Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg was selected 97th overall in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders on Friday.
Stromberg is the first Razorback center to be drafted since Frank Ragnow was selected 20th overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2018 NFL Draft. He joins Ragnow, Travis Swanson and Jonathan Luigs as the only Razorback centers to be drafted since 2000.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Stromberg started 44 of the 46 games he played as a Hog. He anchored the offensive line as the starting center for each of the team's last 25 games over the past two years.
During his senior year in 2022, Stromberg was an AP First Team All-SEC performer and he also became just the fourth Arkansas player to win the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which is given annually to the league’s best offensive lineman.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-3, 306-pound center did not allow a sack or a hit on the quarterback during the 2022 season. Stromberg gave up just four sacks over his four seasons and he improved his PFF blocking grade each season, as he finished with an 82.4 as a senior.
NFL Next Gen Stats gave Stromberg a total score of 80 following his NFL Combine performance, and that score ranked third of all combine centers. His 86 athleticism score ranked first of all combine centers and his prospect grade of 6.22 translates to "will eventually be a starter," according to NFL.com.
ESPN rated Stromberg as the fifth best center in this year's NFL Draft, and he was the fourth center selected.
"Stromberg is a highly competitive player with a nasty streak and good lower-body strength for his size," ESPN's Steve Muench said. "He has excellent initial quickness, takes sound angles and hits moving targets. Stromberg mirrors well and shows good awareness picking up twists and stunts in pass pro."
Stromberg is Arkansas' eighth center to be drafted in the common draft era — since 1970. He is the second Razorback to be selected in the 2023 draft, joining linebacker Drew Sanders, who went 67th overall to the Denver Broncos in the third round.
