The 2018 XFL Mock Draft - Center

In anticipation of Vince McMahon bringing the fun back to football (more concussions, woohoo!), Lukewarm Jonah and I went back and forth to do an XFL Draft. Instead of breaking this down round by round, we are going to go by position groups. Today, we finish the offensive line with the men in the middle, the Centers.

Center
Jonah: Nick Mangold, Jeremy Zuttah

Joe: Barrett Jones, David Molk

Joe: Finally, we finish with the centers who are kind of boring but are definitely the most reliable guys I have on my offensive line. Barrett Jones probably deserves to one day be in the college football Hall of Fame. He was a two-time consensus All-American, won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for best offensive lineman in the SEC, the Outland Trophy for best college interior lineman, the Rimington Trophy for best college center, and the Jim Parker Trophy for best collegeiate offensive lineman. And he won three national titles while at Alabama. It is nearly impossible to find a more decorated offensive lineman. What about his pro career? Eh, let’s not talk about that.

David Molk can’t quite compete as he was only a one-time consensus All-American, a Rimington Trophy award winner, and named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year. No matter who wins the starting job, we will have excellent leadership in the middle of our offensive line.

Jonah: More old stars on my offensive line.  Nick Mangold is probably the best center in the past 10 years.  He’s 33, but is seemingly healthy.  He was a salary cap casualty, and for some reason didn’t find another team to latch onto.  His work really speaks for itself, he’s a multiple time Pro Bowler and All Pro.

Just in case something happens with Mangold, I have Jeremy Zuttah on the roster too.  He can also play guard, can’t have enough talented guys who can play multiple positions.  He’s still kind of old at 31, but at that age he’s still got a few more good years left in him.  He’s started over 100 games in the NFL, and made the Pro Bowl one year.

Joe: I like the Mangold pick, because even though he isn’t an Olympian, his sister is, and honestly, I might keep her number on speed dial if you need another backup center. 

He’s been declining the past several years, but for a secondary league, he’s a good get. Zuttah is another very good pick for this. Center is probably your strongest position among the offensive line. 

Jonah: Transfering from college to professional sports is important, but again, being a standout college player is probably good enough to play well at XFL level competition.

For all of you that have been patiently waiting, we get to the defense next time, starting with the sackmasters at defensive end.

In case you missed it:

Quarterbacks
Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Tackles

Offensive Guards

Live Blogging the NFL Draft: Day 3

Day 3 Live Blog is going to be pretty casual. I'll post when there is something interesting going on.

11:07 - Well, I obviously love the Matt Barkley pick. This is probably a surprise to most, but Chip Kelly has already said that his NFL offense is not going to look like his college offense. I truly believe that Barkley was a top-10 talent. People do not understand how bad that offensive line was, but this guy has all the tools to be an impact quarterback, and it was a great pick by the Eagles.

11:10 - Also, why ESPN thought they traded up for Matt Scott made no sense. Nobody else wanted him this early, so they would have been fine waiting three picks.

11:55 - The Rams are having a hell of a draft. Grabbing Barrett Jones in the middle of the fourth round is another really nice pick. Worst case scenario, he's an average interior lineman. He's shown potential for more, and I think he'll be a good player to have in the middle who will have a long career.

12:01 - I forgot to mention that I really want the Bears to take Jordan Poyer. He doesn't measure out well, but he shut down his side of the field in college, which sounds like a good thing for a corner to do. Do the right thing, Bears.

12:03 - I actually really like the Khaseem Greene pick. It probably means that Bostic is being groomed for the middle, which would be bad, but it doesn't definitely mean that. Lance Briggs is getting up there in age, and Emery showed that he does not care about loyalty to players (which is actually a good thing). Greene produced all over the field, and I was surprised to see so many of his teammates go before him. I'm good with this one, Bears.

12:31 - First Lacy, now Jonathan Franklin. The Packers definitely have their running back problems solved, as I like what both of those backs can bring. Their offensive line still sucks, so at least I can hold onto that as a Bears fan.

12:48 - I was going to approve of anyone taking Lattimore in the fourth round. The 49ers is a very good fit, because Frank Gore is getting to the age where he could be falling off. And Kendall Hunter may be solid, but he's no Lattimore. Sure, he's a health risk, but at this point in the draft, the upside is well worth the risk.

1:02 - Denard is another pick I like. He's got a lot of upside if he can show he can catch the ball. I think he is a hybrid player that can be put at running back or wide receiver. With Blaine Gabbert throwing the ball, he'll probably only be a running back, but at least he's a weapon if a real quarterback ever shows up.

1:20 - Unsurprisingly, I like the Cardinals selection of Stepfan Taylor. He was a productive college guy that didn't look great at the combine, so basically he falls right into my wheelhouse of guys I love. He is not fast, but he is quick and does a good job of recognizing the right moves to make with the football.

3:09 - I made lunch and played with the dog, so I am just now catching up on the draft. The Packers continued to draft Hawkeyes, which they seem to do every year. Kampmann, Hodge, Bulaga, Daniels, and now Hyde (plus some others I'm probably forgetting). Please stop doing this. I want to cheer for these guys at the next level, and you jerks are making it impossible.

The Bears made another pick, but I know nothing about him.

Also, I like the Cardinals selection of Ryan Swope. He's legit...as long as he isn't concussed.

5:52 - The Eagles selected Jordan Poyer, which means they stole him and Matt Barkley from the Bears. That's the bad news. The good news is that the only logical explanation to them selecting those guys is that Chip Kelly reads my blog, so that's pretty cool.

Also, I actually am good with the Bears last pick. Marquess Wilson may be a head case, but what wide receiver isn't? At least he has physical talent. In the seventh round, you might as well take a chance.

6:40 - Looks like the draft is over. I'll have more thoughts on Bears picks and maybe a few others in the near future.