Ranking Steelers 2021 draft picks from worst to best
Kendrick Green is my highest draft grade
I should start this off by saying I have spent every waking moment since this selection finding out whatever information I could about Kendrick Green. First, I think he is going to be the steal of the draft going in the 3rd round. He played both guard and center at Illinois and he is going to take over the offensive line rather quickly.
His intangibles as a leader are outstanding. From the moment he takes over the starting spot, he is going to set a tone. The pairing of him and Dan Moore made it clear the Steelers were looking for physicality and nastiness to be added to the o-line. Seeing him likely paired with Kevin Dotson on the inside is going to be fun.
Green is very athletic and reminds me a bit of Maurkice Pouncey in his ability to pull effectively before knee injuries started to show on our stalwart at center for the last decade. I don’t think he will be at Pouncey’s level right away, but I do think that he certainly has the ceiling to get there. If Green cleans up his pass protection he is going to be a very good center for a long time. If he does that, while adjusting his approach to defenders in the second level, he has all-pro potential.
What makes this such a great pick, is not just the intangibles or athleticism. It is that he fits the schemes we are going to run perfectly. We got what is likely our biggest need in the draft, from a class without a lot of depth at the center position, in the 3rd round. We got all of this combined with a perfect fit schematically. I’m so excited to see the new offensive line come together with the additional attitude coming from the new centerpiece.
Kendrick Green: A+
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It is very clear that I am super high on this draft class. All but two of the selections I graded were in the B range or above. Colbert absolutely outdid himself in this class. Considering how fast their selections were in, each time they were on the clock it was clear that the draft was flowing the way they had predicted. Every need I had in mind for Pittsburgh was addressed aside from the cornerback position. However, this was a very successful draft for Pittsburgh and we should be excited about what’s to come.