After transferring to Alabama, can former Washington center Parker Brailsford compete to be the top center taken in the 2025 NFL Draft with his scouting report? His impact on the college football stage is clear, but is his skill set translatable?
Parker Brailsford’s Draft Profile and Measurements
- Height: 6’2″
- Weight: 275 pounds
- Position: Center
- School: Alabama
- Current Year: Redshirt Sophomore
The best competitors often find their way to the top of the depth chart at the collegiate level. And despite a three-star billing as a recruit — largely on account of his undersized frame — and a full redshirt in 2022, Brailsford let nothing slow his progress in 2023.
As a mere redshirt freshman, Brailsford served as a full-time starter for a Washington offensive line that helped fuel a run to the College Football Playoff National Championship game. He started 13 games at center and an additional two at guard — but his work at the fulcrum was particularly impressive.
For his efforts, Brailsford was a second-team All-Pac-12 honoree and a Freshman All-American. In just his first year of eligibility, there’s already a sense that he could be an early-round 2025 NFL Draft pick.
After Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer announced his decision to become Nick Saban’s successor at Alabama, Brailsford soon followed him south. What does Brailsford offer the Crimson Tide, and where could he project at the next level?
Brailsford’s Scouting Report
Strengths
- Extremely quick, explosive athlete who effortlessly traverses gaps and covers ground.
- Elite accelerator and a nimble recovery artist who can reach his landmarks with ease.
- Build affords him excellent natural leverage and pad-level management skills.
- Compact frame and natural leverage grant him good take-on strength at initial contact.
- Has the hip flexibility to hinge around and seal off second-level defenders after climbs.
- Despite lower weight, has very good lean mass for his build, supplementing his power.
- Loads surprising knockback power on extensions, using a wide base and tight hands.
- Naturally squares up and gets underneath defenders, using forceful leg churn to drive.
- Has the awareness to recognize backside pursuit defenders as a puller and gain angles.
- Can quickly adapt and stack blocks in space and has a great understanding of leverage.
- Stays alert when rush formations split and leverages his base to account for threats.
- Does a great job fully loading and exerting as a help blocker to stymy movement.
- Can sequentially latch and re-exert with hands while maintaining upper-lower synergy.
- Flexible lower body and active feet allow him to retract and align his base on demand.
- Has the rotational freedom to torque through extensions and bury defenders in the turf.
Weaknesses
- Is notably undersized and underweight with middling proportional length.
- Despite superb power elements, middling length slightly detracts from maximum power.
- Lacks the strength or length to keep comparable athletes from working across-face.
- Anchors and grips on extensions can be warped by stronger, heavier defenders.
- Visibly lacks the strength to seal out longer nose tackles on full extensions and anchors.
- Bow-legged tendencies when matching split-rush formations can impact coordination.
- At times, when bow-legged, can drift too far back past his center of gravity.
- Desire to get depth and maintain hip leverage against stunts can erode balance.
- Can be worked out of proper angle leverage and positioning by looping stunts.
- Occasionally pops off the snap too far upright, which can expose his torso to power.
- Is occasionally late to pivot to backside-help opportunities and respond to gap blitzes.
Current Draft Projection and Summary
Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Brailsford grades out as a top-75 prospect. Though there are limitations to note in his profile, he could ultimately compete to be the top center prospect in the 2025 class.
Brailsford emerged as one of the best centers in college football on Washington’s Joe Moore Award-winning line, and after following his head coach to Alabama, he’ll get to prove himself against SEC competition in 2024.
Already, it’s clear what makes Brailsford’s profile so appealing. The redshirt sophomore, although undersized at 6’2″ and 275 pounds, is a quantifiably elite athlete with rare quickness, agility, explosive capacity, and recovery freedom on the move. Additionally, with his compact, well-leveraged frame, he brings surprising power and take-on strength.
Going further, Brailsford’s flexibility and malleable mobility allow him to continually reposition, realign himself, and recover leverage. And across the operational spectrum, he has a good floor to work with. He employs a wide base and tight hands, can keep synergy, is alert and aware in adverse situations, and has finishing physicality.
There’s still room for Brailsford to further refine his skill set. In particular, his matching footwork against split-formation stunts and rushes can be more controlled and coordinated. Additionally, with his frame, he’ll never have elite play strength against larger defenders.
Nevertheless, Brailsford has the elite athleticism, compact power, play strength, and tone-setting tenacity to be an asset on the offensive line. At his peak, he can be an impact player, whose skill set is particularly attuned to zone concepts but also has schematic flexibility — in the mold of NFL starter Aaron Brewer.