Unlike this year’s offensive tackle class, the strength of the guard class is in the middle rounds as opposed to the top. While guys like Tyler Booker (Alabama) and Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) are the likely first-round picks of the group, there’s even more potential to be had on Day 2 and Day 3 with a number of experienced players coming out of powerhouse programs like Ohio State, Georgia, and LSU.
In fact, there’s more than a few good players who were left off this top 10 list entirely, such as Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin and North Carolina guard Willie Lampkin. Both would have likely made this list if it wasn’t for injury (McLaughlin) or size concerns (Lampkin).
For guard-needy teams who would rather spend their higher draft picks on more provocative positions over the interior of their offensive line, this certainly looks to be the draft for you.
Let’s go ahead and dive in!
2025 NFL Draft interior offensive line rankings
Others receiving votes in the top 10: Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State), Willie Lampkin (North Carolina), Charles Grant (William & Mary), Luke Kandra (Cincinnati), Jackson Slater (Sacramento State)
10. Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Milum is a short-armed, tall (6’6 1/2”) guard prospect who starred at left tackle for the Mountaineers. He was named second-team Associated Press All-American in 2024 as a senior after logging 43 consecutive starts over his four-year career.
His lack of lateral athleticism will force him to the interior at the next level but there’s a wealth of strong fundamentals that should allow him the versatility to play tackle in a pinch. Milum plays with a fighter’s mentality where he wants to finish his opponent into the ground on every play. He plays out of a fairly upright position and could stand to work on his natural bend to mitigate the advantages of shorter rushers, but he still shows a decent amount of core strength to hunker down and anchor against power.
If there’s someone on this list that could end up outplaying their ranking here, it’s Milum, who came in fifth on some of our ballots but outside the top 10 on others. He’s a sound player with a higher floor than several of the players ahead of him.
9. Dylan Fairchild, Georgia
Fairchild is the first of three former Georgia interior linemen on this list. He offers good length and big 10” hands on his 6’5, 318-pound frame. A two-year starter at left guard, Fairchild was named a second-team Associated Press All-American in 2024.
The Cumming, Georgia, native has a quick get-off at the snap and routinely keeps his elbows tucked to efficiently strike the inside chest plate of defenders on contact. This also translate to pass pro as he is an active hand-fighter when jockeying for better inside positioning. When working against stunts and twists, he tries to pass off rushers with a shove to make the transition easier for his center and tackle.
Fairchild needs to be more impactful on double-teams before climbing to second-level defenders. In pass pro, he struggles against power and can be walked back into the quarterback too easily.
8. Miles Frazier, LSU
Frazier is a tall guard prospect at 6’6 and 317 pounds. He spent two seasons at Florida International before transferring to LSU in 2022. After starting as a redshirt freshman for the Panthers in 2021 at left tackle, he’s racked up 50 career starts across every position up front aside from center.
Frazier lacks notable athleticism but possesses ideal size and strength for the position. He’s smooth and even-keel with his footwork in pass protection where he keeps rushers at arm’s length and his chest free. His future NFL team should refrain from asking him to do any work in space as he’s a bit of a plodder.
The experience and fundamentals are there for Frazier but the athleticism to propel and enforce those fundamentals is lacking.
7. Jared Wilson, Georgia
Wilson put on a show at this year’s NFL Combine and has asserted himself as our top-ranked center in the draft class.
In Indianapolis, Wilson ran a position-best 4.84 in the 40-yard dash and jumped 34 inches in the vertical. He’s athletic for his size and a worth ethic that’s evident on film, but he overall lacks the strength to immediately come in and start for an NFL team.
Wilson wins with a finesse game that works at the collegiate level but he’ll have to spend some time in the weight room and refine his body composition to maximize his potential at the next level.
6. Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
Savaiinaea is a ton of fun to watch in the run game, especially when he gets the chance to ear-hole inside shades and wash them out of the play immediately. The strength behind his punches is one of the first we noticed on tape. He’s got a burly, compact build at 6’4 and 324 pounds with his musculature dispersed very evenly throughout his limbs.
He’ll need to work on keeping his feet moving through contact and staying active to look for extra work during longer plays, but he looks more than natural working in the short-area. With experience at both tackle spots and inside at guard, Savaiinaea will provide a team with a versatile piece up front who could move around the line in a pinch.
Savaiinaea had the widest voting range on our list with one third-place vote and one ninth-place vote, with a bunch more in between.
T-4. Marcus Mbow, Purdue
Mbow is an athletic guard prospect who started at right tackle for the Boilermakers in 2024. He played right guard for the first two years of his collegiate career before transitioning outside in 2023. Unfortunately, he was limited to just six games that season due to injury.
The 6’4, 303-pounder is a fluid athlete with surprising power behind his contact. He’s got the quick-twitch muscles to mirror speed off the edge in pass protection combined with the demeanor to hunker down and dig out interior defenders on the ground. Mbow likes to win early on passing downs with a two-hand swipe on the rusher’s hands which quickly knocks them off balance so he can yank them into the dirt.
Mbow hasn’ played guard in almost three calendar years, but scouts are confident he’ll be able to hit the ground running with an offseason of work.
T-4. Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Ratledge was one of the standouts amongst his position group at this year’s combine. He posted a 4.97 in the 40-yard dash to go with a 32” vertical jump and a 9’5” broad.
A three-year starting right guard for the Bulldogs, Ratledge is just that on the field: A dog. He plays with a nasty and physical demeanor which goes well with his 6’6, 308-pound frame and the timeless mullet he’s often sporting.
Ratledge works double-teams very well with a stiff upfield hip to uproot interior defenders and make space for Georgia’s stable of running backs. He fights like hell to reach inside shades and has the hand and core strength to torque defenders where he wants them. He needs to work on his pad level but a surprising anchor helps make up for the plays where he loses initially off the snap.
3. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson (No. 2) and Zabel are justifiably interchangeable at their spots, which really goes to show just how good this guard group is here at the top. One fifth-place vote by our experts kept him from passing Jackson, but he was second or third on every other ballot.
Zabel was a standout at left tackle for the reigning FCS champ North Dakota State Bison but the interior is where he’ll likely find his best position in the NFL. At 6’6” and 312 pounds, Zabel is gritty and tough coming from a mid-major power known for exemplifying those same traits throughout their running dynasty. Zabel is built well to handle the rigors of the NFL and his experience having played four of the five positions up front will be valuable to a team who cherishes elite versatility in its offensive line room.
2. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
Jackson is a three-year starter for the Buckeyes who helped lead them to the CFP National Championship this past season. While he mainly played left guard, Jackson started nine games at left tackle in 2024 to replace the injured teammate Josh Simmons.
The 6’4, 315-pound Jackson is the whole package at guard. He’s well-built, powerful, and athletic enough to fit any scheme at the next level. With experience (and success) at both left guard and left tackle, Jackson will provide excellent versatility for a team that wants to stay multiple on offense.
Jackson plays with fantastic leverage tied to phenomenal footwork in the run game. He plays with a sturdy base and is rarely pushed off his spot in pass protection. Jackson played his best football against the best competition, as well.
He was the only other player to receive a first-place vote.
1. Tyler Booker, Alabama
Booker received all but one first-place vote in our rankings. He is one of the largest players in this draft class, regardless of position, at 6’5 and 321 pounds. Add in 11” hands and you got yourself a ready-made starter on the interior that will envelop opposing players with his massive power and girth.
Despite testing poorly at the NFL Combine, Booker did not see much of a drop across draft boards. That’s because his game is winning in a phone booth with a high football IQ that helps him transcend any athletic shortcomings. Booker will thrive in a power-run scheme where he’s asked to wash down and kick out defenders while avoiding having to run out into space to make blocks. In pass protection, he’s impossible to rush through and can dissect stunts and twists coming his way in a hurry.
Even without an elite get-off, Booker is capable of absorbing contact and readjusting to win the rep. If he can refine his game to be more of a proactive punisher instead of being more reactive, he’ll be able to take his game to a whole other level in the pros.
