The Pittsburgh Steelers have a clear need at center ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, and if the team doesn’t target the position in the first round, there are still players who could be a fit for the team on Day 2. One of those is Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. He could be an option for the Steelers with one of their two third-round draft picks, and ESPN’s Jordan Reid named Van Pran-Granger the prospect the Steelers could zero in on to fill a need outside of Round 1.
“With two picks in the third round, Pittsburgh could target Van Pran as its new starter up the middle. He finished his Georgia career with 45 consecutive starts and could start on Day 1 for the Steelers,” Reid wrote.
The Steelers released center Mason Cole in late February, leaving Nate Herbig as their best option at center. Despite making a push for former Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse after his release, the Steelers let the free agent center market come and go without making a move. Now finding a center is one of the team’s top priorities in the draft.
The first-round options at center include Duke’s Graham Barton and Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, but given that the Steelers also have needs at cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver, they could wait to address the position. That opens up the door for Zach Frazier as an option in Round 2, and Van Pran-Granger is probably right around the same level but a step below in the eyes of evaluators, making him a potential third-round option.
One of the anchors of some impressive Georgia offensive lines, Van Pran-Granger could likely step in as a plug-and-play starter, but general manager Omar Khan also talked about the idea of trading for a center. It’s feasible to think that the Steelers could trade for a potential stopgap option at the position if they don’t feel comfortable starting Van Pran-Granger right out of the gate to at center. Then again, the Steelers had no qualms with making Kendrick Green a Day 1 starter at center as a third-round pick despite limited experience at the position, so they could do the same again with someone who’s proven he can play the position in Van Pran-Granger.
There are a number of different routes the Steelers can take when it comes to filling their needs in the top three rounds, but Steelers fans should earmark every top center available as a potential option. If they view center as a priority, then they could address the position in the first two rounds, but if they want to address other needs first, watch for Van Pran-Granger as an option in the third round.
