On Thursday night the Dallas Cowboys made the shocking decision to select Travis Fredrick of Wisconsin with their first round pick. It's not that Fredrick was a bad selection, but that many believed they could have waited and either taken him later, or gotten equivalent talent later in the draft. So far that belief has rung true, as the final day begins with two top centers left on the board.
2013 NFL Draft best available: Barrett Jones remains after three rounds
There isn’t a lot of true center talent in the 2013 draft, but the ones remaining are awfully good.
Kevin C. Cox
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Barrett Jones from Alabama is rated as the top center in the draft, and the 63rd best player by Dan Kadar. A lack of athleticism could be hurting Jones, who relies on superior technique rather than raw power to win at the college level. The concern is that he wont have that same technique advantage in the NFL, mitigating a lot of his ability. That being said, he’s a natural pass blocker at the position, and could find himself as the perfect fit for a team more content with throwing deep than asking their offensive line to block down-field for running backs.
The second-best center is Brian Schwenke of California. Rated as the third-best safety, and 80th overall player -- he too has a lot of value at the top of the forth round. At 6-3, 314-pounds he has great size, but there are some questions about his awareness at the next level. As tone-setters for the offense, this could be a huge liability at the next level. However, with his power and strength he excelled at stonewalling effort rushers during his senior season.
There is a lot of value to be had in these later rounds, but perhaps no position is this more present than at center. These aren’t sexy picks, and the less you hear their name on Sunday, the better -- but two teams could get major value in the forth round with either Jones or Schwenke.
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