The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a good job in recent years rebuilding the offensive line, investing heavily in the trenches via the NFL Draft and in free agency.
GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl might not be done anytime soon, either.
Though it remains very, very early in the 2023 season and a lot of football still needs to be played, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger identified one key area of need for the Black and Gold in the trenches offensively moving forward: center.
Current center Mason Cole is in the second year of a three-year deal with the Steelers after signing in free agency ahead of the 2022 season. He missed just 46 snaps in the 2022 season, playing through a number of lower-body injuries. While he’s been relatively solid and has taken on a key leadership role while developing a strong rapport with quarterback Kenny Pickett, the position could be upgraded upon from the Steelers’ perspective overall.
“Pittsburgh has signed its starting guards in free agency over the past two offseasons in James Daniels and Isaac Seumalo, and the center spot belongs to another 2022 free agent acquisition in Mason Cole, but a player with more upside could help Kenny Pickett continue to grow in this offense,” Spielberger writes for PFF.
Last season in his first year with the Steelers, Cole graded out at a 67.1 overall from Pro Football Focus, including a 66.5 run blocking grade and a 63.8 pass blocking grade, allowing just two sacks and 21 pressures. Solid numbers overall.
He got off to a poor start in the 2023 season though, grading out at a 49.2 overall in the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, including a 59.8 as a run blocker and a paltry 27.9 run-blocking grade.
While he was solid in 2022 and has established himself as a key leader on a rebuilt line, the Steelers could search for an upgrade in the draft or in free agency. Spielberger identified Georgia’s Sedrick Van Pran in the draft and Dallas Cowboys center Tyler Biadasz in free agency as two potential options for the Steelers next offseason.
“Van Pran has earned pass-blocking grades above 72.0 in two consecutive seasons as the Bulldogs’ starting center. He has continued to excel so far in 2023 keeping new quarterback Carson Beck upright. He looks to be the top center prospect in the class to this point,” Spielberger writes.
The Georgia center is someone that Steelers Depot’s own Jonathan Heitritter highlighted this summer as a name to watch throughout the draft process for the Black and Gold. Here’s what Heitritter had to say about Van Pran: “Sedrick Van Pran is an athletic center who will excel in zone-blocking schemes thanks to his mobility and aggressiveness as a run blocker. He has balance core strength issues he needs to work on to be more sound as a pass protector, but he has shown to be capable protecting the QB when asked to handle the IDL solo or help with the guard on pass protection assignments. He is still only 21 years old, suggesting that his game can take another step forward in 2023 should he work on these tendencies while maximizing his strengths as a stellar run blocker.”
That certainly sounds like a guy that could — and should — be on the radar for the Steelers, not that Cole has done anything wrong.
As for Biadasz, Spielberger highlighted the Dallas center entering the final year of his rookie contract as a player the Steelers could get their hands on in free agency, one who would solidify the center position even further.
“Dallas has several marquee players to give huge contract extensions to this upcoming offseason, which may make it tough to retain Biadasz beyond 2023. The former fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin has earned pass-blocking grades above 65.0 in back-to-back seasons and will look to build on that growth in 2023,” Spielberger writes.
Though the pandemic threw the pre-draft process out of whack in 2020, the Steeler did their work on Biadasz. With center and guard flexibility coming out of college, Biadasz is an intriguing option. He graded out at a 61.7 overall in 2022 for the Cowboys, including a 59.6 as a run blocker and a 66.3 in pass protection, allowing just 15 pressures and no sacks last season.
The Steelers have done a really good job the last two offseasons of investing in the trenches and retooling there on the fly. That can’t stop now, either. Center is the next logical position to upgrade up front.
