Maurkice Pouncey is coming off perhaps his worst season in the NFL. Should the Pittsburgh Steelers look for his replacement early in the 2020 NFL Draft?
The Steelers have got a lot of difficult choices to make starting tomorrow. They will no doubt be looking to add depth at positions like edge defender, safety and wide receiver, and finding a replacement for Javon Hargrave could be one of their top priorities. However, finding an eventual replacement for Maurkice Pouncey could be something that is on the back of their minds.
Despite his fan-voted selection to the Pro Bowl in 2019 (marking the 8th of his storied career), Pouncey is coming off perhaps the worst season in the league. He ranked 36th of 37 qualifying centers in 2019 with an overall grade of 51.5, according to Pro Football Focus.
Pouncey turns 31 years old this offseason and is entering his 10th year in the league. Though his play could improve with the return of Ben Roethlisberger in 2019, he is clearly starting to decline.
The Steelers don’t have a lot of draft capital to go around in this year’s NFL Draft, but addressing the center position is something that has to be on their radar. Where Pittsburgh is picking in the second round, there could be a few solid candidates.
Michigan’s Cesar Ruiz and LSU’s Llyod Cushenberry both posses solid value at pick 49. They have ideal size metrics, solid athletic measurables, and good tape. Both project as long-time starting centers at the NFL level.
If Pittsburgh misses out on them or elects to go a different direction in the second round, they may be able to find Pouncey’s eventual replacement a round or two later. Temple center Matt Hennessey tested as a terrific athlete and could an excellent pick in with their compensatory third-rounder (if he makes it that far), while Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz is a powerful, road-grading center they might be able to land in the third or fourth round.
Admittedly, the 2020 draft class is pretty weak overall when it comes to interior offensive linemen, but that doesn’t mean the Steelers can’t find good value at certain points in the draft.
The fact of the matter is that Pouncey was just not very good in 2019, and after nearly a decade of wear-and-tear in the NFL, his prolific career could be coming to an end soon. Pittsburgh added Stefan Wisniewski this offseason as insurance to the guard and center positions, but he’s older than Pouncey and he was likely brought on as insurance to the interior offensive line.
Though he has two years remaining on his deal, Pittsburgh could technically get out of his contract after the 2020 season. The Steelers may not find Maurkice Pouncey’s in the 2020 NFL Draft, but it’s something they will have to start looking for in the near future.