Guard, center NFL Draft prospects feature two studs and plenty of potential

• Sixth in a series of our updated post-NFL Combine draft prospect rankings, with comments on players who appear likely to be fits for the Bears.

This is a good group - better at the top among the center, but deeper at guard - and with a handful of prospects with the traits to play either spot at the next level.

Lloyd Cushenberry and Cesar Ruiz are head and shoulders above the rest. Which goes first really depends on whom you're talking to.

Some feel Cushenberry can be a 10-year starter at center with a handful of Pro Bowls in his future, but he's not a sure thing at guard.

Ruiz is also a stud in the pivot, but a number of scouts believe his NFL future could be even more promising at guard, which could make him the only player in this group to sneak into the back of the first round.

What the Bears do here really depends on whether their plans for James Daniels are at center or guard. Cody Whitehair can play center but definitely has more upside at guard.

It's not inconceivable Ruiz or Cushenberry would fall to 43, but it seems unlikely.

Simpson: It will take one of the Bears second-round picks to get him, but Simpson looks like he was built in a lab to play guard in the NFL. He has outstanding power and strength, can get to the second level and yet anchors extremely well and is difficult to bull rush. He'll need work on his first step and get off, but improved technique can make a difference there. He's big enough to handle nose and under tackles and athletic enough to pull and hunt.

Lemieux: He's not as big or quite the athlete fellow Duck alum Kyle Long is, but his temperament and toughness will remind you of Long. Character and leadership grades are off the chart, but his pass protection is a work in progress. The problem here is he probably fits best in the late third or fourth round, and the Bears lack picks there at the moment.

Clarke: We know how Ryan Pace likes his small-school guys in the fourth and fifth round, and with patience, Clarke could be another project with the traits and character to develop into an NFL stud. He was a left tackle in college but projects at guard in the NFL, and he has the toughness, power and nastiness to be a mauler.

Pinter: This is a kid worth keeping an eye out for in the sixth or seventh round. He went to Ball State as a tight end after playing his high school ball in South Bend but was ignored by Notre Dame. He added over 50 pounds in college but carries it very well, and is an athlete playing guard, the kind of O-line prospects RPO-based offenses tend to favor.

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