I keep hearing a statement said on podcasts and draft shows that the center position is not one of value in football. I usually defer to what these people say, as I’m no expert. I’m decent at putting sentences together in a cohesive thought, and have been a Steelers fan for some 42 of my 50 years now, which enables me to write articles about the team. An expert that does not make me. Some of the comments on my articles make sure to let me know that. However, I think I have some valid counterpoints with that take.

First, just the name of the position, Center. Usually the center of anything is valuable. Whether it’s the sun at the center of our solar system, the wheel hub assembly holding a tire to an axle, or even the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop, all play an important part in their particular role. A center in football calls out the protection, snaps the ball, and is in the path of the shortest line to get to the quarterback. That sounds like a position of value to me.

Perhaps it’s a matter of perspective. If you don’t currently have several large athletic men paid to inflict duress upon your physical being standing directly across from you, a skilled center may not matter to you. But if you are say…an aging Ben Roethlisberger in his last year…ask him and I’m sure he would have several strong arguments on what makes that position so vital.

My aunt was friends with a person dating Carlos Emmons when he was drafted out of Arkansas State University by the Steelers, and she surprised me with a shirt he had signed by most of the team. There are many cool signatures on it by skilled position players, but the one that always draws my eye is Demontti Dawson. We take it for granted now that a center will pull and block down on guard responsibilities, but it was not a technique done much at all until Dawson suggested it to the coaching staff. He opened up an entire new philosophy to the run game, and has a HOF yellow jacket to back it up. A great center has always been present in all the successful Steeler teams of the past. It’s been the heart of a physical offensive game plan that is a thing of beauty when it’s revved up and rolling downhill.

I think the current needs of a team and their philosophy of play determine the value of a pick more than the position. If your team needs a center, as the Steelers certainly do, and want to establish a dominating run game, then getting a “dude” to anchor the line is extremely valuable. I would welcome getting a guy like Zach Frazier that would bring that “Steeler Way” attitude and play to the center position for years to come in the first two picks. Whether or not a draft analyst thinks it is a good “value” pick does not concern me. Some other team can win the draft. With a stalwart center in place for years to come, the Steelers can get back to winning the line of scrimmage, and when that happens, trophies usually come with it.