Ryan Bartholomew Scouting Report

Ryan Bartholomew started his career at Syracuse as a guard. He spent his first two seasons exclusively at that position. In 2007 he only saw action in two games, but by 2008 he was a regular starter and only missed a couple of games because of a minor injury. By 2009 Bartholomew was ready for a big year. He started eight games at guard and helped pave the way for running back Delone Carter to rack up over 1,000 rushing yards. Bartholomew moved to the center position for a few games when starting center Jim McKenzie got hurt.

For his senior season, Bartholomew moved to the center position on a permanent basis. And once again he is helping the Syracuse ground game do surprisingly well. What makes Bartholomew such an interesting NFL prospect is his intelligence. He is certainly smart enough to run an offense from the center position. The more tangible numbers will impress scouts even more. Bartholomew is freakishly strong and looks more like a strong, nimble defensive end than a center.

Bartholomew will impress scouts with his strength and speed leading up to the NFL Draft and that should help boost his stock. For a player who probably will not be drafted until the later rounds, Bartholomew has all the tools to be a solid center at the next level and is certainly worth a sixth or seventh round pick for a team in need of a versatile and smart center.

2/10 Update: It takes a special interior lineman to garner much attention during this time of the year. Bartholomew is not a premiere center or guard and so his draft stock has not moved much since the end of the season. However, that could change at the NFL Combine. Bartholomew will not work his way into the second or third round, but he could easily surpass some of the other mid-level centers and become a mid-round selection.