2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior offensive linemen

As the great Greg Cosell said in the debut episode of “The Xs and Os,” offensive tackles define the width of the pocket, while guards and centers define the depth of the pocket.

This is an important delineation when projecting offensive linemen from college to the NFL. If you were a tackle in college, but your skill set leans more toward defining the depth of the pocket than the width of it, you could well be in line for a position change, and that’s not a bad thing. Zack Martin and Joel Bitonio are but two NCAA tackles in recent years who became top-tier guards in the NFL — consistently and immediately — because their attributes were more aligned to the interior, and the liabilities that might have limited their potential on the outside are negated.

Every draft class is different, but for the 2023 class of interior offensive linemen, I decided to take three tackles — Georgia’s Broderick Jones, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronaki, and North Dakota State’s Cody Mauch — and project them inside. I don’t know what their NFL teams will decide; it’s just what I observed after watching multiple games of each player’s performance.

Beyond that, there’s also an intriguing group of interior offensive linemen who did that in college, and project very well to the next level.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Sports Info Solutions, and Football Outsiders unless otherwise indicated).

(All prospect measurement percentiles courtesy of MockDraftable.com). 

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2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 interior defensive linemen

2023 NFL Draft: The top 8 edge defenders

2023 NFL Draft: The top 5 offensive tackles

1. Broderick Jones, Georgia

(Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6′ 5⅜” (45th percentile) Weight: 311 (42nd)
40-Yard Dash: 4.97 (93rd)
10-Yard Split: 1.74 (79th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 30″ (73rd)
Broad Jump: 108″ (76th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 82 3/4″ (69th)
Arm Length: 34¾” (74th)
Hand Size: 10⅝” (87th)

Bio: A five-star recruit out of Lithonia High School in Lithonia, Georgia, Jones was the No. 2 offensive tackle prospect in his class behind only Paris Johnson, Jr. He got his first offer from Georgia when he was just a sophomore, and though he considered offers from other big schools, he chose to stick with the Bulldogs. He was Freshman All-SEC in 2021 and played left tackle in Georgia’s College Football Championship win over Alabama. Jones was the fixture on the left side after Jamaree Salyer moved on to the NFL, starting all 15 games as he was able to experience back-to-back national championships. Last season, he allowed no sacks, two quarterback hits, and seven quarterback hurries in 470 snaps at left tackle.

Stat to Know: Runners going behind Jones in his gaps averaged 3.5 yards per carry before contact last season.

Strengths: Jones has a strong lower body which he uses to create a solid base, and though he’s more of a fighter than a technician, his steps through the arc are generally good enough to keep wide rushers at bay.

Weaknesses: Jones can get a bit ratchety with his kicksteps, causing him to address his opponent later and with less leverage than he should. When that happens, his base tends to go out the window, and he’ll get pushed back more often than you’d like.

Conclusion: The more I watch Jones, the more I think that with his issues in space as a pass-blocker, his predilection for finishing violently, and his target awareness at the second level, he could be an outstanding NFL guard. I wouldn’t necessarily put him there without giving him a shot at tackle at the next level; all I can say is that the more I watched Jones, the more I thought, “Yup. He’s a guard, and a really good one.” Maybe it’s just me.

NFL Comparison: Joel Bitonio. Selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2014 draft out of Nevada, Bitonio was a college left tackle who excelled immediately and consistently at left guard. Bitonio brought a nasty streak, a great skill set for the interior, and the obvious desire to improve to the position, and he’s been a top 3 guard in the NFL for a long time. Jones could have the same future with such a conversion.

2. Peter Skoronski, Northwestern

(Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6′ 4″ (8th percentile) Weight: 313 (49th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.16 (70th)
10-Yard Split: 1.75 (73rd)
Bench Press: 30 reps (86th)
Vertical Jump: 34½” (97th)
Broad Jump: 115″ (96th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.8 (48th)
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 79½” (9th)
Arm Length: 32¼” (4th)
Hand Size: 10″ (45th)

Bio: A four-star recruit out of Maine South High in Park Ridge, Illinois, Skoronski started getting college offers as a sophomore, but his status as a Northwestern fan sealed the deal. His grandfather, Bob Skoronski, played left tackle for the Packers from 1956 through 1968, winning five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls under Vince Lombardi. Peter Skoronski was Freshman All-American in 2020 and immediately played left tackle for the Wildcats, as Rashawn Slater (now with the Chargers) opted out for the season due to COVID. Skoronski then made First Team All-Big Ten in 2021, and gathered up all the awards in 2022 — Unanimous All-American; First Team All-Big Ten; Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. He had 33 starts in 33 games, all at left tackle.

Stat to Know: In 184 True Pass Set plays last season, Skoronski allowed one sack, one quarterback hit, and no quarterback hurries.

Strengths: Skoronski is able to overcome his “measurable deficiencies” because his technique is at a level to rival any offensive lineman in this class. He sets well straight-ahead and vertically, he has a smooth kick-step, and his uses his hands well to mirror the defender through the rep. His hands work well with his base.

If you want to project Skoronski as a guard, there are reps last season in which he’s inside another tackle in heavy sets, and his power to wrestle interior defenders to a draw or better is pretty impressive.

And I’m not always in love with Skoronski’s ability to get to the next level with timing and accuracy — this would be a coaching point were he to convert to guard or center at the NFL level.

Conclusion: It’s not impossible for a tackle to succeed in the NFL with Skoronski’s height/weight profile — David Bakhtiari, Duane Brown, and Donald Penn are among those tackles in the 6-foot-4, 310-poundish range who have found favor in the league in the new millennium. And Skoronski brings enough refinement and technique to the position to make it a possible reality, despite the fact that his arm length doesn’t align with those guys. He’ll need to be with the right team and in the right system for that to happen, but Skoronski should be given the opportunity to at least try tackle before the seemingly inevitable move inside.

NFL Comparison: Zack Martin. It’s the automatic comparison for every top-level tackle who kicks to guard at the next level, but in Skoronski’s case, it’s a good fit with his power, technical refinement, and playing demeanor. A tackle at Notre Dame, Martin was selected by the Cowboys with the 16th overall pick in the 2014 draft, and he’s racked up eight Pro Bowls and six All-Pro nods since. I do think that Skoronski will be better inside, but it’ll be an acceptable compromise if he maximizes his attributes there.

3. John Michael Schmitz, C, Minnesota

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6′ 3½” (54th percentile) Weight: 301 (38th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.35 (25th)
10-Yard Split: 1.85 (26th)
Bench Press: 26 reps (51st)
Vertical Jump: 29½” (68th)
Broad Jump: 104″ (62nd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.56 (68th)

Wingspan: 78⅜” (53rd)
Arm Length: 32⅝” (46th)
Hand Size: 9½” (28th)

Bio: Originally a defensive end for Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois, Schnitz transferred to o Homewood-Flossmoor Community High to play left tackle for a bigger school. The three-star recruit received a ton of offers from MAC schools, deciding on P.J. Fleck’s Western Michigan program, subsequently following Fleck to Minnesota. Schnitz played 57 games for the Golden Gophers, starting 35, and all at center. In 2022, he allowed two sacks, one quarterback hit, and five quarterback hurries in 302 pass-blocking snaps.

Stat to Know: Schmitz was utterly reliable in the run game last season, and with a large sample size — he had a Blown Block Rate of just 0.4% in the run game, and 48% of Minnesota’s runs were intended to go to his gaps.

Strengths: Smith loves to hit people when he’s on the move, and he has all the talent required to do it at the NFL level, as Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy has observed.

There was also this two-fer against Wisconsin, in which Schmitz proved that it’s he’s bouncing off of you, it’s generally going to be worse for you than it is for him. Schmitz has outstanding functional strength that shows up on the field all the time.

Weaknesses: Schmitz will let defenders cross his face too often to get to the ball — this might be a function of his average arm length, but it’s something his NFL coaches will want to address.

Conclusion: You don’t often think of centers as touchstones for their offenses, but if you have a center like Schmitz, who can get the job done in any scheme and will tattoo his personality all over the team, centers can be just that kind of player. The NFL team that selects Schmitz will have a plug-and-play guy from Day 1 with All-Pro potential down the road.

NFL Comparison: Alex Mack. The Browns selected Mack with the 21st overall pick in the 2009 draft out of Cal, and Mack took a play style with more root strength than you’d imagine for his size (6-foot-4, 311 pounds), impressive agility, and the technique and intelligence required to make seven Pro Bowls in his career. Furthermore, Mack was a Pro Bowler by his second NFL season. Schmitz wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he hit that same high bar.

4. O'Cyrus Torrence, OG, Florida

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6′ 5⅜” (85th percentile) Weight: 330 (87th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.31 (47th)
10-Yard Split: 1.84 (35th)
Bench Press: 23 reps (33rd)
Vertical Jump: 23½” (8th)
Broad Jump: 101″ (50th)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.81 (41st)

Wingspan: 83⅞” (96th)
Arm Length: 33⅞” (74th)
Hand Size: 11¼” (98th)

Bio: A three-star recruit out of (St. Helena Central High in Greensburg, Louisiana, Torrence played football in high school in part to get in shape (he weighed 420 pounds at one point), and he received nothing but smaller-school offers. He chose Louisiana, making Freshman All-American in 2019, and First Team All-Sun Belt in 2021. The move to Florida was an unqualified success in 2022 — Torrence was a Consensus All-American and First Team All-SEC. In 2022 for the Gators, blocking for Anthony Richardson, Torrence allowed no sacks, no quarterback hits, and eight quarterback hurries in 355 pass-blocking reps.

Stat to Know: Torrence’s Blown Block Rate of 1% is the lowest for any collegiate guard on this list.

Strengths: When Torrence moves you in the run game, you tend to stay moved. He has an incredibly powerful base, and excellent upper-body strength to displace defensive tackles where he wants them to go.

Weaknesses: It’s a good thing that Torrence can block two guys at once. Perhaps it’s an adaptive strategy, because he does struggle with picking up stunts and games and overloaded fronts on the move. For the most part, Torrence is not really laterally adept.

Conclusion: If you run the offensive line for a gap-based power offense (hello, Ravens), Torrence might be the top guard on your board. He has the power to shut down just about anybody. But if you need the kind of lateral agility and movement skills common to guards who excel in more complicates schemes, he could he a short-term to long-term project. Torrence’s strength to and through contact is the best in this class among any offensive lineman, but he won’t be able to trade on that alone when he gets to the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Mike Iupati. Selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2010 draft out of Idaho, Iupati was a massive (6-foot-5, 331-pound) guard who won far more with power than speed and agility. There is still a place for those big earthmovers in today’s NFL (Iupati made four Pro Bowls and had one All-Pro nod) as long as they have enough athleticism to get past the obvious transitive issues with this kind of size and strength. Torrence has snaps in which this seems possible, but it might not happen overnight.

5. Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State

(Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6’3″ (37th percentile) Weight: 303 (51st)
40-Yard Dash: 5.14 (74th)
10-Yard Split: 1.83 (39th)
Bench Press: 29 reps (72nd)
Vertical Jump: 30½” (77th)
Broad Jump: 106″ (77th)
3-Cone Drill: 7.64 (61st)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.53 (79th)

Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 31⅝” (11th)
Hand Size: 9⅝” (38th)

Bio: Wypler went to Montvale High in St. Joseph, New Jersey, and lettered in lacrosse and wrestling at that level beyond his football success. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 2 center in the country among his recruiting class, committing to Ohio State over Florida, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Michigan among his over two dozen offers. Only Paris Johnson Jr. was a higher-ranked recruit in Ohio State’s 2020 class. Wypler started all 13 games for the Buckeyes in each of the last two seasons, and in 2022, he allowed one sack, no quarterback hits, and seven quarterback hurries in 449 pass-blocking reps, protecting C.J. Stroud.

Stat to Know: Only Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz (0.4%) had a lower Blown Block Rate in the run game than Wypler’s 0.5%.

Strengths: Wypler isn’t the strongest center in this class, but he’s technically sound when it’s time to hit the first and second levels to seal the edge in the run game.

Wypler will play more powerfully through the snap than you might think when he has his base together and he’s aggressive with his hands. He can mirror and match head-over nose tackles when this is the case.

Conclusion: Wypler isn’t going to win a lot of rock fights in the NFL — at least not right off the bat — but he’s a tough, persistent, technically sound center who should fare will within a primary zone-based offense, or a more power-based offense with bigger guards around him. He will be an asset to his NFL team, especially after he’s given the benefit of a few coaching points and a professional strength program.

NFL Comparison: Corey Linsley. The Packers selected the 6-foot-3, 296-pound Linsley in the fourth round of the 2014 draft out of Ohio State (go figure), and over time, Linsley was able to overcome strength concerns to make himself into one of the NFL’s best centers. At his best, Wypler shows that same kind of potential.

5. Steve Avila, OG, TCU

(Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6′ 3⅝” (30th) Weight: 332 (89th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.21 (69th)
10-Yard Split: 1.86 (24th)
Bench Press: 28 reps (67th)
Vertical Jump: 29½” (72nd)
Broad Jump: 98″ (33rd)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.74 (56th)

Wingspan: N/A
Arm Length: 33″ (35th)
Hand Size: 9¼” (7th)

Bio: Esteban “Steve” Avila was born in Arlington, Texas and went to Grand Prairie High in Arlington, where he was once teammates with former Lions and current Falcons cornerback Jeff Okudah, the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. Avila made All-Conference at offensive tackle and defensive end, choosing TCU as a three-star recruit. Avila picked up 35 starts for the Horned Frogs over four seasons — 17 at center, 15 at left guard, two at right tackle, and one at right guard. In 2022 at left guard, Avila allowed no sacks, two quarterback hits, and nine quarterback hurries in 540 pass-blocking snaps.

Stat to Know: TCU runners gained 3.3 yards before contact when running behind Avila’s gaps, the highest such number for any guard on this list.

Strengths: Avila’s anchor is a thing of beauty — when he gets under your pads and starts pushing you back, there’s not much you’re going to do about it. Michigan’s Mazi Smith (ranked fifth on our list of interior defensive linemen) found that out here.

Weaknesses: In theory, Avila has position flexibility with his time at center, but that’s not where I’d want him. When you go back to his 2021 tape… well, to put it kindly, there are some pretty iffy reps.

Conclusion: As 2022 was Avila’s first season playing left guard, you’re inclined to forgive the technical missteps and bank on the ridiculous play strength that could have him blowing NFL defensive tackles sooner than later. If he can get everything synced up over time, Avila will be a prefect fit and a total tone-setter in any power-based offense.

NFL Comparison: Gabe Jackson. Selected in the third round of the 2014 draft by the Raiders, Jackson parlayed a massive (6-foot-3, 335-pound) frame into his status as a great power blocker with surprising movement skills. Avila may well have the same kind of bright future.

7. Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin

(Syndication: Journal Sentinel)

Height: 6′ 6″ (97th percentile) Weight: 313 (88th)
40-Yard Dash: N/A
10-Yard Split: N/A
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A

Wingspan: 80⅜” (80th)
Arm Length: 32¾” (50th)
Hand Size: 10¾” (97th)

Bio: Tippmann went to Bishop Dwenger High in Fort Wayne, Indiana, based on his previous work with offensive line coach Jason Fabini, who was selected in the fourth round of the 1998 draft by the Jets, and played 11 years in the NFL for the Jets, Cowboys, and Redskins. A four-star recruit, Tippmann was on Wisconsin’s radar early, and stuck with the Badgers despite an increasing number of other offers as his high school tenure progressed. Tippmann was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in each of his two full seasons (2021 and 2022). In 2022, he allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries in 359 pass-blocking snaps.

Stat to Know: Wisconsin runners enjoyed an average of 206 yards before contact when running to Tippmann’s gaps in 2022.

Strengths: Tippmann is agile on the move in all kinds of pulls and seals — once he’s moving side to side, he has nasty intentions, and he can fulfill them more often than not.

Weaknesses: There aren’t a lot of 6-foot-6 centers in the NFL, and fewer that have been successful, and there are reasons for this: When you’re snapping the ball, you have less time to get into your ideal set for leverage. You generally want guys lower to the ground, and Tippmann does have reps in which he gets beaten because he simply needs to get lower and nastier.

But his real problem is a curious inability to discern and react to defenders to either side and across his face. Like, at all. For a player with his technical expertise on the move, it’s a bit disconcerting to see Tippmann get lost on stunts and games. This shows up far too often on his tape…

Conclusion: Tippmann’s NFL coaches will want to get busy with his peripheral issues with a quickness, because there’s so much else to like about his tape. He does do a nice job for the most part coming low off the snap, and he’s a marvel on the move — to the point where you almost want to see what he’d look like as a guard.

NFL Comparison: Ethan Pocic. The Seahawks took Pocic in the second round of the 2017 draft out of LSU despite obvious play strength and diagnosis issues that limited his potential until he wound up with the Browns in 2022, and reaped the benefits of a much better coaching staff. Pocic proved able to overcome these issues, and Tippman could as well. Regardless of his draft status, Tippmann’s NFL coaches will look at his movement skills and get quite excited about THAT potential.

8. Cody Mauch, North Dakota State

(Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports)

Height: 6’5″ (30th) Weight: 302 (12th)
40-Yard Dash: 5.08 (82nd)
10-Yard Split: 1.79 (48th)
Bench Press: 29 reps (82nd)
Vertical Jump: 29″ (61st)
Broad Jump: 10″ (76th)
3-Cone Drill: 733 (93rd)
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.55 (84th)

Wingspan: 78⅞” (5th)
Arm Length: 32⅜” (5th)
Hand Size: 9¾” (27th)

Bio: Mauch grew up on his parents’ 5,500-acre farm, and he was a no-star recruit out of Hankinson High in Hankinson, North Dakota. Mauch came out of high school as a 220-pound tight end, defensive end, and quarterback for a school that could only manage nine-man football due to relatively low enrollment. He walked on at North Dakota Statem redshirting as a defensive end while he gained the necessary weight to switch to the offensive line. Over time, he had 39 starts for the Bison — 37 at left tackle, and two at right tackle. Last season, he allowed one sack, two quarterback hits, and six quarterback hurries on 304 pass-blocking snaps in North Dakota State’s run-heavy offense.

Stat to Know: Mauch allowed just two sacks, five quarterback hits, and 16 quarterback hurries in 836 pass-blocking snaps through his time at North Dakota State.

Strengths: Mauch is quick and agile on the move, whether it’s at the line of scrimmage or to the second level, and through his play strength is nothing to write home about, he’s efficient and enthusiastic when it’s time to show the power he’s got.

Weaknesses: For all his experience at left tackle, Mauch will let edge defenders around the arc too often. This is where his short arms show up, and if he isn’t striking the first blow outside, things can escalate quickly. You have to assume this will multiply in severity against NFL competition.

Conclusion: I’m on board with the estimable Mr. Brugler here. Mauch is feisty as heck, he clearly wants to dominate on the field, and the only things stopping him from doing that are his physical limitations. With his good reps in smaller spaces, clear intelligence, and adaptive techniques, Mauch might turn out to be an amazing center. Reports indicate that he’ll move inside for whichever NFL team takes him, and he doesn’t strike me as a natural guard. Move him all the way inside, go through whatever growing pains there might be, and there you are.

NFL Comparison: Mitch Morse. The Chiefs selected Morse in the second round of the 2015 draft out of Missouri and didn’t think twice about moving him from tackle to center. Like Mauch, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Morse was limited in arm length, hand size, and pure power, but he had all the grit and movement skills you’d want in the middle of your offensive line. If such a transition is good enough for Andy Reid, it should be good enough for anybody else.

Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire