It's a big year for Cleveland Browns veteran center Ethan Pocic, who is in the final year of his contract, coming off a down year in 2024. If he bounces back in 2025, the Browns could extend him again, but he will be 31 next year, and they will need to consider drafting the long-term answer in next year's draft.
Former day three pick Luke Wypler is an interesting prospect for whom I had high hopes, but we haven't seen anything promising from him yet, so betting on him as the long-term answer is risky. Watching tape on this year's class makes me think there is a decent amount of talent at the position. A lot can change from summer scouting until April, but I like the Browns' chances of getting a good player early or even later in the draft.
Jake Slaughter, Florida
Florida's Redshirt Senior center, Jake Slaughter, will enter the 2025 season as my highest-rated center, something I have seen from other draft analysts as well. He will be 23 in December and play most of his rookie season at the age, but as an older prospect, he might be someone the Browns won't consider in April.
Slaughter is a smart player; he does a good job diagnosing where pressure is coming from pre-snap and communicating with the rest of the offensive line. He has strong, powerful hands with a violent punch to jolt defenders and take control of the rep.
Slaughter is a fantastic pass blocker; over the last two years, he has allowed only 13 pressures and three sacks in over 700 pass-blocking snaps. He has an excellent technique as a pass blocker and can handle both speed and power rushes equally, despite being a slightly smaller center, weighing in at 294 pounds. Slaughter has quick feet and decent movement skills.
He is a good run blocker, but there are some issues to clean up in that department. He can get a little overaggressive and lunge forward, resulting in some missed blocks. His hand technique is excellent as a pass blocker, but it can be a bit inconsistent when run blocking; however, the flashes are there.