[W]hen the Cowboys used a first-round draft pick on Travis Frederick in 2013, many of us in the "media draft expert fraternity" scoffed. Frederick was clearly good, a starter since his freshman season at Wisconsin, an All-America selection in 2012, a well-regarded "high motor" type. But only elite center prospects are drafted in the first round, and even then by teams with few other needs.
Only eight centers were drafted in the first round from 1994 until Frederick's selection in 2013. Dallas, desperate for defensive help, had reached for a solid-but-unspectacular player, the kind who is supposed to be plentiful in later rounds.
Less than two years later, the Cowboys' offensive line is the talk of the NFL, and Frederick ranks behind Nick Mangold as the
second-best center in the NFL in Pro Football Focus' rankings. With the Cowboys playoff-bound,
DeMarco Murray running away with the rushing title and draftniks like me publicly eating crow about our 2013 criticism, Frederick has become a rarity: a famous, high-profile center.
The Cowboys face the Colts on Sunday, a team that chose not to make a heavy investment at center....
The Colts approach the playoffs with the inexperienced and exploitable Harrison protecting
Andrew Luck and trying to create space for the team's glitchy running game. Harrison may be improving, but he will be hard-pressed to improve quickly enough to be an asset in a matchup against the conference superpowers.
Perhaps if the Colts had invested more at the center position—if not a Frederick, then a midround pick like Stork or a former starter like Montgomery—they might look like more than a one-and-done playoff team.
