3 reasons Steelers will take a center early in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Steelers are going to require a new starting center in 2021. Here’s why Pittsburgh will likely take one in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft. 

The Steelers are just a few weeks removed from the NFL Playoffs, but already we are starting to see some major changes unfold. After Pittsburgh elected to let Randy Fichtner walk in addition to moving on from three other coaches this offseason, Vance McDonald recently announced his retirement, and Maurkice Pouncey apparently has plans to do the same.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently reported that Pouncey will ‘likely retire’ after 11 seasons with the Steelers. This news doesn’t come as a total shock as Pouncey has played his worst football over the past two seasons, and his playoff game against the Cleveland Browns this year was arguably the worst contest of his NFL career.

With Pouncey likely to move on to the next chapter of his life, the Steelers have a void to fill at center. Here are three reasons why it’s very probable that Pittsburgh will take a center within the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft:

Pouncey’s departure leaves a gaping hole

Disregarding the lack of depth behind Pouncey on Pittsburgh’s roster, the Steelers were going to be in the market for a new center any way you slice it. Though he miraculously made the Pro Bowl in 2019, Pouncey is nowhere near the center he once was. It sounds like it’s almost certain that he will be done at this point, and Pittsburgh must find a way to bring in a player who is capable of starting.

Their most likely answer to this is to take a center early in the 2021 NFL Draft. Landon Dickerson and Creed Humphry are the two top candidates that come to mind. Though these players seem like a bit of a stretch of the first round, we have to believe that they will be on Pittsburgh’s radar this April.