With veteran Justin Hartwig at center, Pittsburgh Steelers first-round center Maurkice Pouncey was expected to begin his NFL career at right guard. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes that after two practices, that may change.

"Before it did, people in the organization were talking about how they had not seen this kind of play by a center against nose tackles since Dermontti Dawson retired a decade ago. Pouncey, who lined up at center and right guard in the two Saturday practices at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, moves nose tackles back. He gets low, gets leverage and away they go as if on roller skates. His feet move like no center since Dawson."

The "it" that Bouchette refers to is a hamstring injury that Pouncey suffered on Sunday morning while running additional conditioning tests, despite passing tests and practicing the day before.

Bouchette notes that Pouncey hasn't played guard since his freshman season at the University of Florida, and the rookie says he'll play wherever the team needs him to play.

Pouncey was drafted in the first round to play center, though.

"I mean, at center, I have to know everything that's going on," Pouncey said. "Every call, I can't mess up then. There's a lot you have to learn, you have to call out the 'Mike' [linebacker] every play even though they're not going to him. There's just things you have to learn, all the calls and everything to help the other guys out."