Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
McLaughlin was a three-star recruit from Buford High School in Buford, Ga. in the class of 2020
Seth McLaughlin was the top center in the country before suffering an Achilles injury late in the 2024 season. The Georgia native’s insane turnaround from Alabama to Ohio State positioned him to contend for a top 120 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Seth McLaughlin, C Ohio State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fifth-year center from Buford, Ga.
Background: McLaughlin was a three-star recruit from Buford High School in Buford, Ga. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 524 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 441 for On3.com. McLaughlin was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals. ESPN ranked him 291st in the nation (four-star) with an 80 grade out of 100. He transferred from Alabama to Ohio State for the 2024 season. McLaughlin graduated from Alabama in 2023 with a master’s degree in hospitality management. In McLaughlin’s final high school season, Buford scored 467 points and amassed 3,400 rushing yards. He won a state championship with the team in 2019.
Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn Achilles in practice before Week 13 in 2024
Awards: 2024 First Team All-Big Ten (Coaches), 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten (Media), 2024 Second Team All-American
Pros: Cut down on penalties from 2023 to 2024, largely eliminated inaccurate snaps, wide base to help absorb power, redirects in pass sets to pick up stunts, quick to diagnose and recognize stunts, nice speed to recover when beaten, impressive core strength, frames blocks well, power advantage against Zane Durant (2024), maximizes body positioning to open run lanes, great mobility, short-area acceleration, speed for reach blocks, pulls on gap runs, very comfortable working to the second level, good speed to overtake second level defenders, takes good angles to linebackers, overpowers second level defenders, runs his feet through blocks in the run game
Cons: Limited to no special teams experience, center-only, limited arm length, hands pinned by club-rips, room to improve timing with hands, play strength can be tested, bounced backward by stunting defensive tackles, pad level pried up and shed by Derrick Harmon (2024), beaten through the A-gap by Ty Robinson (2024), lunges into some second level blocks, sometimes overshoots defenders in space, snap placement was all over the place in 2023
Overview: McLaughlin unfortunately suffered a season-ending Achilles injury amidst a career-redefining run with Ohio State. After a difficult year with Alabama, he emerged as one of the nation’s top centers. McLaughlin eliminated the mistakes that haunted him in 2023, including penalties and inaccurate snaps. He’s a center-only prospect with limited mass but uses a wide base to absorb and grind down power rushes. The experience gained from his more than 2,300 snaps shows up on film as he quickly diagnoses and redirects for stunts and blitzes. He’s light on his feet and recovers well when initially beaten off the snap. McLaughlin uses his impressive core strength and block framing to mitigate concerns about his 31-inch arms. Larger interior players can test his play strength, but McLaughlin battles above his weight. Undersized but athletic defensive tackles, like Penn State’s Zane Durant, lack the mass to disrupt McLaughlin’s anchor and fail to beat him with quickness. McLaughlin needs to improve his strike timing in pass protection and avoid getting his hands pinned by clubs. His margin for error is slim because of his short arms. Stunting defensive tackles with momentum sometimes bounce McLaughlin back into the pocket. At 6'4", McLaughlin is a tall center who sometimes loses the leverage battle when defensive tackles pry his pad level up. While the All-American center is quick, he lacks the elite twitch to consistently combat explosive athletes like Nebraska’s Ty Robinson. In the run game, McLaughlin maximizes his body positioning to establish and sustain run lanes. He offers impressive mobility with the short-area acceleration and speed to reach block or pull on gap runs. The Georgia native is comfortable working to the second level. He plays with the speed to overtake linebackers and takes good angles, but he sometimes overshoots his targets in space. McLaughlin runs his feet through blocks to displace second level defenders or reposition defensive linemen. He occasionally lunges and whiffs on blocks at the second level.
Overall, McLaughlin is a savvy and mobile center who would’ve contended for a late top 100 selection if not for his Achilles injury. He’s technically sound in pass protection and uses his experience and processing speed to overcome some physical limitations. These size and length concerns could become issues against NFL-caliber power, but McLaughlin’s core strength and block framing mitigate the issue.
Role & Scheme Fit: Center in a wide zone scheme
Round Grade: Fourth Round
Size: 6'4", 304 lbs. (NFL Combine)
Submitted: 11-11-24
Updated: 03-16-25