Heading into the second round, I had my eyes set on the center position. I was surprised by the play of Mason Cole a season ago, as he was one of the steadier players on the line a year ago despite previous struggles. While he shouldn’t be the long-term center, I figured he could be a fine starter there for a few more seasons.
Unfortunately, Cole has regressed this season and has quickly become a liability on the line. While the odds are decent that he is allowed to play another season here, the team needs to prioritize finding their future starter.
They land Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran in the second round. He is likely to be the top center in this class given his size and athleticism, but he lacks a lot of refinement as a blocker. Some will argue that the middle of the second round is too late, but centers tend to fall in the draft. Add in his rough edges and him falling this far isn’t unthinkable.
Van Pran would land in an ideal scenario though. He could sit behind Cole for the first year as he learns the ropes and refines his craft. If Cole continues to regress, you have someone waiting in the wings. If not, Cole sits for a year and develops behind Cole. It would be a win-win scenario and another building block for this line to work with.