CM #64

Cade Mays

Center · Tennessee

A former Georgia and Tennessee lineman who has not allowed a sack over his last two seasons as one of the league's steadiest pass-protecting centers.

Cade Mays brings much-needed interior stability to Detroit after four seasons starting for the Carolina Panthers. A sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Tennessee, Mays has developed into one of the more reliable centers in football, prized for his pass protection.

★ Second-team All-SEC, Tennessee, 2021

★ One of three NFL centers with zero sacks allowed over a two-season span (min. 500 pass-block snaps)

★ Signed three-year, $25 million contract with Detroit

Path to the league

Mays began his college career at Georgia before transferring to Tennessee, where he anchored the offensive line at right tackle in 2021 and earned second-team All-SEC honors after allowing just one sack all season. He played 43 games across four collegiate seasons and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Career highlights

Mays spent his first four NFL seasons with Carolina, appearing in 52 games with 27 starts while showing the versatility to play multiple spots along the offensive line before settling in at center. He has been one of just three centers in the league to not allow a sack over the last two seasons on at least 500 pass-blocking snaps.

2025 season recap

Mays started at center for Carolina in 2025, continuing his streak of elite pass protection before signing a three-year, $25 million contract with Detroit in the following offseason to help stabilize a Lions offensive line that had taken a step back after the loss of Frank Ragnow.