Potential draftees on the Steelers initial draft short list

Luke Wypler, Center, Ohio State

As a team known for its rich history of rock-solid centers targeting Wypler makes sense. Especially since Kendrick Green has not panned out the way the Steelers wanted. Their other options for center in 2023 are Mason Cole or Ryan McCollum. Face it, none of them remotely compare to Webster, Dawson, or Pouncey. They are fill-ins for the position like Jeff Hartings or Justin Hartwig were back from 2001-2009.

So obtaining a dominant center makes sense, but it’s unlikely Wypler would be the player to target. While Wypler would and could bring much-needed help to the center position, is he a player you would take at 17 or 32? Of the top three highest-ranking centers, you have John Michael Schmits, Minnesota, Steve Avila, TCU, and Luke Wypler. Schmitz is the highest-ranked center and approximately the 49th-best player in the draft overall. Avila at around 52 and Wypler at 70 overall.  

So Tomlin had a dinner meeting with him. This tells us the Steelers still have a need to address the center position. Yet when you look at the quality players available, 2023 is not the year to do it. Let's say the Steelers take Wypler in the 3rd or 4th round. Would he even be an automatic starter? Chances are no, and it takes him a season to become a starter unless the Steelers see something in him that others don’t  

While this preliminary list gives us some insight into who the Steelers are looking to target, it is still incomplete. Once we see who some of the other players Tomlin has a dinner meeting with, it should start to narrow down their shortlist for the first pick and will paint a clearer picture if the Steelers decide to pull the trigger and trade up or stand pat with the 17th and 32nd pick.