Instead of drafting a center in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers are banking on Austin Corbett, who has been their starting right guard when healthy for the past two years. Despite concerns about his ability to transition to center, Corbett has been solid at guard and is set to move to the center position in the upcoming season. With only undrafted free agent Andrew Raym as the other center on the roster, the Panthers are putting their trust in Corbett to make the switch successfully.
Regarding his change, Corbett remarked, “It’s been fine.” “Throughout my career, I have been prepared to be a centre. Played every game at left tackle during my college career, sort of even beginning there, but my coach Brian Polian said that if I wanted to play in the league, I needed to develop into a solid centre. You’re too talented to not. On every team I’ve been a part of, I have been the emergency centre. I ended up shifting around after training camp in ’21, when I was the starting centre heading into Super Bowl year. By any means, it’s nothing novel.
GM Dan Morgan prioritised fixing the offensive line this offseason. Had he not trusted Corbett to play centre, 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.
