3 takeaways from Steelers picks on day two of the NFL Draft

Kendrick Green wasn’t the center that most wanted, but is he what the Steelers need?

I’ve got to be honest with you: this one caught me off guard. I had heard that the Steelers were at his Illinois Pro Day which technically put him on the map, but I really didn’t think that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert would consider a player like Kendrick Green with the 87th overall pick in the third round. Fans were enamored with Wisconsin-Whitewater center, Quinn Meinerz, and it’s not hard to see why. Meinerz was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl this offseason and there were reports that the Steelers really liked him.

In fact, many in the business (including myself) thought that he would be in strong contention for the pick in round two, but that obviously wasn’t the case. According to our consensus board that averages the rankings of over a dozen NFL Draft analysts, Kendrick Green came in as just the 110th ranked player, so the Steelers were clearly much higher on him than the media was.

I still need to do a deeper dive into Green’s film as he was a player that I just brushed through this offseason, but I do know that he is a phenomenal athlete and a terrific mover in space. At first glance, it’s not hard to see a little Maurkice Pouncey in his game. The Steelers reportedly told Green they want him to play center (which doesn’t come as a big surprise, considering their need). Green is a bit undersized but has the tools and athletic profile to make up for it.