NFL Draft G/C breakdown: Michigan's Cesar Ruiz top center in lackluster class

The NFL Draft is April 23-25. Each day leading up to the first round, the Tribune-Review is compiling a positional preview of the top draft prospects.

CENTER

1. Cesar Ruiz

Michigan, 6-3, 307

Ruiz was the top center prospect coming out of IMG Academy in Florida, but he got on the field as a true freshman at Michigan by making five starts at guard because of injuries to others. He moved to center as a sophomore and started all 26 games there the past two seasons before declaring for the draft.

2. Lloyd Cushenberry

LSU, 6-3, 312

Cushenberry anchored the middle of LSU’s offensive line during the Tigers’ run to the national championship this past season. He was named first-team all-conference while starting all 15 games. Cushenberry also started 13 games as a sophomore and contributed as a redshirt freshman. Cushenberry injured his hamstring at the NFL Combine while running the 40-yard dash.

3. Tyler Biadasz

Wisconsin, 6-4, 314

Biadasz’s NFL comparable is Steelers free-agent signee Stefen Wisniewski, who began his NFL career as a center before spending his recent seasons playing guard. Biadasz won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center and was an Outland Trophy finalist in his redshirt junior season. Biadasz was a first-team all-conference selection in his final two years with the Badgers, and he made 41 career starts.

4. Matt Hennessy

Temple, 6-4, 307

A tackle in high school, Hennessy moved inside upon his arrival at Temple and morphed into a three-year starter. In 2019, he was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and was a third-team All-American. Hennessy started 35 games at Temple, missing four because of injuries during his three seasons.

5. Nick Harris

Washington, 6-1, 302

Harris used all of his eligibility at Washington and gained experience at guard and center. After starting 13 games at right guard as a sophomore, Harris found a home at center, where he started 25 games over the next two seasons. He was named first-team all-conference after his junior and senior seasons.

GUARD

1. Robert Hunt

Louisiana-Lafayette, 6-5, 323

Hunt primarily played right tackle in college, but his future in the NFL is projected to be in the interior of the offensive line. He started 13 games at left guard as a redshirt freshman and started nine games there as a sophomore before moving to left tackle for two games. A groin injury limited Hunt to seven games in his senior season.

2. Netane Muti

Fresno State, 6-3, 315

Muti was born in Tonga but grew up in Hawaii before coming stateside to play at Fresno State. Injuries beset Muti during his college career. The only season in which he was entirely healthy was 2017, when he started 14 games at left guard. He redshirted as a freshman because of an Achilles injury, and a similar injury limited him to two starts in 2018. A Lisfranc injury shortened his redshirt junior season after just three starts.

3. Logan Stenberg

Kentucky, 6-6, 317

At Kentucky, Stenberg was one of the lead blockers for Steelers running back Benny Snell. After playing in 12 games as a redshirt freshman, Stenberg started 39 games at left guard over the next three seasons. He was named second-team all-conference in 2019.

4. Jonah Jackson

Ohio State, 6-3, 306

Jackson spent four years at Rutgers before deciding he wanted to play for a Big Ten contender. That led Jackson to Ohio State, where he won the starting left guard spot. He was named third-team All-American and first-team all-conference player. In his final year at Rutgers, Jackson started 11 games at right guard. As a sophomore, he started three games at center and two at right guard.

5. Ben Bredeson

Michigan, 6-5, 315

Since arriving at Michigan in 2016, Bredeson has been a fixture on the offensive line. He was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a freshman, when he started eight of 13 games. From that point, Bredeson played left guard. He started 38 games over the next three seasons and was named a team captain for his junior and senior years. In his final year, he was named third-team All-American.

Best fit for the Steelers

John Simpson, Clemson

With Maurkice Pouncey signed for two more seasons, the Steelers are more likely to take a guard than a center in the draft. Simpson, a 6-foot-4, 321-pound senior, started his final two seasons at left guard for the Tigers. He did 34 repetitions on the bench press at the NFL Combine, and his overall workout might have vaulted him into the top five at guard. As a senior, he was responsible for just eight quarterback pressures on 277 passing snaps.