Ranking all 32 starting centers going into 2021 NFL season
Centers are the quarterbacks of the offensive line. They touch the ball before the quarterback on each play. They call out defenders to watch out for and choose who to double team in certain situations. After that, centers have to snap the ball cleanly and get into position to defend the quarterback or punch a hole for the running back.
Put simply, being a center is one of the hardest jobs on the football field. Each team has one and while some excel at the position, others are barely serviceable.
Here are all 32 starting centers ranked.
Top 10 Centers in the NFL in 2021
#1 - Rodney Hudson (Arizona Cardinals)
Rodney Hudson played 1082 snaps in 2021. He had one penalty and allowed one sack. Opposing defenders' odds of getting past Hudson are quite slim. He posted a 73.6 PFF grade in 2020.
#2 - Frank Ragnow (Detroit Lions)
Frank Ragnow just earned a big extension this offseason and it was well deserved. Ragnow is coming off a year where, in 929 snaps, he did not give up a single sack. He earned a grade of 80.3 from PFF for his 2020 season. Ragnow has been great but he is still getting better.
#3 - JC Tretter (Cleveland Browns)
When many think of the Browns' offensive line, they think of the retired Joe Thomas. Well, it's time to learn the name of another player from the Browns' offensive line and its JC Tretter. The center played 1061 snaps and earned a 77.1 PFF grade in 2020. He gave up only one sack and drew four penalties.
#4 - Corey Linsley (Los Angeles Chargers)
Corey Linsley is coming off a spectacular 2020 season. He earned a grade of 89.9 from PFF. His play has been up and down over the last three years. In 2018, Linsely earned a grade of 78.6 and in 2019, his grade was 69.8. However, he is still one of the best centers in the NFL.
#5 - Ben Jones (Tennessee Titans)
Derrick Henry had over 2000 rushing yards in 2020. It is impossible to be a top running back without having a great offensive line. Part of Henry's success should be credited to Ben Jones. The center played over 1000 snaps last season and did not give up a sack. He earned a grade of 78.6 from PFF.
#6 - Brandon Linder (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Trevor Lawrence has to elevate a lot of players around him but Brandon Linder is not one of them. Linder earned a grade of 80.0 from PFF in 2020 but only played 530 snaps. He surrendered one sack and drew two penalties.
#7 - Erik McCoy (New Orleans Saints)
Erik McCoy helped keep Drew Brees upright behind the O-line and now he will be in a great position to help Jameis Winston. in 2020, Erik McCoy played over 1000 snaps and allowed only one sack. He also had only three penalties called on him. PFF gave his season a 70.1 grade.
#8 - Jason Kelce (Philadelphia Eagles)
Philadelphia Eagles fans will remember Jason Kelce's speech at the team's parade after their Super Bowl victory. The Eagles were at the top then and Kelce remains near the top now. In 2020, Kelce played 1126 snaps and earned a 69.6 PFF score. He drew ten penalties and allowed four sacks. But as far as centers go, it is hard to feel more secure than the Eagles do today with Kelce.
#9 - Alex Mack (San Francisco 49ers)
Alex Mack's play has been steadily declining over the last three years. In 2017, Mack was arguably one of the top three centers in the league when he earned a 91.3 PFF score. In 2020, Mack earned a 65.9 PFF score. At 35 years old, Mack is in his final or penultimate season in the league but is still outperforming two-thirds of the other starting centers.
#10 - Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis Colts)
After a disastrous campaign last year, Carson Wentz is hoping for a bounce-back season in 2021. One of the best ways to get better output from the quarterback is to protect him with a good offensive line. Ryan Kelly puts them one step closer to a Wentz resurgence. Kelly played over 1000 snaps in 2020. He gave up two sacks and had one penalty. PFF gave him a grade of 69.0 in 2020.
Middle-tier starting NFL centers
#11 - Chase Roullier (Washington Football Team)
#12 - Matt Paradis (Carolina Panthers)
#13 - David Andrews (New England Patriots)
#14 - Ryan Jensen (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
#15 - Mitch Morse (Buffalo Bills)
#16 - Trey Hopkins (Cincinnati Bengals)
#17 - Creed Humphrey (Kansas City Chiefs)
#18 - Bradley Bozeman (Baltimore Ravens)
#19 - Austin Corbett (Los Angeles Rams)
#20 - Connor McGovern (New York Jets)
Bottom-tier starting NFL centers
#21 - Ethan Pocic (Seattle Seahawks)
#22 - Kendric Green (Pittsburgh Steelers)
#23 - Tyler Biadasz (Dallas Cowboys)
#24 - Nick Gates (New York Giants)
#25 - Justin Bruitt (Houston Texans)
#26 - Matt Hennessy (Atlanta Falcons)
#27 - Matt Skura (Miami Dolphins)
#28 - Lloyd Cushenberry (Denver Broncos)
#29 - Josh Myers (Green Bay Packers)
#30 - Sam Mustipher (Chicago Bears)
#31 - Andre James (Las Vegas Raiders)
#32 - Garrett Bradbury (Minnesota Vikings)