The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the league’s best and deepest offensive lines. For proof, look no further than how their right tackles graded out. In Bleacher Report’s NFL 1000, Chris Hubbard and Marcus Gilbert graded out very well for their 2017 play.
Hubbard came in 17th for right tackles, though his score of 74/100 ties for 15th in their grading. His best marks came as a run blocker, scoring a 16/20. Here’s what author Duke Manyweather, one of the most credible OL guys on the Internet, had to say about his season.
“With the exception of a violent punch, Hubbard is not great at any one particular thing, but he played with fundamentals and enough physicality to have success as a run-blocker and a pass protector. He is a quality swing tackle who should always have a job, and he may even be able to kick down inside at guard in a pinch.”
Hubbard settled in at right tackle after bouncing around the entire offensive line for most of his career, though he still dabbled at left tackle and emergency center in the regular season finale win over Cleveland. Mike Munchak seemed to adjust his approach with Hubbard, quick setting more often to be the aggressor, and though overmatched at times, he held his own. That solid play is sure to earn him a nice payday on the open market and Hubbard is expected to be playing in another city for 2018.
Gilbert, despite injury and a four-game suspension, ranked as the league’s 7th best right tackle. He scored a 78, including a 16/20 in the run game and 19/25 for his pass protection. Manyweather wrote the following about him:
“Gilbert touts an explosive pass set and a violent strike which stops defenders in their tracks. His lower-body strength and leverage help him anchor consistently. In the running game, Gilbert shows strength, power, explosion and good lateral agility, which allowed him to generate movement at the point of attack, cut off the backside when the run goes away, win the edge and block in space.”
He’ll look to rebound in 2018 with a clean bill of health and a clean PED test. To keep Ben Roethlisberger upright and wanting to stay in football for a couple more years.
Lane Johnson, Mitchell Schwartz, and Daryl Williams graded as the top three with Johnson having a score of 84.
