Creed Humphrey stands in a tier of his own: His 2.05 PFF WAR over the past four seasons is the highest figure among all offensive linemen, and his 94.9 cumulative PFF overall grade ranks second, behind only Trent Williams.
Will Tate Ratledge take over at center for Frank Ragnow? Although Ratledge gained no experience at center in college, he maintains a solid grading profile at guard, posting a 75.0-plus grade in each of his past two seasons.
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Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
The center position can often be overlooked, but it is undoubtedly a crucial position that can make or break the performance of every position along the offensive line. Protection calls and slides often flow through the man in the middle, making the best of the best at the position a crucial piece to any dominant protection scheme.
These are the top 32 centers heading into the 2025 season. Be sure to check out all of PFF’s 2025 NFL Preview series for even more rankings and analysis of the upcoming season.
Click below for PFF's other rankings:
QB | RB | WR | TE | T | G | C | DI | EDGE | LB | CB | S
1. Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs
Since stepping foot on an NFL field in 2021, Humphrey has not only been the most productive center but also the most productive offensive lineman in the NFL, period. His 2.05 PFF WAR over the past four seasons is the highest figure among all offensive linemen, and his 94.9 cumulative PFF overall grade ranks second, behind only Trent Williams.
2. Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens
After three seasons of excellent production at the heart of Baltimore’s protection scheme, Linderbaum has proven to be one of the NFL’s premier run blockers. The Ravens center is particularly adept as a zone blocker, where he has earned a 91.7 PFF run-blocking grade on zone concepts across his career, placing him in the 91st percentile at the position.
Highest-Graded Centers in 2024
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3. Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers hit it out of the park when they selected Frazier in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. At just 24 years old, he heads into his second year poised to build on an excellent rookie campaign during which he placed fourth in PFF overall grade (77.9) among qualifying centers.
Frazier's all-around grading profile is solid, as he places above the 75th percentile as both a pass protector and a run blocker.
4. Erik McCoy, New Orleans Saints
An early-season groin injury that required surgery restricted McCoy’s ability to see the field much in 2024, but what we did see of him proved his career trajectory is still aimed upward. Although he logged just 293 snaps, McCoy was on his way to a career year, with his 94.4 PFF overall grade leading the position and his 0.24 PFF WAR ranking fifth among centers, even despite his significant missed time.
5. Drew Dalman, Chicago Bears
After his final season in Atlanta was cut short due to injury, Dalman heads to a perfect situation with Ben Johnson in Chicago. His reputation as one of the best run-blocking centers in the game will be a huge asset in Johnson’s zone-heavy scheme, where the veteran has produced a career 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade.
6. Connor McGovern, Buffalo Bills
Not only was 2024 McGovern’s best year since joining the Bills, but it was also his best performance as a pro. He earned a 69.5 PFF overall grade, and while he saw improvements as a run blocker, it’s his pass protection that he hangs his hat on. He allowed no sacks this past season and ranks in the 93rd percentile in sack rate over the past three seasons.
7. Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins
Brewer’s move to Miami this past season paved the way for his best season in the NFL. He posted a career-best 74.1 PFF overall grade on a full workload — a top-eight mark at the position. Improvements as a pass protector helped round out his game, as he finished as one of just two qualifying centers to post a 70.0-plus PFF grade as a run blocker and a pass protector. The only other player to hit the mark was Creed Humphrey.
8. Ryan Kelly, Minnesota Vikings
A series of injuries cut short Kelly’s final season in Indianapolis, and now the veteran hopes to return to form in Minnesota. While his grading profile took a hit in 2024, he isn’t far removed from a career year in 2023, when he was one of just two centers to post a 75.0-plus PFF grade as a pass protector and a run blocker, powered by his 78.3 PFF pass-blocking grade — the highest among qualifying centers.
9. Elgton Jenkins, Green Bay Packers
After playing primarily at guard throughout his NFL career, Jenkins will make the jump to center in 2025. He has logged just 378 snaps at center in his pro career but has experience there from college, giving hope that his overall ability will translate.
Jenkins' 81.6 PFF pass-blocking grade over the past two seasons ranks second among guards.
10. Hjalte Froholdt, Arizona Cardinals
Since landing in Arizona in 2023, Froholdt has continued to elevate his game each season. His 76.1 PFF overall grade ranked in the top five among qualifying centers this past season, powered largely by his ability as a run blocker. Froholdt is a mauler in gap concepts, where his 82.9 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked fourth at the position.
11. Joe Tippmann, New York Jets
Tippmann took a big step forward in his second NFL season, earning a top-10 PFF overall grade (73.4) among centers. He improved his figure by more than 10 points on the grading scale over his rookie campaign, which bodes well for his ability to continue his career progression at just 24 years old.
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.
Ethan Pocic's Career PFF Grades
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13. Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles
Jurgens has struggled at times as a pass protector, but his overall grading profile since becoming the Eagles’ starting center shows an upward trend that should continue into 2025. If you exclude Jurgens' playoff performance, during which he was battling an injury, his PFF overall grade (67.1) charted as a top-10 mark at the position.
14. Luke Wattenberg, Denver Broncos
The former fifth-round pick entered 2024 with almost no experience, and what he had shown up to that point was well below par. That all changed once Wattenberg assumed a starting role, as he proved to be one of the best pass protectors at the position. His 82.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2024 ranked second among centers, and he also finished above the 90th percentile in all of PFF’s stable pass-blocking metrics.
15. Tyler Biadasz, Washington Commanders
Biadasz, in his first year with the Commanders, started off the 2024 season on a high note. Through the first nine games, his 79.3 PFF pass-blocking grade charted as the second-highest mark at the position. While that momentum faded as the season went on, and as Biadasz dealt with injury and illness, he still managed to finish with solid marks as a run blocker and a pass protector.
16. Cooper Beebe, Dallas Cowboys
Beebe had a bit of a tough start to his rookie campaign, posting just a 60.5 PFF overall grade during the first half of the season. But he performed well to close out the year and earned a 69.6 PFF overall grade through the final eight weeks, which ranked in the top 10 at the position over that span.
If Beebe can carry that momentum into Year 2, he has the ability to climb these rankings.
17. Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders
Although Powers-Johnson’s rookie season netted mixed results, that came due in large part to splitting time between center and guard. However, when lined up at center, the first-year blocker looked rather solid, posting a 70.7 PFF overall grade — a top-12 mark at the position. Without Andre James in the picture, Powers-Johnson projects as the Raiders' starting center heading into 2025.
18. Ted Karras, Cincinnati Bengals
Although the veteran's run-blocking profile has steadily declined since he landed in Cincinnati, he remains one of the most polished pass blockers at the position. Across his past three seasons, Karras ranks above the 90th percentile in all of PFF’s stable pass-blocking metrics, including his 71.5 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets.
19. Coleman Shelton, Los Angeles Rams
After one season with the Bears, Shelton finds himself back in Los Angeles, hoping to replicate the success he found in his time away. His 66.4 PFF overall grade with the Bears was a top-15 mark at the position.
Shelton’s solid all-around play earned him a top-10 finish in PFF WAR (0.20), as well as 66.0-plus PFF grades as a pass protector and a run blocker.
20. Lloyd Cushenberry III, Tennessee Titans
A torn Achilles in Week 9 ended Cushenberry’s first season in Tennessee, but a solid grading profile in his prior seasons provides confidence that he can bounce back. Across his final three seasons in Denver, Cushenberry posted the fourth-highest PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets. With expectations that he will be ready for training camp this offseason, he can again reach that ceiling.
21. Graham Barton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While Barton’s rookie season didn’t culminate in an excellent grading profile, he showcased a solid foundation. In his second season at just 24 years old, the Buccaneers center will be hoping to build on his ability as a pass protector, where he allowed just a single sack across 640 pass sets in 2024.
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22. Cade Mays, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers' starting center job is up in the air heading into 2025. Austin Corbett returns to the roster, but having played fewer than 300 snaps in each of the past two seasons due to injury, he will have to compete for the role.
Mays stepped up as the Panthers‘ starting center in Week 8 last season and went on to produce the sixth-highest PFF overall grade at the position from that point through the end of the regular season.
23. Robert Hainsey, Jacksonville Jaguars
After losing his starting spot with the Buccaneers to Graham Barton, Hainsey signed a three-year deal with the Jaguars, following his former offensive coordinator, Liam Coen.
While we haven’t seen much of Hainsey over the past year, he did show flashes on a small sample size, posting a 73.3 PFF overall grade. That should be a positive step toward a return to form in Jacksonville.
24. Jake Brendel, San Francisco 49ers
While Brendel has stumbled as a pass blocker over the past two seasons, he continues to showcase his ability as a run blocker. The 49ers veteran produced a 70.0-plus PFF run-blocking grade in 2023 and 2024, garnering a top-15 rank at the position over that span.
25. Garrett Bradbury, New England Patriots
Following a tough year of injuries, longtime Patriots center David Andrews retired from the NFL, opening the door for a new face. Former first-rounder Cole Strange, who played some center last season, and rookie Jared Wilson could see time there. The expectation is that Bradbury will become New England's starter in the middle.
While Bradbury has a checkered history, particularly as a pass protector, he is a solid run blocker, having ranked in the 80th percentile in positively graded run-play rate over the past three seasons.
26. John Michael Schmitz Jr., New York Giants
Although the former second-round pick hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, he did show growth during his second season. After posting just a 41.4 PFF overall grade in his rookie season, Schmitz earned a 61.4 mark this past season.
27. Bradley Bozeman, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers brought in Andre James this offseason to compete with Bozeman for the starting center job. Although Bozeman struggled a bit in his first season with the Chargers, and has never been a top-tier pass protector, he has continued to produce well as a run blocker. He has generated a 64.0-plus PFF run-blocking grade in each of his past three seasons.
28. Jarrett Patterson, Houston Texans
After an offseason spent adding new pieces and shuffling the offensive line, the Texans still have much to figure out. Jarrett Patterson finished 2024 at center for Houston, with former second-rounder Juice Scruggs sliding to guard. Either could take on the job in 2025, but just to add more uncertainty to the mix, it was Jake Andrews who logged time with the starting unit in OTAs.
During his time as a starter in 2024, Patterson posted a 69.3 PFF pass-blocking grade, good for a top-12 mark at the center position from Week 10 onward.
29. Ryan Neuzil, Atlanta Falcons
Neuzil stepped in for the injured Drew Dalman this past season, and while he didn’t dominate, he performed well enough to earn the nod for a full season in 2025. Neuzil needs to better limit mistakes in the run game but did show some flashes, ranking in the 72nd percentile in positively graded run play rate (15.7%).
Ryan Neuzil's 2024 PFF Game Grades
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30. Tanor Bortolini, Indianapolis Colts
With the injuries to Ryan Kelly this past season, it was Bortolini and veteran Danny Pinter who stepped in to shoulder the load. Both are expected to compete for the starting job this summer.
Bortolini showed a bit more of a well-rounded game in his first year as a pro, albeit on a limited sample. He produced a 64.0-plus PFF grade as both a run blocker and a pass protector, which may bode well for his chances of taking control of the starting job in 2025.
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.
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.