Before the Ravens drafted Tyler Linderbaum in the first round in 2022, most Baltimore pundits believed there was no way they would use a high pick on a center.
The Ravens had too rich a history of late-round or even undrafted centers paying dividends.
The Linderbaum pick worked out well, as he went to three Pro Bowls in four years, but now it's time to find the Ravens' next center after the Las Vegas Raiders blew the top off the free agent market to lure him out of Baltimore.
For the third time in franchise history, the Ravens will replace a center who departed to become the highest-paid player at their position.
The Ravens have already added depth and competition at center, signing veterans Danny Pinter and Jovaughn Gwyn to add to returner Corey Bullock, who backed up Linderbaum last year. But that doesn't rule out drafting a long-term solution.
"I think we have a pretty good history of drafting centers," General Manager Eric DeCosta said earlier this month. "I could go back and probably give you four or five guys that we've drafted over the years that have ended up being some of the very best centers in the league. So, I'm confident we can do that."
Jeff Mitchell (1997, fifth round) was a three-year starter in Baltimore, including on the Super Bowl-winning 2000 squad. Undrafted Mike Flynn took over from there as a seven-year starter. Jason Brown (2005, fourth round) became the NFL's highest-paid center after one year as the Ravens' starter.
After veteran free agent addition Matt Birk's four years as a starter, capped by a Super Bowl win, the Ravens cycled through Gino Gradkowski (2012, fourth round) and veteran Jeremy Zuttah before turning to Ryan Jensen (2013, sixth round), who was a converted small-school college offensive tackle. After one year as the starter, he became the NFL's new highest-paid center in free agency and a 2021 Pro Bowler.
The Ravens replaced him with undrafted Matt Skura, who spent three seasons as the starter on some of the franchise's record-setting offenses. He was followed by Bradley Bozeman (2018, sixth round), who went on to start for four more years and two more franchises before retiring this offseason.
So, who could this year's replacement be? There seems to be no consensus on the big board at center, opening up the possibility for the Ravens to get a steal. Here are some of the top options:
Spencer Fano, Utah
Fano is one of the top offensive tackles in this year's class, but there are questions about whether he's better suited to play inside because of his sub-33-inch arms. The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Fano is a great athlete who would be an effective move blocker as a center – one of Linderbaum's greatest strengths.
ESPN’s Todd McShay projected Fano to the Ravens at pick No. 14.
"For Baltimore, a pretty great fallback would be converting Fano to center (following Tyler Linderbaum's departure), where I think he'd be elite," McShay wrote.
Logan Jones, Iowa
Jones was the 2025 Rimington Trophy winner, given to the top center in college football. He also hails from the same college as Linderbaum. Iowa has a long track record of producing strong offensive linemen.
The 6-foot-3, 299-pound Jones has shorter arms (30 ¾ inches) than Linderbaum, which was a big talking point for him coming out of college. However, Jones showed premier athleticism, running the fastest 40-yard dash (4.9 seconds) of any offensive lineman at the Combine. His pass protection is his calling card and he's a good move run blocker, similar to Linderbaum.
Sam Hecht, Kansas State
Hecht's athleticism and size (6-foot-4, 303 pounds) don't stand out, but he's very technically sound and consistent. He gave up zero sacks and just two quarterback hits over 25 college starts, while committing very few penalties.
Connor Lew, Auburn
Lew is not a plug-and-play starter given that he's coming off a torn ACL suffered in October. However, he could have major upside. He was a three-year starter in the SEC who had a dominant sophomore season in which he allowed one sack on 442 pass blocking reps. Lew flashes fast feet and good command of the offense, along with a nasty streak and torque befitting of his wrestling background.
Jake Slaughter, Florida
A three-year starter and two-year captain, Slaughter consistently held his own against top competition. He is a tall center at 6-foot-5 but with a leaner build at 303 pounds. He's excellent on outside zone blocks, showing strong mobility, and anchors well in pass protection. With more bulk, he could become a better drive blocker. Known for his football smarts and diagnosis, Slaughter is one of the most NFL-ready center prospects in the class.
