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The Steelers have a big void to fill at center with Maurkice Pouncey retiring in February. They've re-signed J.C. Hassenauer and have signed B.J. Finney after a year away from the team, but they seem like more depth signings, or at least they should be.
There are still a few centers left in free agency, but most of the top-tier options are already gone. There are about 3-4 centers in this year's draft that are considered plug-and-play players, and one of them is Alabama center Landon Dickerson, who has reportedly spoken with the Steelers in the draft process, according to Nick Farabaugh of Steelers Now.
NFL Network and NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had a pre-draft media conference call via Zoom earlier this month and said the Steelers would be an ideal spot for Dickerson.
"He's almost the perfect Steeler. He's physical and nasty. He's fun to watch. He's quick," Jeremiah said. "He's a taller guy (6-foot-6), but we've seen the Steelers coming off a pretty good run here with a tall center (Maurkice Pouncey)."
While Dickerson is a big and physical center that isn't afraid to get nasty. He does have a lengthy injury history, however, and is coming off an ACL tear that he injured in the SEC title game. Despite the red flags when it comes to being durable, Jeremiah still sees Dickerson as a perfect candidate to replace Pouncey
Below is a scouting report on Dickerson by The Draft Network.
"Landon Dickerson is a well-traveled prospect that played at Florida State (2016-2018) and Alabama (2019-2020). Playing all five positions up front, he has gained experience at multiple spots. Settling in along the interior during the back half of his career, he came into his own while in Tuscaloosa. Dickerson is a stoutly built interior blocker that has a well-developed understanding of how to use his frame. Extremely strong at the point of attack, he has above average hand power, body strength, and awareness. Although a below-average athlete, he wins with acceleration out of his stance by latching on quickly and not allowing matchups to detach. At his best when asked to stay within a controlled environment that hardly ever exceeds the B gaps, he’s constantly looking for work on either side. Playing through the whistle is constant, as he has the control to steer and direct targets to desired locations. The biggest concern with Dickerson is durability. His redshirt junior season (2019) is the only year where he’s been able to finish a season healthy from start to finish. He’s sustained a laundry list of injuries: torn right ACL (Nov. 2016), ankle surgery (Oct. 2017), ankle injury (2018), ligament damage to left knee (Dec. 2020)."