Steelers fans were dialed in on a center early on day two of the NFL Draft, and it’s not hard to see why.
After surprising nobody by going with Alabama running back Najee Harris in the first round, many believed that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert would fill arguably the biggest need they’ve had all offseason: finding a starting-caliber center.
While Landon Dickerson was off the board too early in the second round for the Steelers to even start getting nervous about whether or not he was going to make it to them, fans were salivating at the chance of getting their choice between Creed Humphrey and Quinn Meinerz.
The Freiermuth pick wasn’t all that surprising, as there were reports that the Steelers may have even been interested in taking him in the first round had Najee Harris been off the board.
Remarkably, Quinn Meinerz made it all the way back around to the Steelers with the 87th pick, and many analysts thought this is one we could pencil in.
We did have knowledge that the Steelers were at Illinois Pro Day, but I didn’t really give Green a second thought at this point in the draft.
At 6’1 7/8” and 305 pounds, Green is very short for an interior offensive lineman, and I find it interesting that he played significantly more snaps at guard during his time at Illinois.
Despite mostly playing offensive guard in college, Pro Football Focus claims that Green was able to transition effortlessly back and forth between the two positions, and the Steelers have already said they want him to play center for them.
With a great track record when it comes to health, terrific athletic traits, and position flexibility along the interior offensive line, Green is a player with a lot of upside in the NFL.
However, the Steelers think they may have gotten a special player in the third round with Kendrick Green and he is just starting to scratch the surface.