Interior Offensive Lineman Class
Early-round talent: A-Mid-round: B
Late-round: B-
Overall grade: B
Merging the 2024 and 2025 prospects
Tyler BookerGraham Barton
Jackson Powers-Johnson
Donovan Jackson
Grey Zabel
Seth McLaughlin
Emery Jones Jr.
Isaiah Adams
Cooper Beebe
Christian Haynes
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
If you were to merge the two classes together, Booker would be the best prospect and it really isn’t close. Graham Barton and Jackson Powers-Johnson would be ahead of Donovan Jackson and Grey Zbel, but not by a lot. Seth McLaughlin and Emery Jones Jr. are better prospects than Isaiah Adams, Cooper Beebe, and Christian Haynes were last year.
Safest Pick: Tyler Booker, Alabama 
Previous Picks:2024 Jackson Powers-Johnson
2023 Peter Skoronski
2022 Kenyon Green
2021 Alijah Vera-Tucker
2020 Tristan Wirfs, Cesar Ruiz
2019 Cody Ford, Eric McCoy
2018 Quinton Nelson, Billy Price
2017 Forrest Lamp
2016 Sebastian Tretola, Nick Martin
2015 Brandon Scherff, Cam Erving
2014 Xavier Sua’Filo, Weston Richburg
2013 Chance Warmack, Barrett Jones
This was an easy choice as Booker is one of the safest prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. With his power, size, and athletic ability, it would be shocking if he didn’t turn into an excellent starter in the NFL.
Biggest Bust Potential: Tate Ratledge, Georgia 
Previous Picks:2024 Beaux Limmer
2023 Broderick Jones
2022 Thayor Munford
2021 Trey Hill
2020 Damien Lewis, Jake Hanson
2019 Ross Pierschbacher
2018 Scott Quessenberry
2017 Pat Elflein
2016 Cody Whitehair, Jack Allen
2015 Jeremiah Poutasi, Hroniss Grasu
2014 Chris Watt, Marcus Martin
2013 Brian Winters, Travis Fredrick
There have been some projections of Ratledge going on the second day of the 2025 NFL Draft, but I think that could be risky. Ratledge is big and worked out well at the combine, but he had some ugly tape from the 2024 season and his backup (Micah Morris) was an upgrade when Ratledge was out with an injury. I think there is a chance that he gets overdrafted and ends up being a disappointment.
Interior Offensive Lineman Rankings by Attributes
Pass Protection:
NFL prototype: Joe Thuney, Bears
- Tyler Booker
- Grey Zabel
- Donovan Jackson
- Emery Jones Jr.
- Seth McLaughlin
Recap: The NFL is a passing-driven league, so keeping a clean pocket as a pass-blocker is the attribute that the majority of teams consider first. Coaches want the guards to keep defensive tackles from gaining penetration or causing disruption. If the guards are successful, quarterbacks can step up in the pocket to avoid edge-rushers. This helps out the offensive tackles significantly. Plus, good guard/center play provides better throwing lanes for the quarterback.
In pass protection, Booker has a strong anchor and can stand up bull rushers. Booker uses his strong hands and big mass to sustain blocks well. His power helps him to recover by jarring defenders off their rush allowing Booker to regroup and tie them up. Fast interior defensive tackles or defensive ends that move inside in passing situations could give Booker problems early in his NFL career, but over time he should be a steady pass protector.
Jackson was a solid and reliable pass protector at Ohio State. He has strong hands that rock defenders and often knock them off balance to slow them down. Those strong hands also help him to sustain blocks, and Jackson shows an exceptional ability to sustain. He has a developed upper body, and once Jackson latches on, defenders can struggle to break free. With good size and strength, Jackson can stop bullrushes with an advanced ability to anchor. In 2024, Jackson got some good experience blocking on the edge, and as a pro, he should be an asset as an interior pass blocker.
In pass protection, Zabel shows his agility and athleticism to slide with speed rushers. Zabel shows light feet to play the typewrite and slide with rushers moving upfield. He also has the size and strength to anchor against bull rushes. Zabel has some technique to improve for taking on professional defensive linemen. He has an inclination to bend at the waist sometimes, and that could be exploited by pro defenders. He also needs to improve his hand placement. Playing on the inside will help Zabel as a pro, and his short arms would be a problem blocking on the edge.
In pass protection, Jones has flashes of being capable. However, he only has flashes, and there were consistent issues with him getting beat and giving up pressure in 2024. Jones’s feet can struggle to get depth to cut off the corner from speed rushers, he can allow leverage on outside speed to power, and he gets off balance when his weight gets over his toes. He will sometimes bend at the waist and reach after defenders. Jones will showcase some mean streak and physicality when he gets a defender blocked, but he is not consistent enough on the edge against a quality pass rusher to depend on him keeping his quarterback free of pressure and sacks. Thus, Jones should move inside to guard. At guard some of these issues should be masked and he could be a solid pass protector moving to the interio.
McLaughlin was a quality pass protector during his collegiate career. He is a smart interior blocker that reacts quickly to stunts and games. He can slide and mirror speed rushes, but is not an exceptional athlete to recover when a speed rusher gets on his edge. He also can be beat by power rushers on occasion, so adding some strength in the NFL is necessary. McLaughlin should be reliable, but not dominant as a pro pass protector.Run Blocking:
NFL prototype: Quenton Nelson, Colts
- Tyler Booker
- Donovan Jackson
- Emery Jones Jr.
- Grey Zabel
- Seth McLaughlin
Recap: The interior of the offensive line are the engine of a good running game. They are the most important blockers for opening holes up the middle in addition to pulling or moving on stretch runs. Dominant guards and centers who can open up holes even when defenses know the run is coming provide a mental edge, especially late in games. This is a pretty good class of run blockers.
As a run blocker, Booker has heavy hands with shear power at the point of attack to generate movement. Booker can latch onto defensive tackles and use his strength to manipulate them out of their gap. Finding nasty bullies up front is getting more difficult as the uptempo and spread offense has changed the game, and Booker is a rare college blocker who enters the NFL with a mean streak to set a physical tone at the point of attack. Booker blocks through the whistle, pushes defenders around, buries them into the ground, and finishes them off with violence. Booker has developed strength to push defenders out of their gap and open holes in the ground game. Booker is going to be a load as a run blocker and a real asset in short-yardage or goal-line situations, as his team should have a lot of success running behind him.As a pro, Booker should be a real asset as a run blocker.
Jackson was a productive run blocker for Ohio State, as the Buckeyes had a lot of success running behind him. He is powerful at the point of attack with strong hands to rock back defenders. With his thick build and upper body, Jackson can drive block and get a push at the point of attack. Jackson is nasty, and he plays with physical style and demeanor. With his strength, Jackson sustains his blocks well, and he looks to finish off defenders. There are plays where Jackson can be a dominant bull that blasts open running lanes. Jackson also shows the quickness to fire to the second level or get downfield on screens. He is agile and athletic enough to hit blocks in space, so Jackson could fit in a zone blocking or power man scheme.
As a run blocker, Jones is an asset and can be an effective player at the point of attack. Jones is strong to knock defenders back, and when he latches on, defenders are in serious trouble. They have a hard time shedding blocks, as Jones has the strength to sustain his blocks. On top of struggling to get free, Jones will finish off defenders and punish them at the end of the blocks.
In the ground game, Zabel has good size and strength to tie up defenders. He has the size and power to drive block and will push defenders out of their gap. In the NFL, he won’t be as overpowering or physically dominant as he was against weaker competition in the FCS, but he still projects to have power run-blocking potential. Zabel is also an agile, athletic blocker who is very good at pulling or moving in space on zone stretch runs. Zabel hits blocks downfield, and he sustains his blocks well to keep defenders from getting at his ball carrier. As an interior run blocker, Zabel can fit as a zone or power man scheme.
In the ground game, McLaughlin can contribute to opening holes at the point of attack. He is quick to the second level and has good technique to fire into blocks on linebaker. McLaughlin does not have overwhelming power or heavy hands to blast defenders out of their gap off the snap. He is better at getting to a spot and hitting combo blocks at the point of attack.
Zone Blocking:
NFL prototype: Landon Dickerson, Eagles
- Grey Zabel
- Tyler Booker
- Donovan Jackson
- Seth McLaughlin
- Emery Jones Jr.
Recap: The zone-blocking system is run by a number of NFL teams, and the success of the scheme has many power-man teams adding some zone plays into the playbook. The zone scheme calls for guards and centers to have the ability to move well laterally and downfield to help set up a moving wall with cut-back lanes. Interior linemen need athleticism and quickness in order to be effective.
Zabel has good speed, athleticism, and agility to move in space. He would be a great fit in a zone blocking scheme as he is agile to get in position and is quick to the second level. He would be a good fit in a zone scheme.
Booker, Jackson, and McLaughlin would be fine fits in a zone-blocking scheme. None of them is a dominant athlete or exceptionally fast, but they all have enough quickness and agility to execute zone plays. Jones could do zone plays but might be a more natural fit in a power man scheme.
Power Man:
NFL prototype: Chris Lindstrom, Falcons
- Tyler Booker
- Donovan Jackson
- Emery Jones Jr.
- Grey Zabel
- Seth McLaughlin
Recap: A lot of teams in the NFL run a power man-blocking scheme. Interior linemen for this scheme need the ability to defeat their defender to blast open or seal a running lane. Guards need to have the power to move defenders and sustain blocks, while centers need to be able to contribute in some one-on-ones and execute well on double teams with their guards.
In the ground game Booker is a force at the point of attack that has strong hands and the power to be a drive blocker. With tenacity, Booker can shock defenders back and drive them out of their gap. Jackson and Jones have the power to knock defenders back and generate movement at the point of attack.
Zabel is a tough blocker that has the ability to bull defenders and create movement at the point of attack. McLaughlin could operate in a man scheme but he could be a better fit in a zone scheme.
Versatility:
NFL prototype: Elgton Jenkins, Packers
- Grey Zabel
- Emery Jones Jr.
- Donovan Jackson
- Tyler Booker
- Seth McLaughlin
Recap: A lot of NFL offensive line coaches want to cross-train their interior linemen for another position, especially among the backup offensive linemen. It helps teams in making the decision on who to keep active on game days. Linemen who can play more than one position are highly valued. Coaches like guards who can play center or tackle if there is an injury in the middle of a game.
Zabel is the most versatile of the group as he could be a starting center, guard, or tackle in the NFL. He looks like he would be the most dominant playing inside, especially at center, but he is very versatile to play all three positions. Jones could play right tackle or guard in the NFL, but guard could be where he is at his best and most effective.
Jackson is a pure guard for the NFL, but he was superb at left tackle in 2024 when an injury to Josh Simmons pushed Jackson outside. Jackson could be an emergency tackle, but should not be projected to be a permanent starter on the edge. Booker is a pure guard, and McLaughlin is a pure center for the NFL.
