2025 NFL Draft Offensive Guard Rankings
We have seen a slight uptick in the number of guards drafted.
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2025 NFL DRAFT BIBLE – OFFENSIVE GUARDS
We have seen a slight uptick in the number of guards drafted each season, as there has been an average of 18 selected over the past three NFL Drafts (2022-24). By comparison, there was an average of just 13 guards selected on average the previous five drafts (2017-2021).
There are likely several reasons for this. The run game is making a comeback. The NFL works in fads, so it’s only natural that ground and pound is en vogue again. We witnessed the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles and numerous contenders lean on the running attack this past year.
In addition, many defensive schemes employ heavy pass-rush up the middle. Hence, teams must guard against this with depth on the interior. While the guard position has gained importance, NFL teams have still been reluctant to invest high value at the guard position early on in the draft. The heavy concentration of guards chosen usually occurs on Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft.
One could state a very strong argument that Alabama mauler Tyler Booker is the best pure offensive line prospect in this year’s draft. Yet, no one speaks about him in this manner due to how guards are perceived. However, his combination of size, agility, technique and tenacity make for the perfect blend of success at the NFL level. Booker may not get the love he deserves but he is one of the safest propositions come draft day.
Those NFL teams in search of a clean prospect shall look no further than Grey Zabel (photo: Senior Bowl) of North Dakota State. A polished, small school gem, Zabel doesn’t possess the upside of becoming an elite player but he is as pro-ready as they come. In addition, he has proven to play effectively at all five positions along the offensive line, making him one of the more underrated players eligible for the draft.
Few players elevated their draft profile the way that Ohio State chess piece Donovan Jackson did this past season. The Buckeyes swingman moved over from left guard, to left tackle seamlessly. Along the way, he won over plenty of scouts within the scouting community. It would be hard to envision a player of such caliber lasting beyond the top 40-to-50 overall selections.
The real value will lie in the middle rounds, where shrewd organizations will realize they can find starters with draft selections outside the top 100. In fact, the top eight guards ranked on our big board all possess starter traits.
Some early-to-mid round value selections worth monitoring include Joshua Gray of Oregon State and Marcus Mbow of Purdue, both of whom impressed heavily throughout the draft process. Their success will ultimately be dictated by the team/scheme and coaching but this guard class overall should be considered rich with talent.
2025 OFFENSIVE GUARD BIG BOARD
RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | HEIGHT | WEIGHT | HAND | ARM | WING | 40 (10-YD), MPH | VERT | BROAD | SHUTTLE | 3-CONE | PROJ
Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6047, 326, 1118, 3478, 8428, 5.38 (1.96), 19.22, 21, 27”, 7-10, 4.84, 7.96, Rd1* (photo: Alabama Athletics)
Grey Zabel, North Dakota State, 6060, 312, 0948, 3228, 7758, n/a, 26, 36.5”, 9-3, 4.60, 7.66, Rd1
Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, 6035, 315, 1018, 3448, 8368, n/a, 32, 32", 8-11, 4.84, n/a, Rd2
Joshua Gray, Oregon State, 6051, 299, 0948, 3138, 7858, 5.04 (1.73), 19.35, 18, 31”, 8-8, 4.65, 7.57, Rd2
Marcus Mbow, Purdue, 6042, 302, 1048, 3248, 8068, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, 4.67, n/a, Rd2*
Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, 6051, 325, 1000, 3338, 8118, n/a, n/a, 29.5", 9-3, n/a, n/a, Rd3*
Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6064, 312, 1038, 3248, 7968, 4.97 (1.72), 19.88, 25, 32”, 9-5, n/a, 7.38, Rd3
Connor Colby, Iowa, 6056, 309, 1000, 3200, 7718, 5.11 (1.78), 19.31, n/a, 28.5”, 9-2, 4.63, 7.78, Rd3
Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona, 6041, 324, 1028, 3378, 8228, 4.95 (1.72), 20.02, 26, 29”, 8-10, 4.66, n/a, Rd4*
Hayden Conner, Texas, 6060, 322, 0958, 3328, 7958, 5.23 (1.75), n/a, 25.5”, 8-5, 4.72, 7.64, Rd4
Garrett Dellinger, LSU, 6040, 325, 1000, 3278, 7918, 5.10 (1.73), 30, 32”, 9-2, 4.66, n/a, Rd5
Miles Frazier, LSU, 6055, 317, 0900, 3268, 8128, 5.24 (1.79), 18.60, 27, 31”, 9-0, 4.84, 7.76, Rd5
Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech, 6045, 312, 0968, 3238, 7900, 5.10 (1.78), 19.68, 21, 34”, 9-3, 4.49, 7.43, Rd5
Jalen Rivers, Miami, 6056, 319, 1000, 3478, 8378, 5.29 (1.85), 18.86, 23, n/a, 9-0, n/a, n/a, Rd6
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, 6064, 313, 1028, 3218, 7948, 5.27 (1.84), 19.00, n/a, 30”, 9-0, 4.69, 7.59, Rd6
Jackson Slater, Sacramento State, 6030, 311, 1000, 3200, 7848, 5.01 (1.78), 19.65, 31, 28.5”, 09-00, Rd6
Josh Fryar, Ohio State, 6047, 318, 0968, 3478, 8278, 5.09 (1.72), n/a, 34”, 8-11, 4.69, 7.69, Rd6
Nash Jones, Texas State, 6037, 314, 1038, 3328, 8258, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, Rd7
Luke Kandra, Cincinnati, 6046, 319, 1000, 3178, 8048, 5.17, 33, 32.5”, 9-5, 4.78, 8.33, Rd7
Luke Newman, Michigan State, 6034, 308, 0928, 3100, 7628, 5.08, 29, 35”, 9-2, 4.58, 7.70, Rd7
Marcus Tate, Clemson, 6052, 321, 0900, 3268, 8200, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, HPFA
Jack Conley, Boston College, 6051, 310, 0968, 3228, 7948, 5.20 (1.80), 19.05, n/a, 28”, 8-10, 4.78, 7.69, HPFA
Drew Moss, Colorado State, 6033, 303, 0918, 3238, 7868, 5.00 (1.70), 20, 31.5”, 9-3, 4.58, 7.65, HPFA
Tyler Cooper, Minnesota, 6050, 305, 1000, 3248, 8068, 5.15 (1.82), 24, 30”, 9-0, 4.84, 7.77, HPFA
JJ Lippe, Northern Illinois, 6052, 308, 0948, 3348, 8048, 5.45 (1.84), 17, 28.5”, 8-10, 4.71, 7.73, HPFA
Javontez Spraggins, Tennessee, 6017, 306, 0968, 3238, 7900, 5.14 (1.84), 27, 26”, 8-4, 4.91, 7.94, PFA
Josh Priebe, Michigan, 6050, 305, 0918, 3300, 8100, 5.20e, 33, 28.5”, 9-1, 4.73, 7.75, PFA
Michael Gonzalez, Louisville, 6040, 308, 0918, 3368, 7800, 5.20, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, PFA
Timothy McKay, NC State, 6037, 311, 0948, 3368, 7948, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, PFA
Jarrod Hufford, Iowa State, 6041, 322, 1000, 3238, 7900, 5.14, 31, 30.5”, 9-2, 4.91, 8.00, PFA
Ben Dooley, Boise State, 6045, 300, 1028, 3228, 8000, 5.28 (1.83), 20, 25”, 8-8, 4.93, 7.94, PFA
Tanner Miller, Michigan State, 6010, 290, 0878, 3078, 7500, 5.12, 25, 26.5”, 8-8, 4.74, 7.82, PFA
Lucas Scott, Army, 6032, 307, 1000, 3238, 7668, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, n/a, PFA
Dartanyan Tinsley, Cincinnati, 6035, 336, 1128, 3428, 8448, 5.48, 30, 27”, 8-7, 5.20, 7.76, PFA
Michael Tarquin, Oklahoma, 6050, 302, 0978, 3368, 7978, 5.57 (1.95), 16, 25.5”, 8-3, 5.10, 8.21, PFA
Dom Boyd, Georgia Southern, 6035, 309, 0928, 3278, 8058, 5.25 (1.76), 21, 28”, 9-2, 4.95, 7.76, FA
Josh Carlin, UCLA, 6047, 315, 1018, 3278, 8018, 5.38 (1.89), 28, 26.5”, 8-8, 4.82, 7.98, FA
Spencer Holstege, UCLA, 6044, 314, 0848, 3278, 7928, 5.38, 33, 28”, 4.96, 8.00, FA
Vershon Lee, South Carolina, 6032, 310, 1000, 3318, 7968, 5.17, 28, 31”, 8-10, 4.96, 8.00, FA
Mose Vavao, Fresno State, rSr, 6024, 310, 1058, 3228, 7918, 5.14 (1.76), 26, 29”, 9-3, 4.75, 7.58, FA
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