Finding a consistent, reliable center in the NFL is tougher than it looks. We've seen 90 different guys take the starting job in the last six seasons alone, from 2020 to 2025. That's a massive amount of turnover for a position that absolutely runs the offensive line. But what does it take for a drafted guy to actually stick around and become that long-term anchor? And how important is that draft capital really?
The High Stakes of Picking Your Pivot
Turns out, finding those long-term starters at center is a real puzzle. Out of all the offensive linemen drafted from 2020 to 2025, only 63 of them have become true long-term starters across the league. When we specifically look at centers, the list gets even shorter, with just ten guys making the cut in that timeframe. That averages out to only one or two starting centers emerging from each draft class. Think about that: you're lucky if even one center from your draft class becomes a multi-year starter. What's super interesting is *where* these guys are getting picked. The list of these ten centers includes names like Lloyd Cushenberry III (3rd round, 83rd pick), Tyler Biadasz (4th round, 146th pick), Creed Humphrey (2nd round, 63rd pick), and Tyler Linderbaum (1st round, 25th pick). You also see Joe Tippmann (2nd round, 43rd pick), John Michael Schmitz (2nd round, 57th pick), Graham Barton (1st round, 26th pick), Zach Frazier (2nd round, 51st pick), and Cooper Beebe (3rd round, 73rd pick). It's pretty clear most teams are targeting their future center on day one or day two of the draft. In fact, only two of these ten long-term starters were actually day three picks: Biadasz and, surprisingly, Luke Wattenberg, who went in the fifth round at 171st overall. Wattenberg didn't even become a starter until his third NFL season, but he definitely belongs on this list of consistent starters now.Zero Sacks and What It Means for Elite Center Play
When it comes to keeping your quarterback clean, center play is absolutely critical. We're talking about pass blocking, and the numbers here tell an undeniable story. For a center to be truly elite, avoiding sacks is a huge deal. It's actually pretty rare for the top guys to give up many at all. Just look at Luke Wattenberg, who literally allowed zero sacks in 2025! That's a massive achievement for any offensive lineman, let alone a day three pick. Consider Creed Humphrey, a known top-tier talent. He's given up only five total sacks on a staggering 3502 pass blocking snaps throughout his entire career, with three of those happening in his rookie season. That's crazy impressive consistency. Even Zach Frazier, who's been the starting center for the Steelers for the last two seasons after being drafted in 2024, has allowed just one sack on 789 pass blocking snaps. These kinds of numbers really highlight where other starting centers, like Lloyd Cushenberry III and Graham Barton, need to step up their game since they're allowing sacks. The goal for any center is to get their sack percentage as close to zero as possible. So, what does all this mean for the league going forward? It's a clear message: finding your anchor at center is a premium. While day one and day two picks usually get the nod, seeing guys like Luke Wattenberg, a fifth-round gem, perform at an elite level with zero sacks in 2025 proves you can find incredible value late in the draft. Every team is looking for that guy who can lock down the middle and protect the QB. It's going to be wild to see which centers from the next few drafts defy expectations and become the next long-term studs, especially those who can post those game-changing zero-sack seasons.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.