Covitz-NFL draft: Evaluating the centers

[Tribal Warfare]

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/584488.html


NFL draft: Evaluating the centers

This is the ninth in a series examining positions leading into the Saturday-Sunday NFL draft.

Top five prospects


Player, school Ht. Wt. Comment
Mike Pollak, Arizona State 6-31/2 301 All Pac-10 selection
Steve Justice, Wake Forest 6-3 3/8 293 All-ACC in 2006-07
John Sullivan, Notre Dame 6-3 1/2 301 Could play guard, too
Doug Legursky, Marshall 6-1 1/4 323 Two-year captain
Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green 6-2 1/4 298 Had shoulder injury
Big 12 prospects


Player, school Ht. Wt. Comment
Cody Wallace, Texas A&M 6-4 1/8 296 Made 37 straight starts
Adam Spieker, Missouri 6-2 1/8 308 Started all 49 games at MU
•SLEEPER: Tim McCutcheon of Division II California (Pa.) is the only player in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference history to earn first-team all-league recognition at three different positions — tackle in 2004 and 2007, guard in 2005 and center in 2006.

•FUN FACT: SMU’s Ben Poynter is enrolled in the school’s Professional MBA graduate program, where the average age of the students is 29.

•CHIEFS’ NEEDS: The Chiefs are considering moving veteran Brian Waters to center. Otherwise, if the season were to open today, the Chiefs’ starting center would be converted guard Rudy Niswanger, who is coming off major knee surgery. This is a big need.

[kcchiefsus]

Converted guard? Since when is Niswanger a converted guard? He just about every offensive line position at LSU but center was his primary position. Converted guard my ass.

[CoMoChief]

Spieker is an animal in a spread maybe more of a cut blocking scheme, though he would get completely destroyed in our run it up the centers ass type running game

[suds79]

Didn't we just have the problem with Casey and his 285 lb weak @$$?

Outside of the Marshall kid, they all seem a little light in the pants if you ask me.

[kcchiefsus]

Didn't we just have the problem with Casey and his 285 lb weak @$$?

Outside of the Marshall kid, they all seem a little light in the pants if you ask me.

Uhhh, the average center is around 300 pounds. So guys like Pollak and Sullivan are just about the right size for the center position.

[sedated]

Legursky is a great name for an offensive lineman

[Chief Faithful]

I'm very intrigued by John Sullivan. He seems to be a real athlete with his wrestling and swimming background so I think he could play both center and guard. Plus, Notre Dame is a good program for OLinemen.

[Mecca]

This isn't a good year for interior lineman, a guy like Sullivan to me profiles out as a career backup.....I'm not sure any of those guys will be good starters.

[kcchiefsus]

This isn't a good year for interior lineman, a guy like Sullivan to me profiles out as a career backup.....I'm not sure any of those guys will be good starters.

I think you are mistaken about Mike Pollak. He will never be a superstar but since when is center a superstar position? IMO Pollak is more than capable of starting at center for the next 7 or 8 years.

[Mecca]

I think you are mistaken about Mike Pollak. He will never be a superstar but since when is center a superstar position? IMO Pollak is more than capable of starting at center for the next 7 or 8 years.

Possibly, but he's not a top level prospect by any means, kinda sad after Chilo Rachal most of the best guard prospects become guys who can convert from OT.

[suds79]

Uhhh, the average center is around 300 pounds. So guys like Pollak and Sullivan are just about the right size for the center position.

Yeah and I don't doubt that.

My question is why? I mean Guards are routinely 315+ in the NFL and they pull on certain plays.

I just wonder why you don't see bigger Centers more often. Given our power running attach we're going with, I'd think a guy like that would be better suited to handle those 320 DTs.