Triple Take: A second look at the IOLs in the Draft

The Steelers
09 Apr 2025, 16:30 GMT+10

The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the interior offensive line position.

The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dale's First Look

1. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 , 321 lbs.

2. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-3 , 315 lbs.

3. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 , 312 lbs.

4. Marcus Mbow, Purdue, 6-4 , 303 lbs.

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6 , 308 lbs.

Dale's Second Look

1. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 , 321 lbs.

2. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-3 , 315 lbs.

3. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 , 312 lbs.

4. Marcus Mbow, Purdue, 6-4 , 303 lbs.

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6 , 308 lbs.

Dale's Thoughts:Overall, this is a less-than-stunning group, especially for teams in need of centers. Zabel, who was a tackle at North Dakota State, could move to guard or center given his short (32 inches) arms. Tackles moving to guard is something that could seriously change the outlook on this position. A number of the tackle prospects in this draft are either on the shorter side or don't have ideal arm length, perhaps meaning they'll shift inside after being tried at tackle. West Virginia's Wyatt Milum is another college tackle that will likely move to guard because of his 32 -inch arms. Milum plays with heavy hands and a nasty demeanor. He was a four-year starter at WVU. Jake Majors of Texas is one of the top-rated centers in this draft and made a school-record 57 career starts. Joe Huber of Wisconsin started 25 games at guard the past two seasons for the Badgers after transferring from Cincinnati, where he was a starter at right tackle. Huber is a good athlete for the position and might even be able to shift to center. North Carolina's Willie Lampkin held up well at the Senior Bowl, but he's a 5-foot-10, 270-pound, try-hard player who, while technically sound, is going to be extremely challenged in the NFL because of his lack of size/bulk.

Matt's First Look

1. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 7/8, 312 lbs.

2. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 5/8, 321 lbs.

3. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-3 5/8, 315 lbs.

4. Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 324 lbs.

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6 1/2, 308 lbs.

Matt's Second Look

1. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 7/8, 312 lbs.

2. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-3 5/8, 315 lbs.

3. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 5/8, 321 lbs.

4. Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona, 6-4 1/8, 324 lbs.

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6 1/2, 308 lbs.

Matt's Thoughts:Not a lot of change to my rankings, but I did bump Jackson over Booker. Booker is a power player, so his poor Combine results really don't bother me all that much, but it was a factor in the rankings change. But more than that, Jackson's ability to play in all offensive systems as well as being able to bump to tackle in a pinch gave him the nod. ... Ratledge's teammate at Georgia, Dylan Fairchild, looks like a potential starting guard at the next level. He is a well-developed pass protector with very good hand usage and has a strong understanding of blocking angles. He could stand to get stronger and isn't a masher in the run game though. ... Purdue's Marcus Mbow is yet another offensive lineman in this class that could get a shot at tackle but inevitably end up at guard. But he projects very well to the guard position because of his athletic ability and movement skills. Mbow also plays the game with excellent intelligence and hustle. Bigger power defensive tackles could give Mbow a tough time, but his quickness off the snap will make him very appealing to NFL offensive line coaches. ... Boston College's Drew Kendall's father, Pete, was a first round pick (both centers) in 1996. As you would imagine, Kendall is a student of the game with an excellent understanding of blocking angles and maximizing his average physical traits. Prospects like that often stick at the center position and go on to have long successful careers.

Mike's First Look

1. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 3/8, 316 lbs.

2. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 5/8, 321 lbs.

3. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-4, 320 lbs.

4. Jared Wilson, Georgia, 6-3, 310 lbs.

5. Miles Frazier, LSU, 6-5 5/8, 317 lbs.

Mike's Second Look

1. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6-5 3/8, 316 lbs.

2. Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-4 5/8, 321 lbs.

3. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6-4, 320 lbs.

4. Jared Wilson, Georgia, 6-3, 310 lbs.

5. Miles Frazier, LSU, 6-5 5/8, 317 lbs.

Mike's Thoughts:The top five remain as initially stacked, after further review, assuming Zabel ends up at guard or center and not at offensive tackle, Jackson stays at guard despite his late-season switch to and quality play at offensive tackle, and Frazier is looked upon more as a guard than a tackle despite some significant experience at the latter. ... These are far from the only prospects available bringing potential position flexibility to the table. Georgia's Tate Ratledge (6-6 1/2, 308 lbs.) is a veteran of 37 career starts at right guard for the Bulldogs but also perceived as a candidate at center at the next level Ratledge's Georgia teammate, Xavier Truss (6-6 3/4, 310 lbs.), made 22 starts at right tackle, 18 at left guard, one at right guard and one at right tackle while appearing in 67 career games for the Bulldogs North Carolina's Willie Lampkin (5-10 3/8, 270 lbs.) didn't get an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine but performed well throughout Senior Bowl Week. NFL Network analyst Charles Davis identified Lampkin then as possibly "our next A.Q. Shipley" (an under-sized center who sticks) LSU's Garrett Dellinger (6-4 1/4, 325 lbs.) missed the second half of 2024 (Tightrope surgery, high-ankle sprain) after starting 26 games at left guard, three at left tackle and one at center for the Tigers. He got a look at center during Senior Bowl Week Drew Kendall (6-3 5/8, 304 lbs.) started 37 games at center in his Boston College career. Kendall's father Peter was the 21st overall pick out of BC by Seattle in 1996 and was an interior offensive lineman for 13 NFL seasons Ohio State's Seth McLaughlin won the Rimington Trophy (top center) in 2024 but missed the last six games of the Buckeyes' national championship season (torn Achilles). McLaughlin spent four seasons at Alabama before transferring to OSU Texas' Jake Majors (6-3, 315 lbs.) set a Longhorns record with 57 career starts, all at center. He has the movement skills necessary to play in space Texas Tech's Caleb Rogers (6-4 5/8, 312 lbs.) made 52 of his 55 career college starts at tackle but is being projected as a guard/center in the NFL. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah considers Rogers "ready to go." Iowa's Connor Colby (6-6, 310 lbs.) was good enough to start 11 games at right guard as a true freshman in 2021 for the Hawkeyes, who know how to pup out offensive linemen. Conner was a First-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024 Oregon's Joshua Gray (6-3 3/8, 300 lbs.) is another grizzled veteran as the author of a school-record 56 career starts. Gray was a captain at Oregon Wisconsin's Joe Huber (6-4 3/8, 308 lbs.) played right guard in 2024 but also has experience lining up at tackle for the Badgers after transferring from Cincinnati.