PFF Top 32 centers ahead of the 2025

[toffee]

PFF Center Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2025 NFL season

Creed Humphrey's reign as the NFL's top center continues ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

www.pff.com

Us:
31. Olusegun Oluwatimi, Seattle Seahawks
Connor Williams‘ surprise retirement thrust Oluwatimi into the starting job for the final eight games of the 2024 season, and he struggled a bit to gain his footing. Although pass protection was a challenge, the second-year center enjoyed some success as a run blocker, posting a 65.8 PFF run-blocking grade

Lol at Detroit for landing #32
32. Tate Ratledge, Detroit Lions
All-Pro center Frank Ragnow‘s unexpected retirement leaves the Lions venturing into uncharted waters for the first time in seven seasons.

[Read More: Frank Ragnow retires after seven seasons anchoring Detroit’s offensive line]

Without a proven contingency plan, Detroit will test several options at the position heading into 2025. There is some indication that the Lions are positioning second-round pick Tate Ratledge to take over for Ragnow, after the rookie was seen logging snaps at center during minicamps and OTAs. Although Ratledge gained no experience at center in college, he maintains a solid grading profile at guard, where he posted a 75.0-plus grade in each of his past two seasons.

But this one really hurts, I was disbelieved when they let Pocic go. Gotta be that Pete guy and not JD?
12. Ethan Pocic, Cleveland Browns
While Pocic recorded his lowest PFF grades since landing in Cleveland in 2022, he remains one of the most consistent centers in the NFL. Across the past three seasons, he has produced a top-10 PFF overall grade (74.8) and a fifth-ranked PFF WAR total (0.74) — metrics that point to his ability to regain his footing heading into 2025.

 

[Wsumatt1982]

I think this team mostly knows the 5 starters already.
Cross-Zabel-Oluwatimi-Haynes-Lucas

I think having an offseason with good coaching, Olu might surprise. Not top 10 but top 20

 

[sutz]

Yeah, that seems awful low for Olu. He must be at least middle of the pack. PFF tries, but they don't always hit.

 

[Kamcussionator]

PFF needs to add weight for whomever is playing next to you for OL; something like +/- 20% the difference between you and your neighbors for IOL, and +/- 10% the difference for Tackles.

e.g. Charles Cross and Olu got no favors working next to Laken Tomlinson last year. Conversely, we'll see how Chief's LG Suamatia does with Josh Simmons instead of Joe Thuney next to him.

 

[toffee]

PFF needs to add weight for whomever is playing next to you for OL; something like +/- 20% the difference between you and your neighbors for IOL, and +/- 10% the difference for Tackles.

e.g. Charles Cross and Olu got no favors working next to Laken Tomlinson last year. Conversely, we'll see how Chief's LG Suamatia does with Josh Simmons instead of Joe Thuney next to him.

Laken was our best guard last season. He wasn't great, but he was better than Haynes, Bradford etc., Laken was fairly consistent once he settled down. He did suffer 5 penalties, 6 sacks and 38 pressures, but, Cross suffered 8 penalties, 6 sacks and 48 pressures. One could argue that Laken suffered from the poor play of Olu and Cross.

Our rights guards? horrible.

BUT, our OL will be top 15 if not top 10 this season, now that Schneider identified the culprit to be Geno Smith and DK Metcalf, and our OL suffered from the poor play from those two.

 

[Sperrydogg]

PFF Center Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2025 NFL season

Creed Humphrey's reign as the NFL's top center continues ahead of the 2025 NFL season.

www.pff.com

Us:
31. Olusegun Oluwatimi, Seattle Seahawks
Connor Williams‘ surprise retirement thrust Oluwatimi into the starting job for the final eight games of the 2024 season, and he struggled a bit to gain his footing. Although pass protection was a challenge, the second-year center enjoyed some success as a run blocker, posting a 65.8 PFF run-blocking grade

Lol at Detroit for landing #32
32. Tate Ratledge, Detroit Lions
All-Pro center Frank Ragnow‘s unexpected retirement leaves the Lions venturing into uncharted waters for the first time in seven seasons.

[Read More: Frank Ragnow retires after seven seasons anchoring Detroit’s offensive line]

Without a proven contingency plan, Detroit will test several options at the position heading into 2025. There is some indication that the Lions are positioning second-round pick Tate Ratledge to take over for Ragnow, after the rookie was seen logging snaps at center during minicamps and OTAs. Although Ratledge gained no experience at center in college, he maintains a solid grading profile at guard, where he posted a 75.0-plus grade in each of his past two seasons.

But this one really hurts, I was disbelieved when they let Pocic go. Gotta be that Pete guy and not JD?
12. Ethan Pocic, Cleveland Browns
While Pocic recorded his lowest PFF grades since landing in Cleveland in 2022, he remains one of the most consistent centers in the NFL. Across the past three seasons, he has produced a top-10 PFF overall grade (74.8) and a fifth-ranked PFF WAR total (0.74) — metrics that point to his ability to regain his footing heading into 2025.

Pocic became one of my favorites when I heard he showed up at rookie camp wearing daisy dukes

 

[Jac]

But this one really hurts, I was disbelieved when they let Pocic go. Gotta be that Pete guy and not JD?
12. Ethan Pocic, Cleveland Browns
While Pocic recorded his lowest PFF grades since landing in Cleveland in 2022, he remains one of the most consistent centers in the NFL. Across the past three seasons, he has produced a top-10 PFF overall grade (74.8) and a fifth-ranked PFF WAR total (0.74) — metrics that point to his ability to regain his footing heading into 2025.

This partially speaks to OL coaching. Here's our guy in 2022 and 2023. This little blurb also ties into the comment about Pocic's low 2024 grade.

"Dickerson became the run game coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2021, following Shane Waldron whom he played with at Tufts and coached with at New England and Los Angeles.[5][12] He was promoted to offensive line coach in 2022.[13][14] He was interviewed in 2024 to be the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns[15] and he later joined the team as offensive line coach.[16] After one season where there was significant regression with the Browns' offensive line, Dickerson was fired on January 5, 2025."

Andy Dickerson - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[bileever]

Not at all surprised by the low ranking for Olu. That interior line last year was just terrible. It wasn't all Olu's fault, but he certainly didn't shine last year. There's some hope for improvement since Olu didn't play the whole season last year, and he has a new OC and O-line coach.

I think the Lions are really going to be hurting with the sudden retirement of Ragnow. To lose an All-Pro from your offensive line just before the start of the season is tough. The center position must be hard--Connor Williams retired at age 27 and Ragnow at age 29.

 

[Jville]

I remember how very upset Mike Mcdonald was with the poor conditioning of the linemen during 2024 OTAs. That was followed up by a repeat going into the 2024 training camp. Bradford and Haynes were specifically called out. The o-line, as a group, was a conditioning disappointment. That's not something to be put up with in 2025. The drafts emphasis on athleticism is an indicator of what is to come.

If a guard on either side is limited by heavy feet, challenged change of direction and/or slow rush recognition, they make the center position much more challenging. It is often overlooked that centers are the only one, on the field of play, that start off every play as a one armed man with, at times, no cushion in one on one match ups.

P.S......... Run the Football!