When the Steelers selected Illinois offensive lineman Kendrick Green in the third round of the draft two weeks ago, passing on some bigger-name more experienced centers, many fans wondered if Kevin Colbert perhaps knew something that others did not.
Maybe he did.
Green is, in the words of Mike Tomlin, a been-there, done-that guy when it comes to playing center.
See, while Green had only started four games at center in his career for the Illini, making his other 29 starts at left guard, the Steelers had no issue believing he could easily do so at the NFL level. In fact, they feel if Green had played more center in his time at Illinois, he might have been drafted even higher than he was.
"You are talking about a guy who took snaps in practice, but didn’t play a number of games there," Steelers offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said of Green. "There were two games that he played in, I think it was his bowl game and one this year where he didn’t even know he was going to play (center) in the game. But he was ready for it."
There's a reason for that. While he was recruited as a defensive tackle out of Peoria High School in Peoria, Ill., Green's began his high school career as the team's starting center.
And though it took some coaxing from the likes of Illinois Director Player Personnel James Kirkland, a former longtime NFL scout for the Browns, Bears, Titans and Falcons, and others on the Illinois coaching staff, Green switched back to the offensive after his freshman season for the Illini.
"I watched him in high school and I thought he should have been an offensive lineman the whole time," Kirkland told me this week. "But he bucked me on that at lot. I thought he would be a good fit with what we did in (offensive coordinator) Rod Smith's offense. I had been with Kyle Shanahan, as well, and he fit into doing those kind of things, blocking on the move and pulling."
Kirkland had seen Green play offensive line in high school and knew that was just his natural fit.
Illinois was also recruiting Peoria quarterback Coran Taylor, whom they also signed. And every time Taylor broke off a long run in high school ...
"Kendrick was right there beside him downfield," Kirkland said with a laugh.
It took some convincing. Green wanted to be a defensive player. And he was the No. 32-rated defensive tackle recruit in the country as a senior, drawing interest from Iowa, Minnesota and Notre Dame at that position.
But he quickly realized after spring practices his freshman year that the defensive line wasn't for him.
"I was awful at defense, first of all let’s say that," Green said. "But also, (former Illinois) coach Lovie Smith saw that there was a need on the team for depth purposes as well and he knew I could do it. So that’s kind of what we did."
Forget depth. Green became an immediate starter the next fall at left guard.
The Illini didn't play him at center because they had Doug Kramer at the position. And while Green could play guard and center, Kramer was way better at center than he was at guard. So to keep their best five linemen on the field, Green only played center in emergency situations.
"Think about it, in the spring of 2018, March, he's playing defensive tackle," Kirkland told me. "By August of 2018, he was our starting left guard, and he never let it go. His transition time was just a few months. That tells you what kind of worker he is."
Part of that comes through his work in the weight room. According to Kirkland, Green, whose thighs look like they should be on a running back, squats 700 pounds.
"He didn't show up here doing that. That was through hard work in the weight room," Kirkland said.
It also happened because Green is a phenomenal athlete. He was a three-sport star at Peoria, not only playing football, but baseball and wrestling, as well. He made the final four in Illinois as a heavyweight wrestler as a senior.
That knowledge of how to use leverage and hand fight that are so critical in wrestling show up on the football field.
"Absolutely," Kirkland said. "When you get inside on the offensive line, it's doubly important having good leverage, balance and core strength. We had another offensive lineman, Nick Allegretti, who started games last season for the Chiefs, who used to wrestle with Kendrick in the locker room. Nick is bigger (6-4, 320 pounds to Green's 6-2, 305) but it was always a battle."
Green's athleticism also showed up at his pro day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.88 seconds. Only Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, a first-round pick of the Buccaneers, was faster at last year's NFL Scouting Combine among offensive linemen. His vertical jump of 35.5 inches also was only bettered by that of Wirfs' 36.5-inch leap of a year ago. Green's 119-inch broad jump was only bested by, you guessed it, Wirfs.
No wonder Green proclaimed after the Steelers drafted him that, "I feel like I’m a really athletic offensive lineman. I feel like I’m the most athletic offensive lineman in this year’s class. I play with a mean streak. I’m looking to play physical and finish guys. So I think that’s something that will translate over well."
That will play well for the Steelers, who ask their center to be more than just a help blocker. They often pull their center and get him out on the edge. It's something done by Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, Jeff Hartings and Maurkice Pouncey before Green. The Steelers definitely have an athletic profile they prefer when it comes to centers.
And Green fits it to a T.
Whenever he might get on the field. While Kirkland feels Green could come in and start right away, he feels that patience might be needed. After all, Green had two years of college eligibility remaining.
The Steelers re-signed B.J. Finney after Pouncey's retirement. While Green could be in the mix to start, he might benefit from learning the ropes at first.
"Pittsburgh is a great organization," Kirkland said. "They just do things the right way. I think he is capable of doing that (starting right away). But it would definitely benefit him to sit and develop. Do I think he could step right in and play credibly? Yeah. But that's something that will play itself out."
