Is Austin Corbett Being Overlooked Following Transition to Center?

The Panthers' new center is ranked 20th at his position by Pro Football Focus.

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Instead of taking a center in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers pushed all their chips to the center of the table on Austin Corbett who has spent the last two years as the team's starting right guard when healthy.

Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus pegged Corbett as the league's 20th-best center, just two spots behind former Panther Bradley Bozeman.

"Corbett was restricted to just four games for the Panthers in 2023, earning a 47.9 grade across 257 snaps. He has spent the majority of his career with the Panthers and Rams at right guard but is likely shifting across to the center position in 2024. He’s earned a 68.4 overall grade over the past three seasons."

Right now, the only true center on the Panthers' roster is Andrew Raym, who is an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma. There is some concern with Corbett's ability to play the position although much of that comes from outside of 800 S Mint St.

“It’s been fine,” Corbett said about his transition. “I’ve been groomed to be a center my entire career. Kind of even starting back in college, played every game at left tackle but my coach Brian Polian said if you’re going to play in the league you’re going to be a good center. You’re too good not to. I’ve been the emergency center on every team I’ve been on. I was the starting center going into Super Bowl year back in ’21 through training camp and then ended up shifting around. It’s nothing new by any stretch of the imagination.”

Fixing the offensive line was a priority for GM Dan Morgan this offseason. If he didn't have confidence in Corbett as a center, he would have made a move either in free agency or the draft. The fact that they've still not brought in a center with NFL experience as insurance speaks volumes to their belief in Corbett.

For having not played the position full-time at this level, being ranked 20th is respectable. However, I do believe he is more in the range of being a fringe top 15 guy.

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