One fit that makes too much sense to ignore is Iowa center Logan Jones landing with the Detroit Lions. Detroit has a clear need at center, and Jones checks every box for what they are missing.
The Lions were forced to slide Graham Glasgow into the starting center role after Frank Ragnow’s retirement, and the results have been rough. Glasgow currently has a 57.4 overall PFF grade, and his below-average play showed up weekly. Jared Goff was hit 103 times this season, and Detroit’s run game dropped by 26 yards per game. That is not a coincidence. The interior of the offensive line must be upgraded if this offense is going to function at a championship level.
What Logan Jones brings to the Detroit Lions
Jones would be a day-one starter at center. He is coming off a dominant season at Iowa and was a major reason the Hawkeyes won the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s best offensive line. His 84.0 regular-season PFF grade led all centers by nearly two points, and he was the only center in the country ranked top five as both a pass blocker and a run blocker. He capped it off by winning the Rimington Award as college football’s top center. That résumé is elite college production, plain and simple.
The 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 center in college football!@logan_jones75 is your 2025 @rimingtontrophy winner 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jUtJ1w3XBP
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) December 13, 2025
His skill set translates cleanly to the NFL. Jones is an outstanding athlete, ranking No. 7 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List entering the season. That athleticism consistently shows up when he climbs to the second level in the run game, something Detroit currently struggles to do from the center position. It also explains why he has allowed just one sack over the past two seasons. Given how often Goff was under pressure, that number should jump off the page for Lions evaluators.
Jones also brings more strength than his frame suggests. At 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds, he is lighter than some teams prefer, but he consistently held his ground against bigger defensive linemen. He owns Iowa’s squat record at 705 pounds, which shows up in his ability to fire off the ball and generate movement. Add in his nonstop motor and willingness to fight through the whistle, and you get a tone-setter in the middle of the line.
Some teams may knock Jones for his size, which could push him into the third or fourth round, but that should not scare Detroit at all. Ben Johnson, the former Lions offensive coordinator, is now running essentially the same system in Chicago, and it has already shown a smaller, athletic center can thrive. The Bears signed Drew Dalman last offseason, and all he did was make his first Pro Bowl in that scheme. That should ease any concerns Detroit might have about Jones fitting their offense.
There is also a track record Detroit cannot ignore. Recent Hawkeye draft picks under Dan Campbell have been home runs. Jack Campbell and Sam LaPorta both turned into Pro Bowlers early in their careers. Logan Jones fits that mold perfectly. He is tough, smart, athletic, and productive. If Detroit wants to protect Goff and fix the run game, this is the move.