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Leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft starting on April 29th, we will be releasing several draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Next up…
Myers weighs in at 312lbs, standing at 6’5″ and is one of the most powerful centers in the draft.
Overview:
Josh Myers comes from a family of athletes that featured both of his parents playing Division I sports, and one of his older brothers was also a starting offensive lineman at the University of Kentucky. Myers was the top recruit in the state of Ohio and came onto campus in Columbus with high expectations. He started his career at guard being a backup to current Cincinnati Bengals left guard Michael Jordan (no not THE Michael Jordan). In 2019 he was expected to take over for Jordan, but Myers was moved to center to be the starter there instead, and he hasn’t looked back since. Myers immediately showed to be one of the most powerful run blockers in college football, and was a consistent force for the Buckeyes for the past two seasons.
Pros:
Cons:
With the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers are left with a hole in the center of their offensive line, as well as need help in the run game. Myers has the ability and power to fill in that hole and potentially fix the run game issue.
Hand Technique and Footwork:
From the waist down there is very little to worry about with Myers. He has solid foot quickness and keeps his lower half under control. Myers has a great first step off of the ball and times it well with his snap all in sync, usually getting the advantage over his opponent. Myers biggest weakness comes from his waist up. First he is a waist bender at times, which gets him leaning too far forward and can get off balance due to his upper body being extended. He possesses great length, but his hand usage is sub-par to say the least, as it might be the worst part of his game. If he gets with a solid coach to fine tune his weaknesses, he should have no issues becoming a solid starter for several years.
Mobility:
Myers isn’t going to be considered the next Maurkice Pouncey anytime soon, but he is able to move around more than some would expect for a center his size. While he probably shouldn’t ever be asked to pull to the edge, he is capable of getting out of his stance quick enough to reach defensive tackles. Moving laterally is an outside zone running scheme isn’t the way to utilize his talents the best as it eliminates his power moving downhill, but when asked he has proven capable. He also has consistently shown the ability to climb to the second level and cut off linebackers not letting them get to the play.
Power and Strength:
Myers plays with play strength as good as almost any lineman at any position in this draft class. He converts speed to power as he has great burst off of the ball as well, which allows him to drive guys back with ease a lot of the time. It is easy to see on tape he is one of the strongest guys on the field with how often he is able to put his man on their back while making it look like the defender wasn’t resisting. However, his power may also be his downfall at time, as he can rely on it too much by consistently looking to add a pancake to his stats.
Football IQ:
No surprise being the team’s starting center in his 3rd and 4th seasons, but Myers was the one calling out the protections for Ohio State’s offensive line both seasons. He did a good job in this aspect, as the line worked well together and rarely had miscommunications leaving to unblocked defenders. He does a good job after the snap of recognizing stunts and trading guys off with his guards. In 2020 there were a couple miscommunications that weren’t there in 2019, but that is something that should be a minor issue that is fixable moving forward.
NFL Comparison – Frank Ragnow:
Both of Frank Ragnow and Myers are bigger centers who excel in the run game getting downhill. Ragnow was surpassingly the first center taken, as he had some of the same deficiencies as Myers did coming out. Ragnow has been one of the best centers in the NFL the last two seasons after fixing some of his weaknesses, and Myers profiles as someone that very likely could be on a same career trajectory.
Draft Projection – 3rd Round:
Centers are always tricky to gauge, as there are usually a limited number of them in the draft, but also a limited number of them needed immediately by NFL teams. Myers is likely the third center to come off the board in April, and could sneak into the second round if the other options are already off the board earlier than expected.
Let us know below what you think about Myers as a prospect, and let us know what other prospects you could be interested in seeing a profile on!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Josh Myers (Center), The Ohio State, Redshirt Junior
Myers weighs in at 312lbs, standing at 6’5″ and is one of the most powerful centers in the draft.
Overview:
Josh Myers comes from a family of athletes that featured both of his parents playing Division I sports, and one of his older brothers was also a starting offensive lineman at the University of Kentucky. Myers was the top recruit in the state of Ohio and came onto campus in Columbus with high expectations. He started his career at guard being a backup to current Cincinnati Bengals left guard Michael Jordan (no not THE Michael Jordan). In 2019 he was expected to take over for Jordan, but Myers was moved to center to be the starter there instead, and he hasn’t looked back since. Myers immediately showed to be one of the most powerful run blockers in college football, and was a consistent force for the Buckeyes for the past two seasons.
Pros:
- Great strength at point of attack
- Burst of off the line
- Size
- Versatility, can play center or guard
- Has experience in many different run schemes
- Smooth athlete
- Consistent in climbing to the second level
- Violent, powerful hands
- Football IQ is very high
- Mean Streak definitely present
- Has ability to put people on their back any play
Cons:
- Not a great athlete. Is smooth but may be limited upside
- Whiffs more than you’d like, usually trying to go for a pancake
- Lateral quickness could be better when helping out guards in pass protection
- Hand technique needs significant improvement
- Bends too much at the waist
With the retirement of Maurkice Pouncey, the Steelers are left with a hole in the center of their offensive line, as well as need help in the run game. Myers has the ability and power to fill in that hole and potentially fix the run game issue.
Hand Technique and Footwork:
From the waist down there is very little to worry about with Myers. He has solid foot quickness and keeps his lower half under control. Myers has a great first step off of the ball and times it well with his snap all in sync, usually getting the advantage over his opponent. Myers biggest weakness comes from his waist up. First he is a waist bender at times, which gets him leaning too far forward and can get off balance due to his upper body being extended. He possesses great length, but his hand usage is sub-par to say the least, as it might be the worst part of his game. If he gets with a solid coach to fine tune his weaknesses, he should have no issues becoming a solid starter for several years.
Mobility:
Myers isn’t going to be considered the next Maurkice Pouncey anytime soon, but he is able to move around more than some would expect for a center his size. While he probably shouldn’t ever be asked to pull to the edge, he is capable of getting out of his stance quick enough to reach defensive tackles. Moving laterally is an outside zone running scheme isn’t the way to utilize his talents the best as it eliminates his power moving downhill, but when asked he has proven capable. He also has consistently shown the ability to climb to the second level and cut off linebackers not letting them get to the play.
Power and Strength:
Myers plays with play strength as good as almost any lineman at any position in this draft class. He converts speed to power as he has great burst off of the ball as well, which allows him to drive guys back with ease a lot of the time. It is easy to see on tape he is one of the strongest guys on the field with how often he is able to put his man on their back while making it look like the defender wasn’t resisting. However, his power may also be his downfall at time, as he can rely on it too much by consistently looking to add a pancake to his stats.
Football IQ:
No surprise being the team’s starting center in his 3rd and 4th seasons, but Myers was the one calling out the protections for Ohio State’s offensive line both seasons. He did a good job in this aspect, as the line worked well together and rarely had miscommunications leaving to unblocked defenders. He does a good job after the snap of recognizing stunts and trading guys off with his guards. In 2020 there were a couple miscommunications that weren’t there in 2019, but that is something that should be a minor issue that is fixable moving forward.
NFL Comparison – Frank Ragnow:
Both of Frank Ragnow and Myers are bigger centers who excel in the run game getting downhill. Ragnow was surpassingly the first center taken, as he had some of the same deficiencies as Myers did coming out. Ragnow has been one of the best centers in the NFL the last two seasons after fixing some of his weaknesses, and Myers profiles as someone that very likely could be on a same career trajectory.
Draft Projection – 3rd Round:
Centers are always tricky to gauge, as there are usually a limited number of them in the draft, but also a limited number of them needed immediately by NFL teams. Myers is likely the third center to come off the board in April, and could sneak into the second round if the other options are already off the board earlier than expected.
Let us know below what you think about Myers as a prospect, and let us know what other prospects you could be interested in seeing a profile on!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
