Revenge of the Birds
Kudos to Hjalte Froholdt starting his 3rd season with the Cardinals
From Hjalte Froholdt’s pre-season PFF ranking at center in his first year as the Cardinals’ starting center in 2023 —->
PFF Center Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2023 NFL season
Seeing starts at both guard and center in 2022 with the Browns, Froholdt didn’t do much to impress, posting sub-50.0 PFF pass-blocking grades in four of the five games where he spent the majority of his time at center.
To Hjalte Froholdt’s improved pre-season center ranking in 2024:
Highest-graded centers from the 2024 NFL season (pff.com)
Froholdt signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals in 2023 and slotted in nicely as the team’s starting center in his first season after six starts with the Browns in 2022. His 64.1 grade ranked 17th among centers, and Froholdt recorded four games with a pass-blocking grade above 80.0 in 2023.
An improved offensive line around Froholdt could help him take the next step in 2024.
To Hjalte Froholdt’s highly commendable quality of play in 2024 —->
To being graded as the #7 best center at the end of the season in 2024 —->
Froholdt has had one of the more interesting career paths among players on this list. Drafted in 2019 by the Patriots, Froholdt only played 61 snaps in New England and was waived after his second season. He was claimed by the Texans in 2021 but didn’t play a snap for them before joining the Browns in 2022, with whom he also had inconsistent playing time.
The Cardinals took a chance on Froholdt in 2023 as their starting center, and he has not disappointed, playing more than 1,000 snaps in each of his two seasons in the desert. Froholdt had a career year in 2024 in both PFF overall grade and PFF run-blocking grade (78.1).
To now being named to PFF’s Top 10 NFL Centers list in 2025 —->
PFF Center Rankings: Top 32 ahead of the 2025 NFL season
Since landing in Arizona in 2023, Froholdt has continued to elevate his game each season. His 76.1 PFF overall grade ranked in the top five among qualifying centers this past season, powered largely by his ability as a run blocker. Froholdt is a mauler in gap concepts, where his 82.9 PFF run-blocking grade in 2024 ranked fourth at the position.
The other centers’ rankings in the NFC West:
ROTB Poll:
How did you vote and why?
