There are plenty of notable guys who were part of Tulane’s success over the past two seasons.
Tyjae Spears. Dorian Williams. Michael Pratt. Just to name a few.
Spears and Williams were selected in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft, and Pratt is expected to be an early Day 3 selection this April.
Don’t forget about the big men, though.
Another key part of Tulane’s run to back-to-back AAC championship games was Sincere Haynesworth. The Pearland, Texas, product was the anchor of Tulane’s offensive line since becoming the Green Wave’s starting center in 2020. In his five years with the program, Haynesworth started 55 games.
NFL Mentality
Behind all of his experience, Haynesworth has developed great maturity and a high football IQ. Mentally, he’s been ready for an NFL roster and considered entering the draft last year before he opted to come back for his final season.
Haynesworth understands the game extremely well and after playing both guard and center in college, knows what’s to be expected from multiple positions. He was a rare three-year captain and part of a great college football culture. Based on what his teammates and coaches have to say, he’s a great leader and someone you would want on your team.
The 6-foot-1, 310-pounder helped pave the way for back-to-back 1,000-yard rushers. Spears led the AAC with over 1,500 yards and 19 TDs in 2022, and Makhi Hughes was the league’s leading rusher in 2023 with over 1,300 yards and seven scores.
The two-time First Team All-AAC selection is also solid against pass rush and gave up just five sacks during his three years as a starter. This includes zero sacks during the 2022 campaign — a year in which the Green Wave knocked off two ranked Power Five programs:
Despite not being the tallest for an offensive lineman, Haynesworth still has decently long arms and utilizes what length he does have well. His size also helps with his leverage, as he doesn’t often have issues with bigger defensive linemen.
Haynesworth’s height might be one of the only downfalls of his game. At 6-1, he’s shorter than all of the starting centers in the NFL in 2023 except for Tennessee Titans’ center Aaron Brewer, who also stands 6-1. Brewer struggled a lot this past season.
There are, however, NFL centers on the short side that have found their share of success and are some of the top interior linemen in the league. This includes guys like Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum (6-2) and Philadelphia’s Jason Kelce (6-2).
Even though it’s possible for him to earn a roster spot at center, it’s likely Haynesworth moves back to playing guard in the NFL.
Sincere Haynesworth Draft Projection
This year’s draft has a lot of offensive line talent.
According to the latest mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, there are 10 OL projected to go in the first round of this year’s draft.
It’s not likely he’ll be any higher than a Day 3 selection, but Haynesworth should be labeled as one of the top centers in the draft. Whoever takes a chance on him won’t be disappointed.
He has the potential to become an interior OL starter, but until then could serve as an excellent backup while working on his craft and getting stronger. Regardless, his presence in the locker room will have a significant positive impact.
