Seahawks Scheme Fits: Best Zone Blocking Centers in 2025 NFL Draft
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Georgia Bulldogs center Jared Wilson prepares to snap the ball against the Texas Longhorns. Credit: Jared Wilson/Instagram [/caption]
Culminating an offseason that has been full of change for the Seattle Seahawks, the franchise will enter the 2025 NFL Draft holding 10 selections, including five in the first 92 picks, presenting a prime opportunity to bolster their roster with an infusion of young talent.
Continuing to shuffle starters on what has been a yearly basis, Seattle has yet to find a long-term replacement for Max Unger more than a decade after trading him to New Orleans, and that remaining hole may now stand as a bigger issue with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak stressing the importance of having an “elite” center in his system. While general manager John Schneider has expressed optimism a new coaching staff featuring Kubiak, line coach John Benton, and run game coordinator Rick Dennison can maximize on the talent of returning players Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell, they still may be on the hunt for a prospect who better fits their zone-centric scheme with the draft just around the corner.
Looking for athletic blockers who excel on the move across the board, which prospects in this year’s 2025 class stand out as the best fits for Kubiak’s offense? Split into first round candidates, day two candidates, and day three candidates, here are six centers who represent the best potential options for the Seahawks:
Day 2 - Second/Third Round
Jared Wilson, Georgia
After taking a redshirt during his first season on campus, Wilson had to wait two years for his turn to finally start with future Bills draft pick Sedrick Van Pran-Granger ahead of him on the depth chart. Once he had a chance to jump into the lineup, he took full advantage of his opportunity, garnering Second-Team All-SEC honors as the anchor in the middle of the Bulldogs’ offensive line while posting an outstanding 99.4 pass block efficiency rate. Though he pulled out of the Senior Bowl, he turned in a scintillating performance at the NFL combine, including running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.84 seconds and running the short shuttle in 4.56 seconds.
Jared Wilson needs to add strength to reach his potential at next level and has tendency to fall off blocks too often.
But he's light on his feet and capable of creating push on zone concepts, evidenced by several great reps against projected Day 2 pick Alfred Collins. pic.twitter.com/SOYbA8p3fC— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 12, 2025
On the lean end of the spectrum at 6-3, 310 pounds, Wilson stands to benefit from additional time in the weight room, as powerful SEC nose tackles gave him problems at times, particularly as a run blocker. This could be an even bigger issue against NFL talent, potentially making him a project who will need a season to get stronger before he’s ready to start on Sundays. However, his athletic traits jump off the tape, as he’s able to execute any and all type of move blocks and proved difficult to slip past due to light feet and excellent mirroring skills, ranking sixth among qualified centers by Pro Football Focus with a 78.9 zone blocking grade. A high IQ prospect with a high ceiling due to his somewhat limited experience, he’s the clear alpha in an otherwise lackluster center class and represents the best potential upgrade option for the Seahawks.
Day 3 - Fourth-Seventh Round
Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State
A top recruit coming out of Georgia, McLaughlin took his talents to Alabama, spending four seasons with the Crimson Tide and starting 25 games during his time with the program. Shortly after a loss in the Rose Bowl, he entered the transfer portal and took his talents to Ohio State, starting the first 10 games for the Buckeyes last season before going down with an Achilles tendon tear in practice. Despite missing the final six games, including a playoff run that culminated with a National Championship victory, he won the Rimington Award for the nation’s top center and earned Second-Team All-American recognition, capping off his collegiate career on a strong note even with the injury.
Seth McLaughlin is the real X-factor for this year's center class. Before suffering an Achilles injury, he was enjoying a strong season for Ohio State, and the dude can flat out move for 304 pounds when healthy.
Solid potential fit for zone teams if medicals check out. pic.twitter.com/IlYhqsctJb— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 12, 2025
Size-wise, McLaughlin weighs in at 304 pounds and has unideal 31-inch arms, lacking the length to consistently keep his hands engaged on athletic defensive tackles who test his edges both as a pass protector and run blocker. Prior to his injury, he compensated for that issue with his athleticism, excelling on pulling assignments and getting the job done working downfield off combo blocks as a second level blocker while receiving a rock solid 66.4 zone blocking grade from PFF. Since he’s coming off surgery to repair his Achilles, it remains to be seen when he will be able to return to the field, and some teams may have reservations about how he will move after a significant injury. But if his medicals check out, he could provide an excellent day three value for a zone-centric team like the Seahawks on a player who might have gone earlier if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending injury.
Jake Majors, Texas
Following limited action as a true freshman, Majors jumped into the Longhorns’ starting lineup in 2021 and didn’t look back, starting 56 games as the anchor of the offensive line during his time in Austin. Impressively, he didn’t allow a single sack in three of his four seasons as a starter, with his best year coming in 2023 when he surrendered a grand total of seven pressures and posted a 99.3 percent pass block efficiency rate. Helping Texas reach back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, he was named as a finalist for the Campbell Trophy to wrap up his illustrious career before turning his attention to preparation for the NFL Draft.
Jake Majors isn't the most athletic center in this year's draft class, but he has more than enough functional athleticism for a zone blocking scheme.
Nice reach block here on Michigan's Kenneth Grant on a split zone concept. pic.twitter.com/XX3piqargg— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 12, 2025
At 306 pounds with sub-31-inch arms, Majors won’t wow as a drive blocker, as he can have issues holding up against stronger, more powerful interior defenders in the run game and can get knocked off the ball from time to time. While he received an average 63.8 zone blocking grade from PFF, he has adequate enough athleticism to handle zone blocking concepts, however, capable of executing reach blocks and climbing to the second level to get his hands on linebackers and defensive backs with sound technique and great angles. A high floor prospect who may have a somewhat limited ceiling, he has enough polished skills to push for a starting job right away in a zone-centric system and the Seahawks would throw him into a competition right away as an early day three pick.
Jonah Monheim, USC
A beacon of versatility with rare positional flexibility, Monheim bounced all over the offensive line for the Trojans after redshirting his first year on campus, starting 18 games at right tackle and three at right guard during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Moving to the blind side protector role in 2023, he started 12 games at left tackle as a junior in 2023 before sliding inside to center last season, earning Honorable Mention All-Pac 12 honors in 2022 and 2023 and Third-Team All-Big Ten recognition as a senior. He didn’t test at the combine or USC’s pro day, but he did participate in the Senior Bowl and had a strong week in Mobile.
Jonah Monheim has played significant snaps at four of the five offensive line spots at USC, but he will be a center in the NFL due to very short arms.
Teams that employ pulling center schemes and aim to get him in space on the move will be the best fits. pic.twitter.com/FXdG5QL7c8— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) April 12, 2025
While Monheim found success as a tackle and guard against top college competition, size deficiencies likely will restrict him to center at the next level, particularly with stubby 30 1/8-inch arms that make it a major challenge for him to stay connected and control defenders in pass protection or generate push in the run game. He isn’t a top flight athlete by any means either, but his best bet for sticking in the league lies in a zone blocking system (69.4 grade in 2024) where he’s asked to win by positioning rather than power and blocking on the move, creating opportunities for him to beat defenders to the punch in space. Due to his experience, he may be able to compete for snaps early in the NFL for teams such as the Seahawks as a late day three pick, though it’s possible he will be best equipped for a reserve swing guard/center role because of his size and the lack of any elite traits.
Drew Kendall, Boston College
Following in the footsteps of his father Pete, who also played center for the Eagles before being a first round pick of the Seahawks, Kendall started three seasons in Chestnut Hill, logging 2,450 combined snaps at the pivot position. Benefiting from the arrival of former NFL head coach Bill O’Brien and a new coaching staff, he had his best season as a senior, allowing just five pressures and a sack in pass protection while earning All-ACC First-Team honors. Though he didn’t receive an invite to the Senior Bowl, he participated in the ascending East/West Shrine game, performing well in the all-star showcase in Frisco before turning in strong testing numbers at the NFL combine.
In terms of measurables, Kendall played most of his college career at under 300 pounds and like many other center prospects in this class, he has below-average arm length at 31 1/4 inches and hand size. Though technically refined, that only goes so far when he’s trying to block against stronger defensive tackles where his lack of lower body strength and pop with his hands can prove detrimental at the point of attack. He’s an above average athlete though, illustrated by his 9.09 Relative Athletic Score and a lightning quick 7.56 3-cone drill time, and his elite agility shows up on film as a gliding move blocker, earning him a 71.8 zone blocking grade from PFF last season. Similar to Monheim, size and length concerns may put a cap on his upside as a capable reserve, but his athletic traits may give him an outside chance to be a reliable starting option in a zone-heavy scheme such as Seattle’s.
Jacob Gideon, Western Michigan
Slipping under the radar as an honorable mention all-state talent in Kentucky, Gideon enrolled with the Broncos and barely saw any action in his first two seasons with the program. But after a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, he jumped into the starting lineup as a guard in 2021 before sliding to center permanently for the next three seasons, allowing 33 combined pressures on 1,611 pass blocking reps. Emerging as one of the top centers in the country, he garnered First-Team All-MAC recognition in 2023 and 2024 and receiving Second-Team All-American distinction from The Sporting News as a senior.
Even compared to Kendall and Monheim, Gideon sits on the smaller side at 6-2, 296 pounds, but he does have a bit longer arms at 32 1/4 inches and plays above his weight class. He has decent pop off the snap and fires his hands into opponents with plenty of ferocity, exhibiting the ability to create displacement vertically and horizontally. Athleticism has been his calling card against MAC competition, as he can make all of the required move blocks in a zone-centric scheme and ranked seventh among qualified centers in zone block grade (78.5). He also has the nimbleness to regularly get his hands on defenders downfield off combos and on screens. That may or may not translate to the pros with his athletic testing being a mixed bag and he has had a few injuries in the past, but as a late day three flier, he has enough intriguing tools to be a gem with starting potential down the line in the right system.
