The Pittsburgh Steelers need an offensive tackle in this year’s draft. With the tackle class deemed deep in 2021, odds are good they will select one in the first four rounds. If the Steelers don’t select a tackle in the first round this year, and odds are good they won’t, we could see them pick one with one of their next three selections.
One tackle that the Steelers reportedly like is Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown. In fact, during a recent live stream that included Trey Wingo of The Pro Football Network, draftnik Tony Pauline talked about the Steelers liking Brown on the heels of a topic that centered around the Tennessee Titans possibly trading up in the first round of the draft to get in front of the New York Jets so they can select Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins.
“Spencer Brown is a guy who a lot of people thought third, fourth round,” Pauline told Wingo. “He’s moved into the second round and I know that the Pittsburgh Steelers like him. If the Pittsburgh Steelers, who need offensive line help, lose out on Teven Jenkins in Round 1, I think that’s a guy they could look to in Round 2, if he’s available, if he’s still on the board because he may go mid-second round.”
Yes, the Steelers do have some level of interest in Spencer Brown. We have known that for a few weeks now. Brown, who was at the Senior Bowl this year after sitting out the 2020 season due to Northern Iowa canceling their season due to the pandemic, measured in at his pro day a few weeks ago at 6082, 311 pounds with 34 3/4″ arms, 10 3/8″ hands and an 82 5/5″ wingspan. He ran his 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds, as well.
Brown said at his Pro Day media session that he has had some sort of contact with the Steelers during the pre-draft process.
“I guess you gotta define contact,” Brown said. “I mean, they’re here today. I have meetings set up with them. I imagine I’ll have a lot more meetings with many more teams in the future. I can’t say interest or if they’re interested in me, I don’t know. I can’t really define that for you.”
We know that Steelers college scouting director Phil Kreidler and new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm were both at the Northern Iowa Pro Day, so that is pretty significant.
As for Pauline indicating that the Steelers have interest in drafting Jenkins in the first round of this year’s draft, that seems very unlikely to happen at this point. Neither Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert nor head coach Mike Tomlin attended this year’s Oklahoma State Pro Day. It would break a huge streak that has been in place since 2010, should the Steelers draft a player in the first round that didn’t have his Pro Day attended by at least Colbert.
Brown does make a lot of sense for the Steelers in the second or third round of the draft. Brown checks a lot of boxes to boot.
