Renner's 2027 NFL Draft scouting series: Ranking the top 10 IOL prospects, with a freak athlete at No. 1
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- Kade Pieper (Iowa) tops Renner's 2027 IOL rankings as a 'true freak at the position' and 'arguably the most athletic offensive lineman I've ever scouted,' projecting as a late Round 1 pick despite a thin frame and short arms.
- Greg Johnson (Minnesota) ranks No. 2 as 'the cleanest returning guard in college football' — a player who could have been a Day 2 pick in the 2026 cycle but returned for his senior season to push into first-round consideration.
- Renner noted the 2027 class has a good chance of adding two more first-round interior linemen after Vega Ioane and Keylan Rutledge were both selected in Round 1 this past April.
- Anthony Boswell, an undersized center who transferred from Toledo to Houston, was one of Renner's biggest summer scouting surprises — showing 'outstanding body control, balance, and hand usage' in an outside zone-heavy scheme as a redshirt freshman.
- Austin Siereveld (Ohio State) is kicking inside to right guard this fall after Miami's first-round pass-rush duo exposed him in the College Football Playoff — a move Renner calls in Siereveld's 'best long-term interest' given his technique-driven skill set.
- Notre Dame's Anthonie Knapp, a tackle-to-guard convert at 6'4, 300 pounds, will slide to left guard after logging 1,500+ snaps and allowing just 11 pressures across two seasons, including a national championship run.
- Renner gave the 2027 IOL class an overall strength rating of 7.5/10, with superlatives including Most NFL-ready (Greg Johnson), Strongest (Evan Tengesdahl), Most versatile (Jesse Perry), and Most athletic (Kade Pieper).
- Renner's 'three names to watch' included Clinton Richard (Wake Forest G), Brock Riker (Penn State C, Texas State transfer), and Alani Noa (USC G) — the latter called the second-most athletic OL in the class behind Pieper but 'all over the map' technically.
Why it matters: Renner projects Iowa's Kade Pieper as the first Round 1 center since Tyler Linderbaum went 25th overall in 2022 — a meaningful signal for NFL teams increasingly prioritizing athletic, moveable centers over pure bulk. With two prospects (Pieper, Greg Johnson) in the late first-round mix and a class rated 7.5/10, the 2027 cycle could reshape how franchises value the position.
