Replacing a two-time All-Pro, nine-time Pro Bowl center like Maurkice Pouncey isn't some small task that can happen overnight, but the Steelers hope to accomplish that sooner rather than later with their third round selection in rookie Kendrick Green.
But at 6-foot-2, 305 lbs., Green played most of his college career at guard for Illinois. His transitioning to center is something the Steelers hope to see develop quickly, building off the three games he started at center in 2020.
Green's functional athleticism for an interior offensive lineman makes him competitive in the trenches. His 128-inch broad jump and 35.5-inch vertical jump were both second-best of all offensive linemen in their 2021 pro days, showing his explosiveness out of his stance.
"He just runs off the ball," Adrian Klemm said when describing Green when he was drafted. "He's not timid at all. He redirects guys, has good feet, good center of gravity and he just finishes. He plays with a good, nasty demeanor. He tries to finish his opponent and impose his will every single play."
For the Steelers to get back to running the ball and not rank dead last in the NFL, they'll need a presence on the interior offensive line who can move guys out of the hole and be athletic enough to get to different positions to help in the offense, especially if they're going to use a wide zone run blocking scheme.
But still, only a handful of starts at center means he has to grow into the position.
One thing Green showed in all of his tape was his ability to work in concert with his fellow linemen to get the job done. Here's a play when he was at guard, chipping off a double team on a defensive tackle to get to the second level and seal off an inside linebacker at the point of attack:
Solid teamwork, but that's not an example of the real strength he shows when he's locked onto an opponent.
Nah, that would be right here. It's pass protection, but you can see his No. 53 at left guard flatten his man right away:
But those plays are at guard, so what about what he can do at center?
The three games he played at center in 2020 came against Minnesota, Purdue and Penn State. He did a solid job in each of these games, but still showed the areas where he has to grow.
Green is an aggressive lineman who explodes off the ball and wins battles in the trenches by overpowering players. But sometimes his eagerness to play that way leaves him overextending himself and whiffing on blocks. He can forfeit proper technique and position in favor of going to demolish a player.
Here's an example against Penn State where Green had a clean shot at a linebacker, but failed to get a hand on his man or even wall him off to keep him away from the play:
These are the plays where Klemm can help Green learn to maximize his power without forfeiting his position.
Green does possess the athleticism to move around and properly position himself against defenders, even while at center. Watch this footwork from Green to work around a defensive tackle. His man was position on his left shoulder, but Illinois' run scheme needed the left guard to push to the second level.
That meant Green had to use some quick footwork to get around his man and seal him off from the hole where the running back was headed. And he did just that, sealing his man to the inside and allowing for his guard to not worry about A-gap:
That's a good way to win leverage.
But NFL centers need to show more leadership and heads-up play on the field. Even in his final years where Pouncey's athleticism limited him from filling all the roles he did in his prime, he was able to communicate to keep the offensive line all on the same page and adjust with defenses play after play.
Green looked comfortable taking on that role for Illinois, albeit in a limited sample size. Still, there were several moments where he looked ready to capitalize on opponents mistakes and not too focused on adjusting to the role of playing center. That can lead to opportunities missed, but watch how aware he was when this defensive end from Purdue jumped a snap.
Green saw the mistake with his peripheral vision and snapped the ball early to draw the penalty. You can see him quickly look at the end as soon as the ball was snapped, showing he knew exactly what he was doing:
That's a smart play showing he kept his eyes around the defense scanning for what they were doing.
Green shows these kind of moments in his college tape, which means he has the ability and supports the Steelers' belief in him having the capability of being a productive NFL center. How he takes on those challenges will get be what determines just how quickly he's worked into the offensive line over B.J. Finney.