4 pretty good center options for the Detroit Lions that are still available

Don’t freak out. There are still options for the Lions at center

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals guard Hjalte Froholdt (72) prepares to snap the ball during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

NFL free agency starts on Monday, and Detroit Lions fans are freaking out right now about what their team is going to do at center.

Tyler Linderbaum seems unattainable for the Lions and pretty much everyone else. Tyler Biadasz just signed with the Chargers, and Connor McGovern is staying in Buffalo. So what are the Lions going to do? It feels like there is nobody left.

There are still some solid centers out there who can not only start for the Lions, but can also play well. Here are four options for the Lions.

Trade for Hjalte Froholdt

Right now, this feels like the most likely option for the Lions. Froholdt is a very good starting center who has years of experience with new Lions offensive coordinator, Drew Petzing. He can pass block, he can run block, and he just fits in every way. The question is, will the Cardinals actually make the move?

Cade Mays

Mays is the young guy in the group at 26. He’s played really well for the Panthers in the last two years. He hasn’t allowed a sack since 2023. The pass blocking is strong, but the run blocking could be better. The problem is that while Mays was a starter in 2025, he wasn’t the Panthers’ original starter. He came in after Austin Corbett got hurt. Are the Lions getting a starting center, or are they getting a guy who overachieved? It’s a fair question.

Elgton Jenkins

The Lions are familiar with Jenkins. They played against him a lot when he was with the Packers for the last seven seasons. Now that they’ve paid Sean Rhyan, Jenkins is expected not to return to Green Bay. Jenkins has played both guard and center for the Packers. Last year, he played center. He allowed 10 pressures and two sacks. He’d be a great addition for the Lions. The problem is that he fractured his leg in November. The good news is he’s been back in training and should be ready by camp.

Evan Brown

There’s a bit of a bonus here. He’s played for Petzing, and he was just here in Detroit in 2022. He was Frank Ragnow’s backup, who had played so well that he earned himself starting jobs elsewhere. The concern is that he hasn’t been a center since 2023, but he was good at it. For the Cardinals, he was a guard because Froholdt was the better option, but in Detroit, he can go back to center.

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