NFL draft: Sizing up the top interior line prospects for the Eagles

The Eagles have used a Day 2 pick in the NFL draft on an interior offensive lineman for the last three years in a row.

Will they keep the streak alive later this month?

The interior line is one of the few spots on the Eagles offense without a clear hierarchy in place going into the draft, which begins April 25. Jason Kelce’s retirement leaves one starting spot available for the taking, likely at right guard with Cam Jurgens moving to center. The Eagles’ current options, including 2023 third-round pick Tyler Steen and free-agent signee Matt Hennessy, should not preclude them from once again adding to the line’s interior in the early rounds.

» READ MORE: Eagles draft picks can help fill a void in the middle of the O-line after Jason Kelce’s retirement

Here’s a breakdown of the potential options:

Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon

Powers-Johnson is a stout, stocky prospect who has experience playing at center, right guard, and right tackle in his career. He even spent a brief stint at defensive tackle as a freshman, which makes sense when you watch his movement skills at 6-foot-3, 328 pounds. Powers-Johnson has the ideal size and athleticism combination for the interior line, where his lack of arm length won’t be as apparent. He’s fast enough to get up to the second level to chase down linebackers and defensive backs and strong enough to bowl them over once he gets there, making highlight-worthy blocks on zone runs or screens.

Unlike some agile centers, Powers-Johnson can still drop the anchor against bigger nose tackles, too. That rare combination along with his positional versatility should make him a first-round pick, although his range starts in the latter part of the round simply because he’s strictly an interior-line prospect rather than a tackle-guard hybrid.

» READ MORE: Senior Bowl 2024: Offensive linemen Tyler Guyton, Jackson Powers-Johnson among Day 1 standouts

Graham Barton, Duke

Most of Barton’s college experience came as a left tackle for the Blue Devils, but he projects as an interior lineman because of his shorter arms and powerful base. He’s 6-5 and 313 pounds, but his arm length, just shy of 33 inches, is in the 29th percentile according to mockdraftable.com. In the run game, Barton uses his strength to displace defenders at the line of scrimmage and plays with an edge, finishing blocks through the whistle and putting defenders on the ground. He’s stout in pass protection with the ability to stalemate defensive tackles and has powerful hands to clamp down on rushers, although he doesn’t have the foot quickness of some of the other linemen in the class.

Barton seems like an ideal fit for a team that wants a people-moving interior lineman who also has enough athleticism to play in a zone-run scheme. His best position in the NFL might be center, especially considering his three years of starting experience in college.

Zach Frazier, West Virginia

Watching Frazier, you’d get a sneaky suspicion that he has a background in wrestling. The 6-3, 313-pound center prospect, who was a four-time state wrestling champion in high school, does a nice job of out-leveraging defensive tackles and made some highlight-level pancakes as a result. His game isn’t all predicated on pad level and power, though. Frazier showcases ideal foot quickness to pick up blitzes and gets out to the second level on combo blocks, walling off linebackers in the run game without getting sidestepped.

Frazier is another interior-line prospect whose versatility will be limited by arm length; he started 37 games at center and spent another nine games at left guard during his college career. He projects as an immediate starter who could be available sometime early on Day 2 of the draft.

Troy Fautanu, Washington

We wrote about Fautanu in the offensive tackle scouting report, detailing his elite athleticism and how it could give him a chance to stick at tackle despite a slightly unconventional build. When assessing interior offensive linemen, he’s still worth mentioning because some teams will view him as a guard or center rather than a tackle, though.

Fautanu has the requisite quickness and power to be an impact player on the interior; he could start his career there and bump out to tackle after a few seasons for a team like the Eagles with All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson playing a few more seasons. If teams view him as more of an interior lineman, it could cause him to slide some in the first round. Odds are he’ll be viewed as a tackle and be drafted accordingly, though.

Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

Fuaga is another player we profiled in the offensive tackle scouting reports, but some project him to play on the interior in the NFL as well. His 33⅛-inch arms suggest he may be best suited for a position switch, especially because that lack of length shows up in his film. His best traits are as a people-mover, another reason he could reach his upside as a guard rather than a tackle.

The question is whether Fuaga will go early enough in the draft to get a chance at tackle first. He’s ranked No. 10 in NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s big board and is often projected to go in the first 15 picks or so in most mock drafts. If he’s taken that soon, his next team may prefer to see him at a more premium position, at least to start. Still, he may struggle with NFL edge rushers.

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State

Beebe has the build of an old-school, immovable interior lineman but has the athleticism to be an impact player in the league as a road-grader in the run game. The 6-4, 322-pound guard prospect has a rare blend of heft and speed and made plenty of highlight blocks as a puller wreaking havoc on the second and third levels of opposing defenses. He ran a 5.03-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, further confirming his upside as a puller on outside run plays or as the one to climb to the second level on combo blocks for inside zones.

Although he’s got intriguing straight-line speed, Beebe may struggle with quicker interior rushers who can challenge his agility in tight spaces. He’s best when he can use his power to bowl rushers over or use his impressive anchor, but his 2nd-percentile arm length (31½ inches) will pose problems against longer defensive tackles. Still, Beebe has extensive starting experience at right tackle and both guard spots over three years at Kansas State, developing a noticeable feel for stunts and games playing out in front of him. Beebe may have some physical limitations, but his upside is apparent because of his size and athleticism. He figures to go on Day 2 and could become an impact player for a team in need of a space-clearing guard.