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Lots of talk lately about Karras and whether or not Miami will look to extend his contract. I'm on the fence. On the one hand, we are hearing good things about his communication, doing all the little things right, his leadership on a young line etc. But, is he the long-term answer? It's a good year for centers, so I thought I'd open up a thread discussing that.
Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma (Here's a report from Pro Football Network)
Humphrey grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and has Sooners football in his blood. As mentioned by ESPN’s Senior Writer Chris Low, “The only thing more intertwined in Humphrey family blood than Sooner football was wrestling. From the time Humphrey was four, he was on the mats.” That wrestling background is evident in his play, as one of his strongest traits is his ability to win with leverage.
Humphrey, standing 6’5″ and weighing 320 pounds, has ideal size for the position and brings a nasty temperament to the table. Humphrey, who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season, is a true technician, consistently displaying the fundamentals of the position. It surely doesn’t hurt that he has one of the best offensive line coaches in college football, Bill Bedenbaugh, working with him on a daily basis.
His best traits are his overwhelming power, his ability to play with a terrific pad level, and as mentioned above, his ability to win with leverage. Out of all of the 2021 offensive linemen, you’d be hard-pressed to find any that have the power that Humphrey possesses. He is built short and compact, so when he fires out of his stance and stays low, he can control his opposition with ease. His power at the point of attack is elite, as is his hand usage. His hand placement and ability to lock onto defenders is exceptional.
Josh Meyers, Ohio State (from Expandtheboxscore.com)
Myers has the size and strength to play either center or guard at the next level. He will fit best in a gap-based scheme where he can use his explosiveness off the ball and strong leg drive to move the line of scrimmage. He may struggle in a zone scheme due to inconsistent hand timing and inability to swing his hips around on scoop or reach blocks. He will thrive in any type of passing scheme, with the anchor ability to sustain on long vertical routes and the punch strength for jump sets.
Myers’ versatility and pass blocking acumen will make him a valuable asset to a gap-based team. Though not as dominant physically as other interior linemen in the draft, he will be a valuable, consistent presence. A needy gap team may reach for him in the late 1st, but his overall talent level puts him as an early 2nd round selection at the moment.
Landon Dickerson, Alabama (from Fansided nflmocks.com)
Dickerson is a former highly-ranked recruit out of North Carolina who began his college career at Florida State. He spent three injury-riddled seasons with the Seminoles before making the move to Alabama. Dickerson was a solid contributor when he was healthy at Florida State, but he seemed to be injured more often than not.
Dickerson became an immediate starter at Alabama last season, having success at both right guard and center. He eventually settled in as the Crimson Tide’s starting center and has taken his game to the next level this season.
While Dickerson is not the most impressive mover in space, he is a big and powerful offensive lineman who can dominate at the point of attack. He clears out rushing lanes with absolute ease and does a great job of anchoring in and protecting against power in pass protection.
Alec Lindstrom, Boston College (from thedraftnetwork.com)
Father played in the NFL for three seasons and his brother, Chris, was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2019. Has experience long snapping. He’s a technician with power. Notable strength in his core to absorb power, redirect and remain in control. Has a finishers mentality and he looks to put dudes on their back. Does well to unlock his hips in drive block situations and create movement. Highly successful combo blocking and climbing to the second level with consistency. Generally does well to play within himself and not waste-bend or end up on the ground. Has good functional athleticism and range. Tape is littered with impact blocks in the screen game. Packs a fairly powerful punch and he is committed to fitting his hands - no notable timing or placement concerns.
CONS: Has too many reps where he is out-leveraged and will allow some penetration where opponents can get under his pads and work him back. Is guilty of dropping his head, losing control of reps and defenders can work to his edges and shoot gaps - this happened mostly on run plays with a head-up nose stacked on top of him. Had some issues with longer pulls where he needed to take a tighter angle to arrive on schedule and the running back got ahead of him when he was tasked with being the lead blocker on the rep.
Note: snaps left-handed
Others:
Luke Matthews, Texas A'M
Trey Hill, Georgia
Jim Morrissey, Pittsburgh
Drake Jackson, Kentucky
Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma (Here's a report from Pro Football Network)
Humphrey grew up in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and has Sooners football in his blood. As mentioned by ESPN’s Senior Writer Chris Low, “The only thing more intertwined in Humphrey family blood than Sooner football was wrestling. From the time Humphrey was four, he was on the mats.” That wrestling background is evident in his play, as one of his strongest traits is his ability to win with leverage.
Humphrey, standing 6’5″ and weighing 320 pounds, has ideal size for the position and brings a nasty temperament to the table. Humphrey, who earned first-team All-Big 12 honors last season, is a true technician, consistently displaying the fundamentals of the position. It surely doesn’t hurt that he has one of the best offensive line coaches in college football, Bill Bedenbaugh, working with him on a daily basis.
His best traits are his overwhelming power, his ability to play with a terrific pad level, and as mentioned above, his ability to win with leverage. Out of all of the 2021 offensive linemen, you’d be hard-pressed to find any that have the power that Humphrey possesses. He is built short and compact, so when he fires out of his stance and stays low, he can control his opposition with ease. His power at the point of attack is elite, as is his hand usage. His hand placement and ability to lock onto defenders is exceptional.
Josh Meyers, Ohio State (from Expandtheboxscore.com)
Myers has the size and strength to play either center or guard at the next level. He will fit best in a gap-based scheme where he can use his explosiveness off the ball and strong leg drive to move the line of scrimmage. He may struggle in a zone scheme due to inconsistent hand timing and inability to swing his hips around on scoop or reach blocks. He will thrive in any type of passing scheme, with the anchor ability to sustain on long vertical routes and the punch strength for jump sets.
Myers’ versatility and pass blocking acumen will make him a valuable asset to a gap-based team. Though not as dominant physically as other interior linemen in the draft, he will be a valuable, consistent presence. A needy gap team may reach for him in the late 1st, but his overall talent level puts him as an early 2nd round selection at the moment.
Landon Dickerson, Alabama (from Fansided nflmocks.com)
Dickerson is a former highly-ranked recruit out of North Carolina who began his college career at Florida State. He spent three injury-riddled seasons with the Seminoles before making the move to Alabama. Dickerson was a solid contributor when he was healthy at Florida State, but he seemed to be injured more often than not.
Dickerson became an immediate starter at Alabama last season, having success at both right guard and center. He eventually settled in as the Crimson Tide’s starting center and has taken his game to the next level this season.
While Dickerson is not the most impressive mover in space, he is a big and powerful offensive lineman who can dominate at the point of attack. He clears out rushing lanes with absolute ease and does a great job of anchoring in and protecting against power in pass protection.
Alec Lindstrom, Boston College (from thedraftnetwork.com)
Father played in the NFL for three seasons and his brother, Chris, was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2019. Has experience long snapping. He’s a technician with power. Notable strength in his core to absorb power, redirect and remain in control. Has a finishers mentality and he looks to put dudes on their back. Does well to unlock his hips in drive block situations and create movement. Highly successful combo blocking and climbing to the second level with consistency. Generally does well to play within himself and not waste-bend or end up on the ground. Has good functional athleticism and range. Tape is littered with impact blocks in the screen game. Packs a fairly powerful punch and he is committed to fitting his hands - no notable timing or placement concerns.
CONS: Has too many reps where he is out-leveraged and will allow some penetration where opponents can get under his pads and work him back. Is guilty of dropping his head, losing control of reps and defenders can work to his edges and shoot gaps - this happened mostly on run plays with a head-up nose stacked on top of him. Had some issues with longer pulls where he needed to take a tighter angle to arrive on schedule and the running back got ahead of him when he was tasked with being the lead blocker on the rep.
Note: snaps left-handed
Others:
Luke Matthews, Texas A'M
Trey Hill, Georgia
Jim Morrissey, Pittsburgh
Drake Jackson, Kentucky
