Kendrick Green NFL Draft 2021: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers OL

HEIGHT: 6'1 7/8"

WEIGHT: 305

POSITIVES

—Outstanding center of gravity, natural leverage and core strength

—Exceptional quickness, suddenness and hip mobility to thrive in a zone-heavy run scheme

—Closes space in a blur as a puller and up to the second level with jarring force, and he has an ironhead to stun and snap smaller defenders’ heads back on contact

—Can create torque on command to displace, tilt and knock defenders off balance

—Shows ‘flash’ and ‘snatch’ techniques in pass-protection to disrupt rusher’s timing and slow down the bull-rush

—Active eyes to stay alert when engaged and peel off to pick up late-loopers and find work when uncovered with powerful shoulders and forearms into the sides of defenders

—Looks to finish blocks consistently with a pestering attitude that irritates the opponent

NEGATIVES

—Smaller stature and frame that limits position flex, making him a center only prospect

—Will get knocked on to his heels and stoned against bigger defenders over his face who win the initial leverage battle

—Struggles to generate vertical displacement against tightly aligned, bigger defensive linemen; much better with a head start on angle blocks where he can use his quickness to create momentum

—Low margin for error with hand placement and timing when isolated against quality interior pass-rushers because of shorter arms and lack of girth 

2020 STATISTICS

—Eight starts with five at left guard and three at center

—First-team All-Big 10

NOTES

—33 career game appearances with 33 consecutive starts (29 at left guard, four at center)

—Earned 12 varsity letters in high school and was a standout baseball player and wrestler in addition to being a top 10 defensive tackle recruit in Illinois 

—Training with Duke Manyweather in Dallas, Texas, in preparation for the draft

—Tested positive for COVID-19 in June of 2020 

OVERALL

Green is a three-year starter and former converted defensive tackle with a star-studded and diverse high school sports background—including being a state finalist wrestler—with a keen understanding of how to displace an opponent once latched into their frame. He is exceptionally explosive and twitched up with outstanding core strength and natural leverage that make him a plug-and-play starter at the pivot in a zone-based run scheme.

Green can reach and scoop wider aligned defenders solo while being a weapon on the move to the second and third levels of a defense. He’s also a quick processor in pass-protection with a slow-burn anchor to ‘die slowly’ against bigger, hulking power rushers.

He’s undersized without much girth, and his middling length will limit his positional and scheme versatility, particularly when asked to create vertical or immediate displacement against dominant run-defenders over his face, but in the right situation, he would be a quality starter for the foreseeable future. 

GRADE: 7.7 (Round 3)

OVERALL RANK: 67/300

POSITION RANK: IOL7

PRO COMPARISON: Roberto Garza  

Written by B/R NFL Scout Brandon Thorn