Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendrick Green a nice addition up front

With the 87th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers took Kendrick Green, an interesting interior offensive line prospect out of Illinois. The Steelers had to say goodbye to a beloved member of their offensive line in Maurkice Pouncey, who decided to retire this off-season. Green could be the ideal player to replace him.

Green is a big, raw prospect who has guard flexibility but will most likely play center at the next level. This pick may seem like a reach, but adding Green does fill a need with a talented player. Green will have time to develop with the Steelers signing BJ Finney and could become a long-time starter.

Kendrick Green stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 315 pounds making him a mailer up the middle at any inside position on the offensive line. Even though he is a very large human being, Green is quick out of his stance and shows impressive mobility in space.

The Pittsburgh Steelers love to have their inside pass protectors swing out in space on screens and delayed hand-offs which Green can do well with his mobility. Green fits that scheme perfectly and has a great sense of picking up blocks into the second level.

Kendrick Green is a raw prospect but he does enter the league with a lot of college experience under his belt. Green started all three seasons at Illinois and played both guard and center. Patience is the biggest weakness in Green’s game, as he tends to over-commit and miss blocks at times, but the passion is there.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always had pride in the run game and Kendrick Green fits that mentality perfectly. With time, Green could develop into a starting center in the NFL and go down in the books with former legends like Mike Webster and Maurkice Pouncey in the great history of centers who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers.