The Detroit Lions have a new face taking first-team snaps at center, and it’s Seth McLaughlin.
With Cade Mays dealing with a wrist injury and expected to miss a significant stretch, McLaughlin stepped into the starting offense during Monday morning’s practice. That gives him a real chance to make his case in Detroit over the rest of training camp.
McLaughlin’s path to this moment has already taken plenty of turns. He began his college career at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State in January of 2024. His college run ended after he tore his Achilles tendon in practice in November of 2024.
The Alabama chapter of his career is perhaps best remembered for one costly snap in the Rose Bowl, when he fired the ball low to quarterback Jalen Milroe on a fourth-down play against Michigan that would decide the game.
Before the injury and before the 2025 NFL Draft, McLaughlin had built a strong enough résumé that many viewed him as one of the top 10 centers available. He capped his final college season at Ohio State by winning the Rimington Award, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding center.
His numbers at Ohio State backed up the reputation. Pro Football Focus credited him with a 70.7 overall offensive grade, a 74.1 pass-blocking grade and a 67.9 run-blocking grade that season.
McLaughlin went undrafted in 2025 and spent his rookie year with the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a 2025 interview with On SI NFL Draft analyst Justin Melo that ran on The Draft Network, McLaughlin talked about how the transfer helped him.
"The transfer was definitely invaluable to my draft stock and development as a player. After my last season at Alabama, I was hearing I might be a priority undrafted free agent at best," said McLaughlin.
"I wanted to play in the NFL. That was my reason for transferring.
I went to play in a new system. I really benefited from the coaching staff and strength program.
Everything just started falling in place for me."
At 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, McLaughlin has drawn praise from draft evaluators for his intelligence and communication. He also brings enough size and power to generate initial movement at the point of attack.
His film showed a lineman who can stay square, sort out pressure, and handle nose tackles well, even in the SEC.
For now, the opportunity is there. When Juice Scruggs returns from an undisclosed injury, McLaughlin will be competing with a solid veteran for the chance to open the 2026 season as the Lions’ starting center.
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Dan Campbell has made it clear the team is still searching for the right mix at corner, even with some optimism around the secondary overall despite the injuries and setbacks that have hit the group. The addition of Trevon Diggs only underscores how much Detroit wants the competition to stay high, and for Rakestraw, the next few practices may go a long way toward determining whether this is just an early camp hiccup or something more concerning. [Read more 🡒]