Since the Steelers drafted Pouncey 18th overall in 2010 and inserted him right into the lineup, only 16 NFL rookies have stepped in as immediate starters at center.
Hassenauer aren’t exactly Ray Mansfield — the two-time All-Pro center who held off Webster as a fifth-round rookie — but they’ve done this before.
But both of those players were undrafted out of college, so any contributions they made — as backups or starters — were merely a bonus.
Of the 16 who held down the center spot for teams in the past 10 years, all but one had more starts at that position in college than Green’s four.
Ben Roethlisberger and Pouncey were fiercely loyal to each other, and there’s a reason why Pouncey said he’d never want to play for another quarterback.
“As a young guy coming in, it’s probably easier coming in at guard,” coach Mike Tomlin said at the time.
That will be another challenge for Green in his transition.
Green stands out with his athleticism for the position.
Green’s peripheral numbers are adequate, too.His 32-inch arms are right in line with Garrett Bradbury and Billy Price — recent first-round centers — and his 25 reps on the bench press at his pro day matched LSU’s Lloyd Cushenberry at the 2020 combine.
In 2019, only Bradbury and second-round pick Erik McCoy earned the starting center job as rookies, for the Vikings and Saints, respectively.
Ryan Jensen, who hasn’t missed a game the past three years and made every snap of Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl run, didn’t become a full-time center until his fifth year in the league .
But if Green does win the competition out of training camp and the Steelers fare well with him at the helm, it will be a good sign for his long-term outlook.
That’s one victory away from the dream outcome for any rookie at any position.
Of the 16 teams who started a rookie at center for the majority of the season, they averaged eight wins per year and missed the postseason nine times.