3 reasons Kendrick Green could prove to be Steelers best draft choice

High-end athletic traits and demeanor Steelers covet

I touched on this a bit already, but it’s worth spending some time on. To be honest, center is a position that doesn’t require elite athletic traits. Let’s use Dallas’ Travis Frederick as an example. Despite earning a Relative Athletic Score in the 26th percentile, Frederick was utterly dominant – earning five straight Pro Bowls from 2014-2019 before retiring in the 2020 offseason.

However, these athletic traits become much more important when blocking for a wide zone team – something new offensive coordinator Matt Canada clearly wants to implement. When watching Green’s film, it’s easy to see his elite athletic traits jump off the screen. His 94th percentile 10-yard split and 99th percentile board jump match up with the quickness and exposition we see from the snap.

In addition, Kendrick Green has an absolute mean streak to his game – something we know full well that the Steelers covet. His physical demeanor and competitive nature leave Green unsatisfied unless he’s driving a defender into the turf each play. This high-effort, high-energy play is going to allow him to stick around for a long time in Pittsburgh.

Everyone is pointing to Najee Harris and Pat Freiermuth as pivotal pieces of the future, but Kendrick Green could outlast them all while proving to be the best draft choice the Steelers made this year. I have a feeling fans will be pleased with this selection soon enough.