade: Round 6
#13 – Cody O’Connell, Washington State
Grade: Round 6
#14 – Rod Taylor, Ole Miss
Grade: Round 6
#15 – Dejon Allen, Hawaii
Grade: Round 6
#16 – Jamil Demby, Maine
Grade: Round 6-UDFA
#17 – Timon Parris, Stony Brook
Grade: Round 7-UDFA
#18 – KC McDermott, Miami
Grade: Round 7-UDFA
#19 – Tyron Crowder, Clemson
Grade: Round 7-UDFA
CENTERS
#1 – Billy Price, Ohio State
Price played as both a center and a guard during his time at Columbus, but I graded him as a center because that is generally what he played in 2017. Price has great aggression and athleticism, and his great anchoring allowed him to beat the best of bull-rushers. My top center in the draft.
Grade: Round 1
#2 – James Daniels, Iowa
Daniels is a little smaller than Price at 6’3″, 306 pounds, but he is one of the most athletic interior linemen in this entire draft. His anchoring and strength aren’t up to Price’s level, but his athleticism certainly is. I would want him to put on some weight if I played in a gap scheme, but he could start in a zone scheme day one.
Grade: Round 1-2
#3 – Frank Ragnow, Arkansas
At 6’5″, 312 pounds, Ragnow has the perfect size for the NFL. He has good strength and athleticism and is very scheme versatile. His technique is poor compared to the top two in this class, he sometimes plays high and has his hands outside.
Grade: Round 2
#4 – Mason Cole, Michigan
Grade: Round 4-5
#5 – Scott Quessenberry, UCLA
Grade: Round 5
#6 – Will Clapp, LSU
Grade: Round 6
#7 – Brian Allen, Michigan State
Grade: Round 6
#8 – Bradley Bozeman, Alabama
Grade: Round 6-7
#9 – Sean Welsh, Iowa
Grade: Round 6-UDFA