The 2024 NFL Draft is getting closer by the day, and Fans First Sports Network is here to give you the best draft analysis anywhere! Between now and the NFL Draft, we will reveal our NFL Draft big board, one position at a time. Today, we continue with the interior offensive linemen.

Those of you who know us from Behind the Steel Curtain may remember our BTSC Big Board we did the past three years, and we are excited to have a good portion of the crew back to do it here at FFSN. The board will be my comprised of my personal rankings, player stats, and scouting reports for all early-round prospects. Stats are compiled by community member SNW, and scouting reports come from a collaborative effort of myself, Jeremy Betz, Adam Curry, Noah_E., skyfire322, and Necksnation.

For each position, we will give a positional ranking, my overall round ranking, previous season stats, and an in-depth scouting report for each early and mid-round round prospect. We hope this will be a helpful resource for you as you become familiarized with draft prospects that your team may be looking at.

Let’s dive in!

1. Troy Fautanu | Washington | 6’ 4”, 310 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Top15
2023 Stats: GP 15
Andrew Wilbar: Fautanu had a fantastic career at Washington, aligning primarily at tackle. There were times where he was the slightest bit slow out of his stance, which could be a bigger liability at the NFL level if he remains at tackle. I believe his highest upside comes at guard, where his power and raw athleticism can make a greater impact against the run. Regardless of which position one may project him at in the NFL, the fact he is incredibly versatile boosts his value and likely raises his floor to the 20-25 range in Round 1, while raising his ceiling to potentially breaking the top 10. His ability to anchor at a high level in pass protection despite only decent core strength is nothing short of impressive, and his nimbleness and hip flexibility help him take consistently good blocking angles and get good leverage. Fautanu’s patience and discipline in pass protection is also evident when watching his tape, as he waits until just the right time to land his punches and counter-react to moves by pass rushers. When he leaves his chest exposed, he leaves himself susceptible to being pushed back on bullrushes, but overall, Fautanu’s tape is pretty clean. Most of his issues are fixable, and they are only nitpicky concerns to begin with.

2. Graham Barton | Duke | 6’ 5” 315 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Mid 1st
2023 Stats: GP 9
Andrew Wilbar: Barton is another collegiate tackle that I believe is best suited along the interior of the line in the NFL. I am intrigued to see what his arms measure in at when he weighs in at the combine, as this will likely confirm his move to the interior. Putting arm length aside, it is hard to see a scenario where Barton does not carve out a good career. He displays overwhelming power and explosiveness off the line, and he dominates the battle for leverage against opposing defenders as a run blocker. One concern I do have with Barton is that he often leaves his chest exposed for longer defenders to exploit, causing him to be overpowered and driven off balance. His recognition skills could also use some work, as some of the minimal mistakes he made in college came from an inability to notice delayed blitzes and react to them in a timely fashion. However, Barton’s IQ and smarts are off the charts, and one can see his commitment to improving his game by watching his progression from 2022 to 2023. He was much more fluid moving laterally this past year, which truly unlocked his outstanding mobility everyone knew he had. He would occasionally get beat to the inside at tackle, but I do not foresee that being as big an issue at guard. The versatility to play any position on the line will bode well for his hopes of being selected in Round 1.

3. Sedrick Van Pran | Georgia | 6’ 4”, 310 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Late 1st
2023 Stats: GP 14
Andrew Wilbar: Van Pran may be the most under-the-radar superstar in this draft class. I was confident the Van Pran hype train would speed up by this point, but it hasn’t, and if it doesn’t soon, some team may be getting a steal. I am expecting Van Pran to test off the charts in Indy, as his explosiveness on tape is so evident. Creating leverage at the point of attack seems so natural and effortless for Van Pran, as his core strength and initial quickness off the snap combine to be a lethal aspect of his effectiveness in run blocking. One of the best athletes we’ve seen in awhile at the center position, Van Pran displays excellent mobility and fluidity, and he has proven to be stellar as it pertains to pulling. He will provide extra value for teams who require their center to get out in space. Teams that run a mixture of inside and outside zone concepts will love his ability to adapt to disguised blitzes and odd defensive alignments, while also being able to get to the second level as a run defender. His footwork could still use a little cleaning up, and he can get off-balanced when his stance isn’t set quick enough, but overall, I love Van Pran’s upside at the NFL level. He has perennial Pro-Bowler potential.

4. Zach Frazier | West Virginia | 6’ 2”, 306 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Late 1st
2023 Stats: GP 12
Shannon White: Zach Frazier was born to play center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He grew up in Fairmont, WV. Less than an hour from the Steel City. He is a life-long Steelers fan. Frazier was a two time state champion in football, and a four time state wrestling champion. Frazier has huge hands, almost 11”, which happen to be extraordinarily strong. He has a sturdy build, with excellent upper body strength and a solid base. His athleticism is extremely underrated. However, it’s all of the intangibles that truly set Frazier apart from his peers. Class, competitiveness, and character are off the charts. Frazier was also an academic All American at WVU. Intelligence and instincts are especially important at center. Frazier is the epitome of an old school center, and seems destined to be next in line for the Steelers unmatched legacy at center.

5. Jackson Powers-Johnson | Oregon | 6’ 4”, 320 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Early 2nd
2023 Stats: GP 13
Andrew Wilbar: Powers-Johnson got rave reviews following the Senior Bowl after people saw his eye-popping measurables, but he is far from a finished product. His upside is through the roof, but having long-term success at center at his current size would be quite an anomaly. For a 330-pound center, Powers-Johnson displays good first-step quickness and explosiveness at the point of attack. When he gets good hand placement on you, good luck winning that rep. He displays great core strength and great leg drive, finishing blocks consistently and playing through the whistle. While he is certainly mobile and nimble enough to get out and pull, I still see him best suited for a team with a power/gap scheme and north-and-south running game. He is both violent and accurate when it comes to landing his punches, and his strong base allows him to withstand even the most powerful defensive linemen. There are times where he plays over his feet in pass protection, but his occasional inconsistency in pass protection can easily be cleaned up with NFL coaching. He may not be as schematically versatile as Sedrick Van Pran or even Zach Frazier, but the upside is certainly tantalizing. This is a swing-for-the-fences pick at center that a creative offensive line coach could develop into a perennial All-Pro, but you have to have the right system in order for it to work.

6. Christian Haynes | Connecticut | 6’ 2”, 298 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Late 2nd
2023 Stats: GP 12
Jeremy Betz: Christian Haynes is a powerful Guard prospect with a low center of gravity and the ability to move defenders with relative ease. While he doesn’t possess elite lateral agility, he can still pull and get out in front in the run game. As a pass protector, he uses good footwork and a strong base to mitigate interior pass rushers. Overall, Haynes doesn’t have the position flexibility of some of the other IOL prospects ahead of him, but teams needing a solid guard prospect should look his way.

7. Zak Zinter | Michigan | 6’ 6”, 320 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Early 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 12
Andrew Wilbar: Zinter may be the best pure guard in this class. While he may not offer as much versatility, he will come at a discounted price, as the once-projected top-50 pick may fall to the latter portions of Day 2 due to a broken tibia and broken fibula he suffered in Michigan’s win against Ohio State. Zinter also brings experience to the table, as he started 42 games in his collegiate career. Having the versatility to play in any scheme will boost his value, as will his ability to pull. He is a fluid mover who blocks in space at a high level. His toughness, IQ, and mobility are all traits that will excite GMs, but his technique could still use some refining. His legs are sometimes planted a little too close together and too far inside his frame, which hinders his ability to successfully anchor in pass protection, but NFL coaches and executives want to know if a player’s issues are fixable or not. With Zinter, just about every flaw is fixable. I like his game overall and see him as a plug-and-play prospect at right guard.

8. Cooper Beebe | Kansas State | 6’ 3”, 320 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Early 3rd
2023 Stats: GP 13
Noah_E: I think the best comparison for Cooper Beebe is a Ford F-150. He is an absolute mauler in the run game, consistently winning at the point of attack as well as climbing to the second level. He is great in space and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen this guy pancake defenders. As a pass protector he does a great job at anchoring with his strong lower body and using his hands to redirect the pass rush. Beebe is extremely well rounded and was one of just two guards in the power five this year to earn a top 10 PFF grade as both a run and pass blocker. Not only does he have the physical tools, but he is one of the most technically sound lineman in this class. Beebe has gotten severely overlooked during this draft process and I think he is going to really, really surprise people.

9. Layden Robinson | Texas A&M | 6’ 4”, 320 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Early 4th
2023 Stats: GP 11
Jeremy Betz: Robinson is a developmental guard prospect with plenty of strength and power in his game. He has heavy hands and a strong, wide base in pass pro to deflect interior pass rushers and force them to work hard for their pressures. Robinson will surprise defenders as a run blocker with a quick get off and great balance, often getting into the chest of a defender before he has time to react. Overall, Robinson needs some technical refinement and to improve his agility, but he has eventual starting upside as an early Day 3 option along the interior.

10. Javion Cohen | Miami | 6’ 4”, 325 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Mid 4th
2023 Stats: GP 11
Jeremy Betz: Cohen has nice length and good hands as a blocker, and has the strength to control defenders at the point of attack when he plays balanced. He can get ahead of himself and reach for blocks, getting off balance and allowing defenders to gain the physical edge over him. Let him set his base, though, and you’re not going to overpower Cohen often. A Day 3 project, coaches will love his aggressiveness while teaching him to stay patient and centered in his sets.

11. Christian Mahogany | Boston College | 6’ 3”, 318 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Late 4th
2023 Stats: GP 12
Jeremy Betz: Mahogany isn’t the biggest or most powerful IOL prospect in the class, but he’s got plenty of lateral agility and movement skills. A good athlete for the position, Mahogany easily out-leverages defenders in the run game because he gets to his spot quickly and is technically sound. In pass pro, he sets a wide base and attempts to get ahead of the defender’s pass rush. If he misses the initial block, he struggles to recover and can get overpowered when out of position. Overall, Mahogany is a work in progress, but he has the athletic traits that will intrigue scouts in the predraft process.

Best of the Rest

12. Tanor Bortolini | Wisconsin | 6’ 4”, 306 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: Late 4th
2023 Stats: GP 12

13. Sincere Haynesworth | Miami | 6’ 1”, 310 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 14

14. Beaux Limmer | Arkansas | 6’ 5”, 300 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 12

15. Drake Nugent | Michigan | 6’ 2”, 300 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 15

16. Delmar Glaze | Maryland | 6’ 4”, 316 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 13

17. Trevor Keegan | Michigan | 6’ 6”, 324 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 15

18. Matthew Jones | Ohio State | 6’ 4”, 316 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Ranking: 5th
2023 Stats: GP 13

19. Andrew Raym | Oklahoma | 6’ 4”, 315 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 12

20. Kingsley Eguakun | Florida | 6’ 4”, 303 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 4

21. Maurice Smith | Florida State | 6’ 4”, 277 lbs
Wilbar’s Overall Grade: 6th
2023 Stats: GP 11