Finding a new center has to be at the top of the offseason wishlist for the Detroit Lions. Crossing that task off might be easier said than done when it comes to the options in this year’s draft.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said there are a couple of “third-round type players” who could start as rookies. But Jeremiah doesn’t feel there is one center he would pound the table for in the second round, and that’s a challenge in Detroit.
Jeremiah held a conference call with reporters from around the country on Thursday afternoon ahead of next week’s combine. The draft analyst pointed to Kansas State center Sam Hecht as a prospect who could start as a rookie, expecting him to go in the late second- or third-round range.
He also pointed to Jake Slaughter (Florida) and Trey Zuhn III (Texas A&M) as potential starting rookie centers in that third-round pick range.
It’s worth noting that before answering the question about center prospects, Jeremiah mentioned pending free agent Tyler Linderbaum’s name.
“There are a lot of jobs that are great. I love my job, but if I could switch jobs for just the next couple months, I’d want to be Tyler Linderbaum’s agent because everybody that I talk to seems to be in on Tyler Linderbaum,” Jeremiah said. “So, it sounds like he’s gonna have a robust market.”
Linderbaum is one of the top free agents expected to hit the open market next month, let alone the clear-cut top center and offensive lineman. The three-time Pro Bowler would be an immediate fix to the position for any team. It’s shocking to see a 25-year-old offensive lineman of his caliber hit the market like this. Linderbaum was a 2022 first-rounder out of Iowa and has missed only two starts in four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
But he’s going to cost a pretty penny, and the Lions would have to take advantage of some restructure opportunities to get there. The Athletic projects Linderbaum’s next contract at $71 million across four years. Pro Football Focus was a touch higher on its projection at $80 million over four seasons.
Yes, the Lions could get there. But that type of money would represent the biggest free-agent signing under Brad Holmes and Co. in Detroit. They have been big spenders, but those have come on extensions for their own. Cornerback D.J. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal is the biggest external signing they have made in his tenure.
Jeremiah still believes there are a handful of centers worth taking who could step into action right away. He seemed the highest on Hecht’s chances for being the most NFL-ready out of the gates. Hecht didn’t allow a sack and allowed only one quarterback hit during his career at Kansas State. He played more than 1,500 snaps at center in the last two years.
“So, I think there’s a decent group of centers there,” Jeremiah said. “I don’t know that there’s one that I would, you know, jump on the table to take in the second round. Maybe a little bit of a reach there, but I think you can get, you can get one of those guys at that point in time, or you can trade back, whatever you want to do there. But I think those guys that I mentioned all have a chance to start.”
Jeremiah released a new mock draft earlier this week, sending Clemson pass rusher T.J. Parker to the Lions at the 17th pick. When asked why he didn’t target an offensive tackle with Taylor Decker considering retirement, he said the Lions are doing their homework on free-agent tackles and need to see what happens with the veteran.
The names he pointed to as fits for the Lions were Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, who he described as “Dan Campbell-ey,” and Clemson’s Blake Miller.
Jeremiah told a story of Freeling playing through a high-ankle injury, and how his aggressiveness and physicality make him a fit in Detroit. He pointed to Miller’s background as an accomplished high school wrestler and his strong athletic profile, and sounded high on those two tackles as ones to watch here.
But when it comes down to it, he believes the Lions will continue to target the most physical and explosive players. He leaned toward a pass rusher over an offensive lineman at this stage, pointing to Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), Akheem Mesidor (Miami) and Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) as his other favorites to watch in Detroit.
“Mason Thomas is another one where that would be kind of a Lions pick where I think most people view him as a second-round pick, but he’s such a good player,” Jeremiah said. “He plays with energy and power. He plays with burst. He’s got an edge to him. He’s someone who could climb up in the process, and as I’m kind of staring at it, looking at it. That actually kind of looks like a Lions-type player.”
Finding a center to solve their issues might be tough to come by in the draft for Holmes and the Lions. But there is plenty of depth at offensive tackle and edge defender in this draft, and we’ll get a closer look at the offerings next week in Indianapolis.