Ranking all 8 of the Steelers rookie play so far in 2021

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88). Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88). Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
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Steelers
Kendrick Green #53 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Steelers Kendrick Green

Of all of the Steelers playing draft picks, Kendrick Green has played the worse of the group. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise as Green was a raw and undersized coming out of Illinois and mostly played guard in college. He had a lot of potential and his athleticism and demeanor were a plus, but there were a lot of questions surrounding the player the team was pigeonholing into their starting center spot.

All of that said, Green has been worse than expected. His physicality at the line can get overshadowed by bigger and stronger defenders which leads to him being pushed back. His pass blocking has been mediocre and his technique there has been bad. Worse yet, his snapping has become inconsistent, as the past few weeks he has sailed some bad snaps which have cost the Steelers drives.

While expecting a third-round pick to be elite off the back would be unwise, Green has been notably worse than most thought he would be. Even though he has made some steps forward as a run defender, his pass blocking is tough to get past. There is a real chance the Steelers target a center again this offseason and try to kick Green back to guard. His tape as a center has been tough and he has easily been one of, if not the, worst lineman on the team.

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