Read Dane Brugler’s previous summer scouting reports: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Wide receivers | Tight ends | Offensive tackles

When it comes to NFL Draft talk, players on the interior of the offensive line don’t receive nearly as much attention as offensive tackles. But if you look at the interior NFL players who got paid this past offseason, those positions are just as important to overall offensive success.

In this upcoming class, several guards and centers will be in the top-100 mix, including an Arizona guard who starts the season as the top interior prospect in my rankings.

(Notes: An asterisk represents a draft-eligible underclassman. Heights and weights are what NFL teams currently have on file for each player, with  “v” representing verified measurements and “e” for estimates.)

What he does best: Size/quickness blend

For a player his size, Savaiinaea has impressive foot quickness and body movements, which show in a lot of ways on tape. In pass protection, he has NFL feet to mirror, anchor and stay square to rushers. In the run game, Savaiinaea is surprisingly efficient on the move, springing out of his stance and picking off defenders as a puller or climber.

Must improve: Leverage and hands in the run game

Pass protection appears to come somewhat naturally for Savaiinaea, but scouts will be looking for continued improvement in his run blocking in 2024. He has the required frame and play strength but lacks consistency when looking to re-leverage himself or refit with his hands, leaving him susceptible to stout run defenders.

2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook

Unlike Arizona teammate Tetairoa McMillan, Savaiinaea (pronounced Savuh-nye-A-uh) wasn’t as highly regarded as a recruit, but former head coach Jedd Fisch knew he had something special almost immediately during Savaiinaea’s first season. Originally from American Samoa, Savaiinaea played his high school ball at St. Louis in Honolulu before becoming a Freshman All-American at guard for the Wildcats. He bounced between right tackle and right guard last season as a sophomore and took another jump in his development.

Some players just look like NFL players the moment you throw on the tape, and Savaiinaea falls in that category. He moves well for a 330-pounder, with projectable strength and coachability that suggest he will only get better. Not only does Arizona have my preseason WR1 (McMillan), but it also boasts the top interior line prospect.

What he does best: Pre- and post-engagement footwork

Jackson moves well for his size, something that was noticeable the day he arrived in Columbus. He has a smooth shuffle versus pass rushers and can make the backside cutoff just as easily as he reaches frontside blocks. But where Jackson has shown clear improvement is in his lower-body strength to generate movement off the ball in the run game.

Must improve: Anticipating stunts/delays

When caught off-guard, Jackson can have a tough time getting things corrected. This shows most when he is tardy resetting his eyes and feet versus various blitzes and simulated pressures. Jackson has so much natural talent, and scouts are hoping another season of experience helps slow things down for him.

2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook

Looking back at the 2021 recruiting class, Ohio State boasted six five-star recruits, including the top two players in the state of Texas: Quinn Ewers and Jackson. Neither started as freshmen — and Ewers (once stuck behind C.J. Stroud) moved on — but Jackson took over at left guard in 2022 and has started all 26 games the past two seasons.

Considered a potential borderline top-100 pick in the 2024 draft, Jackson surprised several NFL teams by returning to Columbus for his senior season. Scouts, however, agree it was the right choice for his development. With Jackson’s talent, it isn’t hard to understand why he was a five-star recruit out of high school. Continued consistency will be the key for him to be a Day 2 draft pick and a steady NFL starter.

3. Parker Brailsford, Alabama (6-2e, 280e)

What he does best: Athletic range

Given all the movement in Washington’s offense last season, Brailsford had ample opportunities to show off his athletic range. He is explosive with his snap and initial steps and has outstanding fluidity on the move for sudden traps/redirects or extended landmarks. Not only can he get outside with ease, but Brailsford also stays controlled and on his feet to leverage and finish defenders in space.

Must improve: Maturing physically

A smaller-framed blocker, Brailsford is lighter than ideal and needs to continue adding weight and bulk. Despite his lower weight, he was surprisingly strong on tape and is no stranger to the weight room. He handled himself well against Pac-12 nose tackles last season, but SEC power is a different animal — Brailsford’s anchor and ability to create movement will be tested each week this season.

2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook

A three-star high school recruit, Brailsford was a three-year starter on the interior offensive line at Saguaro High in Scottsdale, Ariz. He signed with Washington, where he redshirted in 2022 before starting all 15 games last season, initially at right guard until injuries led him to center. This offseason, Brailsford entered the transfer portal and followed head coach Kalen DeBoer to Tuscaloosa.

Brailsford has only one season of tape, but he played at a high level last year and made it impossible for NFL scouts to overlook him. He joins an Alabama offense that returns both starters at guard (Tyler Booker and Jaeden Roberts), which should give Brailsford an easier transition to SEC competition. With his athletic twitch and processing skills, Brailsford is a prospect on the rise.

GO DEEPER

2024 fantasy football draft kit: Rankings, cheat sheet, player projections, sleepers and more

4. Charles Grant, William & Mary (6-4 3/8v, 290v)

What he does best: Advancing to the second level

Grant has the athletic tools to stay at offensive tackle in the NFL, but scouts talk about him as a possible guard convert, so I’m including him in the interior stack for these previews. Light on his feet, Grant has lateral range with natural redirect skills. He also effortlessly climbs levels and uses his long arms (35 5/8 inches) to pick off linebackers.

Must improve: Developing core strength

With a long, athletic frame, Grant has a body type worth developing. But the question will be: Can he add weight and core strength without sacrificing movement skills? To match up in the NFL, Grant will need to develop body girth and overall strength, and scouts will be working to figure out what that projection looks like.

2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook

A native of Portsmouth, Va., Grant saw action at quarterback and defensive line in high school before it was clear offensive line would be his future. He was also an All-State wrestler at Churchland High, including a regional championship at 220 pounds. Grant enrolled at William & Mary in 2020 and gradually worked himself into the starting left tackle role, becoming a first team All-American last season as a junior.

William & Mary has produced only one draft pick over the past eight years, but it was an offensive tackle, Colby Sorsdal, who played opposite Grant for two seasons at right tackle. Now it is Grant’s turn to go through the draft process. He has a good chance of being drafted higher than the fifth round, which is where Sorsdal landed.

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia (6-6 1/8v, 317v)

What he does best: Physicality

Any time Ratledge steps onto the field, you know he will bring an aggressive mindset. In pass protection, he is stout at the point of attack with large, firm hands (10 3/8 inches) to slow down rushers. In the run game, Ratledge creates displacement and moves bodies around using that same physicality. It was no coincidence that several of Georgia’s explosive plays on the ground last season came behind its right guard.

Must improve: Aiming points

When he connects, Ratledge can send the defender into next Tuesday. But he lacks ideal length (32 1/2-inch arms) and has only average lower-half twitch, which occasionally creates issues with his strike angles, especially versus post-snap movement. Against shifty defenders or in space, Ratledge better be on time with his aiming points or he quickly finds himself in recovery mode.

2024 season/2025 NFL Draft outlook

There were two highly touted offensive line recruits out of the state of Georgia in the 2020 class, and the Bulldogs landed both: Broderick Jones and Ratledge. After a redshirt year in 2020 and a season-ending foot injury in 2021, Ratledge became a starter in 2022 and has started 27 games at right guard the past two years. After an All-America 2023 season, he bypassed the NFL for one more year of college ball.

Georgia has an impressive streak going, having produced multiple draft picks along the offensive line in each of the past five years. And Ratledge is a key reason that streak has a decent chance of being extended. The fifth-year senior earned first team All-SEC honors last season and should be one of the top linemen in the SEC in 2024.

LSU’s Grant Dellinger started all 13 games at left guard last season and didn’t miss a snap during SEC play. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

Preseason top 30 senior interior offensive linemen

(Note: Heights and weights for senior iOL listed below are NFL verified.) 

1. Jackson
2. Grant
3. Ratledge
4. Emmanuel Pregnon, USC (6-4 1/4, 320)
5. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State (6-5 1/2, 304)
6. Joshua Gray, Oregon State (6-4 1/2, 310)
7. Marcus Tate, Clemson (6-5, 318)
8. Garrett Dellinger, LSU (6-4 1/2, 320)
9. Zeke Correll, NC State (6-3, 293)
10. JB Nelson, Penn State (6-5, 325)
11. Jacob Bayer, Arkansas State (6-2 5/8, 306)
12. Eli Cox, Kentucky (6-4, 307)
13. Walker Parks, Clemson (6-4 7/8, 292)
14. Mehki Butler, Arkansas State (6-2 1/2, 322)
15. Tyler Cooper, Minnesota (6-5 3/8, 307)
16. Jackson Slater, Sacramento State (6-3, 313)
17. Connor Colby, Iowa (6-5 1/2, 311)
18. Hunter Zambrano, Illinois State (6-4 3/4, 306)
19. Wyatt Bowles, Utah State (6-5 1/8, 304)
20. Kaden Moore, Virginia Tech (6-2 1/4, 299)
21. Ethan Miner, Mississippi State (6-1 1/2, 305)
22. Jonah Monheim, USC (6-4 1/4, 305)
23. Joe Huber, Wisconsin (6-4 3/8, 306)
24. Clay Webb, Jacksonville State (6-2 5/8, 305)
25. Jaren Kump, Utah (6-5 1/4, 306)
26. Gerquan Scott, Ole Miss (6-2 1/8, 336)
27. Sal Wormley, Penn State (6-3 1/2, 332)
28. Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M (6-5 1/8, 334)
29. Miles Frazier, LSU (6-5, 318)
30. Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State (6-3 7/8, 300)

Preseason top 10 draft-eligible underclassmen

(Note: All measurements for underclassman iOL listed below are estimates.) 

1. Savaiinaea
2. Brailsford
3. Marcus Mbow, Purdue (6-5, 305)
4. Tyler Booker, Alabama (6-5, 345)
5. Armand Membou, Missouri (6-3, 315)
6. Bryce Foster, Texas A&M (6-5, 330
7. Pat Coogan, Notre Dame (6-5, 310)
8. DJ Campbell, Texas (6-3, 330)
9. Jaeden Roberts, Alabama (6-5, 315)
10. Dylan Fairchild, Georgia (6-5, 315)

(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; top photo of Donovan Jackson: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)