The NFL Draft is a fluid process. There are rumors and speculations in the months leading up to the draft on what players teams are locked in on, but often things change. It’s a hard thing to speculate on in general, especially because teams hold their cards so close to their chest.
All that being said, it seems like a pretty safe bet that the Steelers target a center in the 2024 draft. After the release of Mason Cole, there is a massive hole left at the position. A lot of the focus has been on Oregon C Jackson Powers-Johnson and West Virginia C Zach Frazier, as they are two of the premier center options in the draft and have been tied to Pittsburgh quite a bit already.
But I’m going to offer a different center option in the draft, one that could probably be had later in Holy Cross’ C.J. Hanson.
Coming from an FCS school in Holy Cross, Hanson has understandably not gotten a ton of buzz heading into the draft. But he did manage to make a big impression at the NFL Combine.
Hanson was named to NFL.com’s all-combine team, and for good reason. He posted a 9.87 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) at guard, which was good for 18th out of 1421 tested guards from 1987 to 2024. Both his speed and explosive grade were elite, and his 5.00 40-yard dash was 6th among linemen at the combine this year.
You may have noticed that his RAS was listed as a guard, which is also the position he played in college, not center. He isn’t being listed as a center anywhere, but I got a chance to sit down with him at the Shrine Bowl and talk to him about where he saw himself at the next level.
“I see myself playing the interior three [OL positions],” Hanson said when I talked to him. I see I’m gonna be playing center this week and left guard. Just getting reps at those and it’s gonna help me in my draft stock and I’m sure I’ll be able to dominate all week… I’ve been snapping the past three months, so nothing crazy, but I’m confident with myself.”
Hanson did go on to play a lot of center over the week of the Shrine Bowl, and looked pretty comfortable snapping, especially for someone who hasn’t done it a ton in real games.
If you project him as a center at the next level, that’s where his Combine numbers get even more interesting. His RAS jumps up to a perfect 10.0, in large part because his size (6050, 300 pounds) is better suited for a center than a guard.
He compares quite well to Kansas City Chiefs C Creed Humphery in terms of pure measurables, although it’s obviously a generous player comparison at this point in his career. But anyone who has that kind of athletic score is at least worth a look in the later rounds.
Holy Cross football had not exactly been a powerhouse program, but that all changed in 2021, Hanson’s junior year and his first year as a starter on the offensive line.
“The culture completely changed,” Hanson said of Holy Cross football. “The seniors and juniors when I got there, they liked football, they love, liked it, but like, they didn’t love it and they didn’t love each other. I think that’s what we gained. We gained a love for each other and we made each other happy.”
Holy Cross went 10-3 in 2021, opening the season with a big win over an FBS opponent in the University of Connecticut. During Hanson’s tenure Holy Cross more than held their own against FBS opponents.
“I’ve played in four FBS games and two of them we won, We should have won both of them this year.” Hanson said. “It’s a testament to how hard we work and it’s a special day for us when we get to go against those opponents because we get to showcase what we have. We’ve done a really good job in showing that we take a backseat to nobody.”
Holy Cross also beat Buffalo in 2022 by a score of 37-31 and took both Boston College and Army to the wire in 2023. For Hanson, these games presented a great opportunity to prove that he could hold his own against the best of the best. It’s tough for someone in the trenches at the FBS level to get looks, and the fact that Hanson has is a testament to just how dominant he was at Holy Cross.
“I know I’m the fastest here,” Hanson told me. “I know I’m one of the strongest, and I know I have the confidence in myself to do the best I possibly can, and that’s all that matters. Yes, some bigger programs have some crazy athletes, and I’m not doubting that but I think they’re those stars at the FCS level that, showcase talent no matter what, no matter where they’re going. So I think for us at Holy Cross, we were always underdogs, and I think that’s what made us special.”
Holy Cross has certainly developed into a special program over the past few years and Hanson had a special career there. It would not come as a surprise to me if he tries to keep the magic going wearing the black and gold in 2024.
