NFL Top 10 Series: Centers

Offensive linemen take full advantage of the fact that they are one of the most important pieces to an NFL team. With that being said, what other position could be more important than the one that delivers the ball to the quarterback each play? Centers are very valuable pieces, and that's stating the obvious. Moving forward, centers play a vital role in controlling the interior of the line. They're responsible for both A-gaps to the left and to the right of them, and if the guards next to them can't get the job done getting defensive tackles and linebackers shooting through the A-gaps, the quarterback becomes the equivalent of mince meat. These ten centers have proven their worth the last few years, some with longer stretches of success than others. Let's run through them, shall we?

1. Nick Mangold, New York Jets: The anchor of the strong New York Jets offensive line might just be their best offensive player. Since being drafted in 2006, he’s played all but two games in his entire career, and that was this past season. Mangold was one of the driving forces behind the stellar New York Jets rushing attack of 2008 and 2009, and why Thomas Jones found the fountain of youth towards the tail end of his career. Not only is Mangold stellar in run blocking, his pass blocking skills are superior to just about everyone. He only allowed a miniscule 23 pressures over the last three seasons on 1,474 pass protects, including just eight in 2011. The incredible thing about those numbers is that four of the eight pressures were allowed in Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus.

2. Jeff Saturday, Green Bay Packers: When the Green Bay Packers let go of Scott Wells, many wondered whether or not they could find a player that could step in and be successful in protecting Aaron Rodgers from interior linemen who wanted nothing more than to bring Rodgers down time in and time out. What they got was one of the best centers of this era in Jeff Saturday who despite the Colts’ fall from grace has not lost a beat. Saturday was the staple of the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line for the last 12 years, and the five times he made the Pro Bowl, and the two All-Pro teams show just that. The last three seasons, nobody had a higher PBE (Pass Blocking Efficiency) than Saturday did with a 98.88. Only 27 pressures were allowed by Saturday, and what is most impressive is that he was on the field for 1,873 pass protects. Green Bay, and Aaron Rodgers, should be happy to have him aboard.

3. Chris Myers, Houston Texans: The Houston Texans, for some reason, let go of Eric Winston in the offseason. Luckily, for their sake they did not let go of center Chris Myers, whom they re-signed in the offseason. Myers is a perfect fit for their zone-blocking scheme and was incredible in the 2011 season. I may have overrated him slightly but he was superior to the point that it was hard to go against. His pass blocking is a bit suspect, with the fact that he has given up 49 pressures over the last three seasons, sixth most amongst centers in the NFL. However his run blocking is what sets him above the rest. He has been one of the driving forces for the formidable rushing attack the Texans possess with Arian Foster and Ben Tate in the backfield. His quickness up the field and great lateral movement make him one of the best centers in the league.

4. Matt Birk, Baltimore Ravens: That’s right. Despite the fact that he was mulling retirement this offseason, and the fact that he has been playing since 1998, Matt Birk still remains an elite NFL center. With 30 pressures given up on 1,678 pass protects, he earned the third best PBE (according to PFF) in the league amongst centers for the last three seasons. 2011 was very successful for Birk, too. When on the field, for 584 pass protects, Birk allowed merely 10 pressures which was the fourth lowest total allowed by a center all season. Baltimore needs to look towards the future eventually (I think Barrett Jones from Alabama or Khaled Holmes from Southern California could be options for them this coming season) but with Birk around they should not see much pressure through the A-gaps.

5. Ryan Kalil, Carolina Panthers: His brother was just drafted into the NFL to the Minnesota Vikings. For now though, Ryan Kalil remains the better of the Kalil brothers. That could change someday, but we will take this for what it is at the moment. Along with Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil has been one of the main factors in the Carolina line being as good as it has been recently. Kalil while protecting the passer has been stellar, as he has only given up 38 pressures for the last three seasons on 1,650 pass protects. That finished ninth amongst his peers. With the fact that defensive lines in the NFC South still remain solid, Kalil’s success will be vital to a Panthers team on the rise.

6. Todd McClure, Atlanta Falcons: One of the main staples of the Atlanta Falcons line, Todd McClure may be on the decline, but he still remains one of the best in the league at his position. McClure is a rough, tough, nasty player in the trenches that is not afraid to bang with the best of them. While he has given up the fifth most pressures in the league for the last three seasons, in 2011 he still played up to par. He only gave up nine pressures on an offensive line that went from being one of the best in football to one of the most mediocre. McClure at the age of 35 will need to bring all that he can bring to the offensive line going into this year, as it is one of their weaknesses going forward. They will be helped in the future though, as McClure’s understudy Peter Konz has a lot of promise and upside, assuming he can stay on the field.

7. Max Unger, Seattle Seahawks: Max Unger, being that he plays for the Seattle Seahawks, does not get the pub that most players would be getting if they were playing up to his caliber. After missing nearly the entire 2010 season, Unger came back in 2011 and played up to his ability level. On 547 pass block snaps, he only allowed seven pressures to opposing defenders. With the fact that Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills played just 301 pass block snaps, you could make the argument that no center was better at preventing pressure last season than Max Unger was. Unger also never gave up a single sack last season, which could be helped by the fact that he did have a scrambler taking the snaps. We will see this year, if Matt Flynn does start, what he will let up if he does not have someone as versatile.

8. Alex Mack, Cleveland Browns: A lot of attention in Cleveland is shined on offensive tackle Joe Thomas. For good reason too. Thomas is the best-left tackle in the NFL; however, I am of the belief that Alex Mack deserves a lot of pub too. In three full seasons, he has yet to miss a game, and with some solid talent around him in the trenches, has played greatly, with only allowed 40 pressures through his very short career. Bearing in mind the fact that he plays up against the likes of Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Haloti Ngata, Geno Atkins, and not to mention the linebackers that try to penetrate the A-gap, Mack’s three-year clip is outstanding. A very underrated talent on an offensive line that quietly is getting a lot better; and no, this is not on some secret world, either. (I had to, sorry)

9. Scott Wells, St. Louis Rams: Scott Wells traded in green and yellow for blue and gold this offseason. Why that is, I do not think we will ever know. Nonetheless, the St. Louis Rams’ offensive line, which is much maligned, will be getting a very solid player. For all of last season Wells was spectacular, allowing just two sacks; that was a part of the nine total pressures that he allowed all season, which was enough to have the third-highest PBE amongst centers on 633 pas block snaps (98.9) This was consistent with his numbers over the last three seasons, as Scott’s only allowed 37 pressures from 2009-11. St. Louis reaps the benefits from this signing, but it is hard to believe that with Jeff Saturday in Green Bay, that the Packers will miss Scott Wells to sorely.

10. John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings’ main offensive line player at one time was Matt Birk, who was earlier feature don this list. The Vikings may have finally found their replacement in John Sullivan, who will continue to be the Vikings’ center for years to come. The fifth-year player from Notre Dame broke out in 2011 as one of the best centers in all of football. According to PFF, last season through the A-gaps, the Vikings gained the most yards of anybody with 569, a 5.5 YPC, 375 yards after contact and three touchdowns on 104 attempts. Sullivan was one of the main building blocks behind that, excelling in run blocking and controlling those gaps to the best of his ability. The only slight on him might be in pass protection, as he gave up more sacks than any other center in the last three seasons, with 11.