Steelers mock draft round 2: Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia
Nobody will be surprised if and when the Pittsburgh Steelers take a center in the 2024 NFL Draft.In fact, you can bet it will happen on the first two days of the draft if they don't address the position in free agency. Mason Cole simply hasn't been cutting it, and he hit rock bottom during his 2023 campaign with the Steelers.
Cole's play wasn't as egregious as what we saw from Kendrick Green as a rookie in 2021, but according to Pro Football Focus, Cole graded out as just the 29th-best center in the NFL during the 2023 season -- earning a dismal pass-block grade of just 32.4. Considering there are only 32 NFL teams, this means that things were about as bad as they could get for Pittsburgh at the center position this past season.
Enter Sedrick Van Pran -- a center prospect out of Georgia. Van Pran has started all three years in the SEC for the Bulldogs and is coming off the best seasons of his college career. Van Pran is a former four-star recruit who has developed into a quality NFL prospect thanks to his blend of size (6'4'', 310) and strength at the position.
Van Pran is 22 years old and has been healthy throughout his college career. He comes at a big position of need for the Steelers and the value could line up perfectly for them early on Day 2. Don't be surprised if they go this route with their second-round pick in April.