One of the most anticipated debuts of the Detroit Lions preseason was center Seth McLaughlin. Injuries thrust McLaughlin from a player competing to make the 53-man roster into a player who could be the starting center for a team with playoff aspirations.
So, his performance would be put under the microscope. The good news is that most of the reviews came back positive. Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports dissected his play and thought the good certainly outweighed the bad.
Bleacher Report offensive line expert Brandon Thorn came away with a similar thought. Thorn noted that he had a higher grade on McLaughlin than his UDFA status suggested, and so far, he feels justified in that.
McLaughlin has not locked down the job yet, and he only played 39 snaps. However, this is a promising first outing for a player with a big opportunity.
Detroit Lions Center Seth McLaughlin Impresses in First Opportunity
Despite playing for both Alabama and Ohio State and performing well, McLaughlin was a UDFA in 2025. The issue was that he ruptured his Achilles in his final season. Teams were unsure how he would look coming back.
He spent the preseason of his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals. The team signed him to their practice squad, and he spent his first year with the team. However, they did not sign him to a futures deal, and he signed with the Lions that offseason.
Now, he is making a push to start, justifying his decision. However, the job is not quite won yet. He is the next man, but Juice Scruggs is expected to return from an injury soon, and he might push McLaughlin.
McLaughlin Has Not Won Starting Job Yet
GettyJuice Scruggs #70
The Lions traded David Montgomery for a couple of picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. Scruggs was initially in the competition to play at left guard before he went down. However, he has starting center experience in the NFL.
The former second-round pick has 950 snaps at left guard, 568 snaps at center, and 143 snaps at right guard in his three seasons in the NFL. All of his snaps at center came in 2024. So, he is not a lock to hold down the job.
However, he does have experience in the role that McLaughlin does not. When Scruggs returns, he will at least be in the mix to push the second-year UDFA.
The two are in the mix due to the injury to free agent center Cade Mays. Mays signed a three-year deal this offseason. However, he suffered a wrist injury in training camp. Campbell noted that he expects Mays to miss significant time into the regular season and said he expects Mays to be back before the playoffs.
So, whoever wins the job could end up seeing themselves in a starting position for the majority of the regular season. That could easily be parlayed into a starting spot. Whether it be with the Lions or a new team when Mays comes back, someone could get a long-term starting opportunity.
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