In past years, I have grouped guards and center into one “interior offensive line” positional grouping for my draft rankings. I decided to break those apart this year. It was starting to feel overly broad and general in a way I didn’t intend, for instance, the idea of incepting in the general reader’s head that all centers and guards are position-versatile across all three iOL spots. There are some that are, and that’s a bonus on their evals. There are guards that do not project to center, and centers who can play no other position. 

Below, you will find my 2025 NFL Draft rankings for guards and, separately, centers. Enjoy!

2025 NFL Draft Offensive Guard Rankings

Read THE THOR 500 here — Thor Nystrom's full ranks of the 500 best players in the 2025 NFL Draft!

Top Six Offensive Guards In The NFL Draft

1. Grey Zabel | North Dakota State | 6057/312 | RAS: N/A | Comp: Graham Barton

The blend of brains and nasty you’re looking for. Zabel is coming off a nearly flawless 2024 season at NDSU—he finished 98th percentile in PFF pass-block grade, 97th percentile true pass set grade, and 91st percentile in positively graded run block rate. Supremely versatile—in college, played 17 snaps at center, 44 at inline tight end, and a minimum of 222 at each of the other four OL positions. Strong athlete who finished No. 1 among all offensive linemen at the NFL Combine with a 36 1/2 vertical jump. At the Senior Bowl, coaches moved Zabel between OT, OG, and C. Zabel didn't lose a single rep in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl. He earned Practice Player of the Week honors from NFL executives. Short arms (32”) and a little stiffness in the hips mean Zabel is almost assuredly heading inside at the next level. If we were listing him as a center, Zabel would be C1.

Check out Thor's latest mock draft, where he has Zabel heading to Houston to protect C.J. Stroud.

2. Donovan Jackson | Ohio State | 6035/315 | RAS: 9.57 | Comp: Tyler Smith

Former five-star recruit and a three-year starter. Premium combination of length—longest wingspan of all iOL prospects ranked in this column—and power in an athletic package. He’s a legitimate hammer in the run game. In my opinion, Jackson is the best pure guard in this class above Tyler Booker. Jackson deserves huge credit for sacrificing for the team and shifting from LG to LT to replace injured LT Josh Simmons in October. He was sensational in the College Football Playoff, allowing zero sacks and two pressures over four games, including a date with stud Tennessee EDGE James Pearce. Jackson possesses break-glass-in-case-of-emergency swing OT versatility. He’s a little heavy-footed side-to-side, but Jackson’s length tends to mitigate that issue in pass-pro inside.

3. Tyler Booker | Alabama | 6045/321 | RAS: 3.64 | Comp: Trey Smith

Five-star recruit and a two-plus-year starter. Booker is a young powerhouse with a well-proportioned, made-in-a-lab frame. He has the second-longest wingspan of the iOLs listed in this column, only a quarter-inch south of Jackson. Booker tested poorly at the NFL Combine, and he’s confined to the interior. On the other side of the coin, he’s ready to play immediately, and he comes with a high ceiling. I really like Booker’s work in the run game when he’s coming forward in a phonebooth—he’s springy off the snap and uncoils into a forklift on contact. Booker is not as good when asked to go east-to-west to hit his mark—his biggest weakness is his heavy feet. In pass pro, similar story—Booker’s length stakes him to leads in the rep, and his anchor can neutralize even nuclear power. But gap-shooting, twitchy three-techniques who can counter can get the elephantine Booker on teetering stilts.

4. Jonah Savaiinaea | Arizona | 6041/324 | RAS: 9.16 | Comp: Sidy Sow

Savaiinaea is a three-year starter with plenty of experience and versatility, racking up 2,418 career snaps (1,057 at RT, 985 at RG, 345 at LT). He’s got the body of a nightclub bouncer—wide, thick, and barrel-chested—with quick feet and long arms. When Savaiinaea sets back on his heels in pass-pro, he makes an outside path to the quarterback non-viable. You’ve got to crash the gates inside on him, and that’s where he has help. Over the last three seasons, Savaiinaea finished 83rd percentile or higher in pass-blocking grade on true pass sets, 3-step drops, and 5-7 step drops. The area Savaiinaea needs to work on is run-blocking. Over his career, he was 13th-percentile in positively graded run plays. He doesn’t have elite play strength, and can get stonewalled on gap responsibilities in particular. Savaiinaea is a much better fit for a zone scheme. But though he has the athleticism to consistently reach his destination, Savaiinaea has a tendency to arrive high and come in a bit hot. I prefer him as a zone guard, but Savaiinaea’s pass-pro is good enough to hang at RT if needed.

5. Marcus Mbow | Purdue | 6041/303 | RAS: N/A | Comp: Zach Tom

Explosive, crafty three-year starter who manned RT the past two seasons for the Boilermakers after a one-year stint as the starting RG. At the next level, I believe Mbow is headed back inside. Mbow overcomes his lack of bulk and play strength with movement, brains, and technique. He’s a bit of the inverse of Jonah Savaiinaea in that Mbow is an extremely good zone-run blocker who needs to keep improving in pass protection. You can assign Mbow difficult-to-reach targets on zone runs and trust that he’ll get to his spot on time and seal off the play-side. In pass-pro, Mbow can get rocked backwards by power. And while his hand techniques are extremely advanced, he can sometimes get too clever and cede his chest. In the NFL, Mbow’s pass-pro will play up on the inside, where his movement and technique will carry the day on assignments he can physically handle, and he can get a hand when matched up with power.

6. Wyatt Milum | West Virginia | 6064/313 | RAS: 8.02 | Comp: Luke Goedeke

One of the most experienced and decorated offensive linemen in this entire class. A four-year starter who earned Freshman All-American honors in 2021 and went on to be named Second-team AP All-American and Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2024. Milum’s dreams of playing tackle in the NFL almost assuredly died at the Senior Bowl when his wingspan clocked in beneath 32 ¾. In Mobile, troublingly, Milum struggled with leverage and play-strength against interior defensive linemen, getting bullied backwards. A solid athlete who plays hard and smart, Milum is a strong run-blocker who finished 90th percentile the past two seasons in positively graded run-blocking plays, per PFF. Milum accelerates forward very quickly, but he’s a little clunky side-to-side—this, in conjunction with his lack of length, is why it’s best to pick him with an immediate transition to guard in mind.

2025 NFL Draft Center Rankings

The Top Three Centers In The NFL Draft

1. Jared Wilson | Georgia | 6030/310 | RAS: 9.86 | Comp: Cesar Ruiz

Wilson began his career at guard before kicking to center to back up Sedrick Van Pran in 2023. Wilson got his shot as a starter in 2024. He’s a ridiculous athlete—98th-percentile RAS while completing every test of importance except the 3-cone—in a prototypical frame. Wilson boasts an 80” wingspan, the longest of my top-8 ranked centers. A Duke Manyweather pupil with a polished game, Wilson’s technique is further along than most one-year starters. His hand use is extremely advanced for his experience level. Last season, Wilson finished No. 1 among centers in this class with a minuscule 1.4% pressure rate allowed (five pressures over 511 pass-pro snaps). He allowed zero sacks and finished 98th percentile in pass block grade on true pass sets. Wilson needs to keep improving his play strength for additional gains in the run game. He declared after his third year and is on the younger side—there is plenty of potential to be untapped here.

2. Drew Kendall | Boston College | 6042/308 | RAS: 9.18 | Comp: Hjalte Froholdt

For my money, the most underrated interior OL prospect in this class. A former four-star recruit, Kendall started the past two seasons at center for Boston College. His father, Pete, is a former first-round pick of the Seahawks (1996) who played 13 years in the NFL after similarly starting at C for BC. Drew Kendall is a good athlete in a rangy frame who plays with an NFL veteran’s know-how. He’s an angle-player, both in a phone booth with depth positioning, and coming forward with his pursuit angles. Kendall’s run-game work has obviously undergone the Malcolm Gladwell 10,000-hours-education—he brings a wide base into contact with his hat on the play-side and uses the post-collision beat to slide his lower-half around to seal the deal. He was tied for No. 2 amongst the eight centers ranked in this column in pass-pro efficiency last season. Kendall has below-average arm length and lacks play strength, so he’s best suited for a zone scheme. I think he’ll ultimately prove to be a long-term starter, almost assuredly acquired on a discount on Draft Weekend.

3. Jonah Monheim | USC | 6041/302 | RAS: N/A | Comp: Robert Hainsey

Rangy and versatile, with a minimum three-game starting experience at USC at all five offensive line spots. This past season was Monheim’s last frontier, starting all 12 regular-season games at center. Monheim has extremely short arms (30 ⅛), making his move to center a smart one. Monheim is a very good athlete—he’s a clear and present danger to second-level defenders in the run game. Monheim is bendy for a big fella and generally wins the leverage game. His kryptonite is war-daddy nose guards who can bully him with power—in those matchups, he’s going to need help. Monheim will appeal to zone teams.

More 2025 NFL Draft Positional Rankings

• Quarterback Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Running Back Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Wide Receiver Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Tight End Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Offensive Tackle Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Offensive Guard and Center Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Defensive Tackle Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• EDGE Rusher Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft
• Linebacker Rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft

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