I agree that center is important, to be clear. I just think it'd be poor practice to take one so high when the rest of the NFL at large hasn't in so long.
For reference, KICKER has been taken in the top 17 picks more recently than center has (Janikowski 17th overall in 2000 vs. Damien Woody 17th overall in 1999).
Us taking JPJ at 16 would be the largest draft investment in a center in over 30 years. We have to go back to 1993 when Steve Everitt was taken 14th overall by the Browns. It's a big, big, big outlier to take a center in the first half of the first round in the modern NFL.
For sticking-and-picking, I'd have the following players under consideration. Most are quite unlikely, of course. Depending on who is left at 16, I'd be looking at trade options anyway to see whats out there, as I'd prefer to pick up some additional selections to fill out the roster with handpicked new-regime guys.
Caleb Williams
Drake Maye
Jayden Daniels
MVH Jr.
Malik Nabers
Rome Odunze
Brock Bowers
Joe Alt
Olu Fashanu
Taliese Fuaga
JC Latham
Jer'Zhan Newton
Byron Murphy
Dallas Turner
Jared Verse
Laiatu Latu
Players like JPJ, Graham Barton, the second-tier QBs, T'Vondre Sweat, Chop Robinson, the top off-ball LBs/secondary guys all become considerations after a trade-down for me.