Packers Draft Preview: Who Will Be Sean Rhyan’s Insurance Policy at Center?

The Green Bay Packers signed Sean Rhyan to a three-year contract just before the start of free agency. With seven regular-season starts under his belt, he ranks seventh at the position with his $11.0 million average.

Rhyan is a grizzled veteran compared to his backup. If they played a game today, unproven Jacob Monk would be the backup. He’s played 57 snaps in two seasons.

Here is a look at the top center prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Of note, among others, we left off Iowa’s Logan Jones, the Rimington Award winner as the nation’s best center, because of arms far shorter than Green Bay’s historic parameters, and Alabama’s Parker Brailsford, because he’s only 290 pounds.

Jake Slaughter, Florida

Height and weight: 6-foot-4 7/8, 303 pounds. Arms: 32 1/2. 40: 5.10. RAS: 9.97

Slaughter started 33 games at center for the Gators. He was a second-team All-American during each of his final two seasons.

Of 50 FBS-level centers in this draft class who played at least 375 pass-protecting snaps, he finished second in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. He allowed one sack and four pressures in 2025, though his penalty count shot up from three to seven. Runs behind him averaged only 1.3 yards before contact.

All 2,412 career snaps came at center. He is a ready-to-go center with more power than most of the centers on this list. The Packers like Rhyan because of his power. They might like Slaughter more than the other prospects for the same reason.

Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M

Height and weight: 6-foot-6 1/2, 312 pounds. Arms: 33. 40: 5.00. RAS: 9.99 RAS at center.

Zuhn started 49 games at left tackle for the Aggies. As a fifth-year senior in 2025, he was first-team all-SEC and won the Jacobs Trophy as the best blocker in the conference. He filled in at center here and there in 2025 before starting a game against Missouri. With short arms, center is his expected destination.

Of 88 tackles who played 342 pass-protecting snaps last year, Zuhn tied for eighth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. He allowed two sacks for a third consecutive season and cut his penalty count to one. Runs behind him averaged 2.7 yards before contact.

Zuhn played 3,153 snaps at left tackle but it’s the 126 at center in 2025 that hold the appeal. He could be an every-position backup to start his career before settling into the starting lineup. He would be unusually tall for a center, though, and doesn’t have the power the Packers have taken a liking to on the line.

Brian Parker, Duke

Height and weight: 6-foot-5 1/4, 309 pounds. Arms: 33 1/4. 40: 5.14. RAS: 9.13.

Parker started 33 games at the tackle positions during his final three seasons, including 25 starts at right tackle in 2024 and 2025. He was second-team all-conference in 2024 and second-team All-America in 2025.

Of 88 tackles to play at least 342 pass-protecting snaps in 2025, he ranked 32nd in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. He allowed three sacks and was guilty of four penalties; he didn’t allow any sacks in 2024. Runs behind him averaged 1.3 yards before contact.

Parker did not play center in a game but chose to focus at that position in the East-West Shrine Bowl. His versatility should be especially appealing, but he’s not a line-moving run blocker.

Connor Lew, Auburn

Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/2, 310 pounds. Arms: 32 3/8. 40: DNP. RAS: None.

Lew started 25 games at center in three seasons for the Tigers. He missed the second half of the 2025 season with a torn ACL. He might be ready for the start of training camp.

In seven games, he allowed two sacks. Had he played enough snaps, he would have tied for 20th out of 50 centers in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. Runs behind him averaged 2.9 yards before contact.

All 1,603 snaps came at center. He’s more of a wide-zone specialist than a physical force in the mold of Rhyan. His 9 1/4-inch hands are the smallest of the draft-worthy centers.

Sam Hecht, Kansas State

Height and weight: 6-foot-4 1/8, 303 pounds. Arms: 31 5/8. 40: 5.10. RAS: 7.76.

Hecht went from walk-on to a two-year starter who earned first-team all-conference in 2025.

Of 50 FBS-level centers in this draft class who played at least 375 pass-protecting snaps, he finished fifth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. In 25 career starts, he did not allow a sack. He was not penalized in 2025, either. Runs directly behind him averaged 2.4 yards before contact.

Hecht played 1,650 snaps at center and 14 snaps at guard. Short arms potentially would take him off Green Bay’s board.

Jager Burton, Kentucky

Height and weight: 6-foot-4 1/8, 312 pounds. Arms: 32 5/98. 40: 4.94 40. RAS: 9.88.

Burton started 47 games during his final four seasons, with 23 at left guard, 15 at center and nine at right guard. He opened the 2023 season as the starting center but wasn’t up to the task and was shifted to right guard. He was back at center in 2025 and cemented his NFL status with a strong season.

Of 50 FBS-level centers in this draft class who played at least 375 pass-protecting snaps, he finished 23rd in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. He did not allow a sack and was penalized two times. Runs directly behind him averaged 2.1 yards before contact.

Teams looking for a proven three-position interior blocker – the Packers, perhaps? – will Love Burton, who played 1,158 snaps at left guard, 976 snaps at center and 531 at right guard. Like most of the center prospects, though, he is not a power player.

Jaren Kump, Utah

Height and weight: 6-foot-5 3/8, 313 pounds. Arms: 34. 40: 5.27 40. RAS: 7.59.

Kump started 41 games at all five positions over six seasons. He settled in as the center in 2024 and 2025, starting 12 games both seasons.

Of 50 FBS-level centers in this draft class who played at least 375 pass-protecting snaps, he was 28th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. Runs directly behind him gained 2.8 yards before contact – a big improvement over 2024. He was guilty of 11 penalties the last two seasons, though.

Kump is one of the centers at his best in a power-blocking scheme. His 11-inch hands are the biggest of the center class. He finished his career with 2,006 snaps at center, 313 at right tackle, 298 at right guard, 149 at left tackle and 74 at left guard.

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