Austin Corbett is making the move from guard to center this offseason, replacing Bradley Bozeman who the team released earlier this spring. The center spot is not completely foreign to Corbett, having played the position a little bit during his stint with the Cleveland Browns.
Making the transition can be a big leap for some, but there appears to be little concern with regards to Corbett. He’s a very intelligent football player who has seen and experienced a lot in this league. Where the concern comes in is his overall health. He’s suffered season-ending knee injuries in consecutive seasons and anytime a lineman has a pair of serious knee injuries happen in a short period of time, there’s reason to worry.
Fortunately for the Panthers, this is a good draft to need a center. Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon), Zach Frazier (West Virginia), Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (Georgia), and Hunter Nourzad (Penn State) are all viewed as prospects who could take on a starting role early in their career.
So, how does Panthers head coach Dave Canales view the center spot entering the draft?
“My approach, our approach is really how can we challenge this roster every year? So if it’s free agency, if it’s through the draft, let’s attack all of our spots because we don’t want any of our players to just be complacent sitting there like hey, I got this, no big deal. That’s another position right there where I think it’s a great opportunity for Corbs. I think for him, the way that…
