Who Is Detroit Lions Center Seth McLaughlin?

The next man up for the Detroit Lions at the center position after Cade Mays suffered a wrist injury is Seth McLaughlin.

At practice on Monday morning, McLaughlin was observed taking first-team reps with the starting offense. Mays is expected to be sidelined a significant amount of time, and as a result McLaughlin has a big opportunity to prove he belongs in Detroit throughout the rest of training camp.

After starting his collegiate career at Alabama, McLaughlin transferred to Ohio State in January of 2024. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in practice in November of 2024, ending his collegiate career.

His time at Alabama is most known for the bad snap in the Rose Bowl, where he fired the ball low to quarterback Jalen Milroe with the Crimson Tide facing a fourth-down against Michigan that would decide the game.

During his collegiate run prior to entering the 2025 NFL Draft, he was widely considered among the top 10 centers before getting injured. He won the Rimington Award in his final collegiate season at Ohio State, given annually to the nation’s most outstanding center.

In that year at Ohio State, McLaughlin earned a 70.7 overall offensive grade, a 74.1 pass-blocking grade and a 67.9 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

After going undrafted in 2025, the talented offensive lineman spent his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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McLaughlin spoke with On SI NFL Draft analyst Justin Melo back in 2025 for an interview that was featured on The Draft Network.

“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.”

According to many draft experts, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound lineman was an intelligent player who demonstrated the ability to effectively communicate. At the point of attack, McLaughlin is able to create initial push due to his size and power.

On film, he demonstrated the ability to stay square against defenders and consistently picked up pressuring linebackers. His work against nose tackles was impressive in the SEC, given the level of talent all across the conference.

When Juice Scruggs returns from an undisclosed injury, McLaughlin will be in a battle with a solid veteran for the opportunity to start at center to begin the 2026 season.

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