Seth McLaughlin 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Ohio State Buckeyes C

Tale Of The Tape

McLaughlin is an easy-to-like center prospect with a stereotypical build for a center-exclusive prospect. He’s squatty with broad shoulders and modest length, which helps dictate his effectiveness at the point of attack and controlling blocks in solo assignments. 

But when you project McLaughlin through the lens of a center-exclusive player, the value is apparent as a good athlete with sufficient strength, excellent football IQ, and technical buy-in. This is the right kind of player to hand the keys to your protection scheme to based on the reviews from coaches and the work he is evidently doing on the film before the snap. He sees the picture of the front well and is a communicator that helps coordinate and serves as a point guard for calls to the rest of the unit. 

McLaughlin wins in pass protection with quick feet, disciplined eyes, good peripheral vision, and a tight punch that often strikes inside and affords him a sufficient stun of defenders. He lacks the reach to win with first contact. As a result, powerful rushers on the interior can out-reach him and create knockback at the point of attack. In these instances, he is missing the added strength in the lower half to pull the E-Brake and sit down to protect the depth of the pocket. 

As a run blocker, McLaughlin wins with angles, anticipation, and athleticism. He does not have the road-grading power or uproot ability to completely create lanes and creases as a drive blocker, and he’s better suited to working combination blocks on the interior before detaching and climbing up to the second level. 

Thanks to his functional athleticism, he should be considered a sufficient second-level weapon to have the athleticism to climb or release in the screen game. That said, his lack of wingspan, paired with good but not elite burst and agility, means there are second-level landmarks he’ll miss, and the back will have to cut off his hip to help create the blocks for him. 

Teams that value a “help” or assist player at center for their run game execution are most likely to find the appeal here for McLaughlin. If you’re willing to take the leap of faith required with his medical issues, this can be a viable long-term starter for a franchise, thanks to his wide vision, instincts, and sufficient mobility.

However, he should be considered a center-exclusive talent on account of his modest wingspan and lack of raw power to handle tackles in solo situations.

Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

A healthy McLaughlin likely projects as an early starter with a sturdy floor in a zone-focused rushing scheme. As is, he projects as a potential value play in the draft who ideally is drafted with a focus on getting prepped for 2026, where a full return to health is well within reason. His injury and timeline may warrant a “redshirt” rookie season. 

Grade: 71.50/100.00, Fifth Round Value

Big Board Rank: TBD

Position Rank: TBD