Steelers' Mike Tomlin Detailed What He Looks For In College Players That Might Transition To Center

The Pittsburgh Steelers are firmly in the market for a new center after letting go of Mason Cole after two seasons of service. General Manager Omar Khan said at a pre-draft press conference that the team has options on the roster, but many believe that the organization will look for a long-term answer at the position in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. Graham Barton was a tackle for the Duke Blue Devils for the majority of his collegiate career, but is being touted as a top center prospect. Pittsburgh has dabbled in trying to get players from other positions play center in the past and Mike Tomlin touched on what that player needs to have to be able to do it. 

During the pre-draft press conference on Monday at the team facilities, Tomlin was asked about what it takes for a college tackle or guard to be able to move into the middle. He said there are physical aspects at play, but those aren't the main criteria he looks at when trying to decide if a player can be a center at the next level. He said there are short tackles and tall centers, what matters is how you can perform at the position.

"Usually, there are some intellect things in terms of front identification and so forth," Tomlin explained. "There's communication-oriented things and they have to show an aptitude for that."    

The other aspect that Tomlin highlighted in his answer is to have had some kind of history in the position. 

The last time Pittsburgh tried transitioning a player from another position to center was in 2021 after selecting Illinois' Kendrick Green in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Green had five starts at center in three seasons while playing for the Fighting Illini. 

"Preferably, they have something in their background," Tomlin continued. "Whether they were a backup, a guy that did it in practice, but didn't see it in a game; maybe a guy that did it as a young guy and evolved to other positions as they've gotten older. Usually, there's a history of some kind there."

Barton, who may expect to be the first center taken due to his athletic ability, was a center to start his collegiate career. He started five games at the position in 2020 due to injuries on the team's offensive line, but transitioned to left tackle for the next three seasons. 

Steelers' Tomlin Might've Showed His Hand At Who The Team Is Targeting In The 2024 NFL Draft

It's firmly what they call "lying season" in the NFL, so parsing the words of general managers and coaches at this stage can be a fool's errand. However, reading Tomlin's comments about transitioning to the center position, seems to point directly at Barton.

Tomlin specifically mentioned players who did it as a young guy before moving to other positions, which is exactly what Barton did. Some are concerned that at 6'5", he's too big to play center. Tomlin specifically said that he isn't necessarily worried about physicals for players on the offensive line. 

As for the failed Green-to-center experiment, which ended with the team trying him at fullback before sending him to the Houston Texans, Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ray Fittipaldo, said the constant comparison between Barton and Green needs to stop. The two are very different prospects; one is a consensus bottom half of the first-round or early second-round pick, and the other was taken with the 87th overall pick in the third round. 

Pittsburgh will have to balance how strongly they believe those other center-capable players on the roster can be starters and how much better they think someone from this class of centers is a better option. With multiple needs on the team and a perceived devaluation of the position, it will be intriguing to see where the team decides to go in filling their need at center.