As the Detroit Lions exit their Bye week and barrel into their first divisional game against the Green Bay Packers, a big decision is looming.
Who will play the center position going forward?
Cade Mays, who the Lions signed as their top free agency acquisition, has been practicing in recent weeks after missing the early part of the season with a broken wrist, and is poised to make his return against the Packers.
Normally, your intended starter at a position will just slot right back in. However, Juice Scruggs has been a revelation at the position while filling in, as he's second at his position in Pro Football Focus grade with a 75.6. Although, there is a notable disparity between his run-blocking (83.8, 1st) and his pass-blocking (65.4, 14th).
That disparity may give Mays the opening to seize the center position the rest of the way.
Mays needs to show improvement in his run-blocking
If PFF is to be believed, Scruggs is the best run-blocking center in football. Despite this, and the strong interior offensive line as a whole, the Lions' run game has been inconsistent. They average 153 yards in their wins and 56 yards in their losses. That inconsistency has carried over from last season, and has played a role in the Lions' inability to string together back-to-back wins over the past year.
But run-blocking hasn't been Mays' strong suit. He's always been a better pass-blocker than a run-blocker. Mays had a 69.4 pass-blocking grade last season compared to a 58.4 run-blocking grade. Yet, by comparison, Scruggs had a 40.5 run-blocking grade and a 57.7 pass-blocking grade in 2025.
Scruggs has seen a big jump in both areas this season, and the future of the Lions' center position could be determined by if Mays sees a jump in quality play himself. Mays hasn't allowed a sack since the 2023 season and gave up 11 pressures in 2025, while Scruggs has given up one sack and nine pressures so far this season. Scruggs has also been called for as many accepted penalties (2) as Mays did in all of 2025.
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Mays can bring to the passing game what Scruggs cannot, but can he bring it in the run game, too? Per Al Karsten of Pride of Detroit, Mays led all centers in 2024 in gap blocking grade (87.5), which fits well with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing's gap run scheme philosophy and likely a big reason why the Lions signed Mays. Mays will have more opportunities to showcase that in the Lions' offense, which in turn could not only lead to more explosive run plays, but also elevate his run-blocking as a whole.
Mays should have the clear advantage over Scruggs in the pass-blocking from the get-go, which alone could help out with those slow first quarter starts where Scruggs and the O-line are most vulnerable to getting quarterback Jared Goff hit. But if Mays starts to shine in the run-blocking game, too, the choice at center will be an easy one.
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