Today I wanted to look at the offensive tackles, a position Pittsburgh could be looking to upgrade for the 2022 season. The graph below uses their 2021 PFF Grade and their current rank on PFF’s Big Board that updates through the draft process:
PFF’s current big board has three players in the top ten. The first is Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross who has good size and had plus 80 overall, run block, pass block, and zone grades along with a low 70 gap grade. He played all his snaps the past two seasons at left tackle, along with limited snaps in 2019 at both tackle spots. North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu has great size with plus 90 overall, run block, and zone grades along with high 70 pass block and gap grades. He played most of his snaps at left tackle the past three seasons, along with time at left guard in 2020. Alabama offensive lineman Evan Neal has outstanding size and had plus 80 overall, run block, pass block, and zone grades but a low 60 gap grade. He played over 1000 snaps at left tackle in 2021 and has good positional experience with 700+ snaps at right tackle in 2020 and left guard in 2019.
Central Michigan offensive lineman Bernhard Raimann had impressive grades in 2021, with plus 90 overall, run block, and zone grades along with high 80 pass block and gap grades. He has played nearly all his snaps at left tackle and could stand to add weight to his frame. Raimann played for the National Team in the Senior Bowl and thought he showed good things as a run blocker but struggled in the pass game, allowing the edge and got pushed back multiple times along with a false start penalty.
The final player in the current top 50 is Northern Iowa offensive lineman Trevor Penning who also had impressive grades with an outstanding plus 95 result overall along with the highest grades I’ve ever seen PFF give in run block and zone grades (99.9!) along with a low 90 gap grade and high 80 pass block grade. He has great size and played most of his snaps at left tackle the past three seasons, with limited time at right guard and tackle in 2019. Penning started at left tackle for the National team in the Senior Bowl and really enjoyed his physicality and success in the run game, but struggled in the pass game a few times.
Continuing on the top right of the graph, we see Kentucky offensive lineman Darian Kinnard who has great size and had plus 90 overall, run block, and zone grades with plus 80 pass block and gap grades. He played all his snaps the last three seasons at right tackle and started there for the American team in the Senior Bowl, noting an up and down performance in the pass game with a couple highs including a pancake, but a few lows including an allowed strip sack along with a false start penalty. Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith has great size and played all but two of his snaps the last three seasons at left tackle. He had plus 90 overall, run block, and zone grades, a high 80 gap grade, and mid 70 pass block grade.
Louisiana offensive lineman Max Mitchell played most of his snaps the last three seasons at right tackle, along with snaps each season at left tackle and all three spots in 2019. He had plus 90 overall, run block, and zone grades, and plus 80 pass block and gap grades along with being undersized. Mitchell played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and while he did have great push in the run game on a play, noted him struggling as a pass blocker several times getting pushed back and allowing the edge and pressure, along with being pancaked easily on an initial punch.
Central Michigan offensive lineman Luke Goedeke has good size and played all but one snap at right tackle in 2019 and 2021 but didn’t play in 2020. Last season he had a plus 90 overall, run block, zone, and gap grade and a high 70 pass block grade. He played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and noted him for a good run block. Arizona State offensive lineman Kellen Diesch has average size and played nearly all his snaps at left tackle the past three seasons, but far less experience prior to last season. In 2021 he had plus 80 overall, pass block grade, and run block grades, a plus 90 zone grade, but high 60 gap grade. Diesch started for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and noted one good pass block early.
Minnesota offensive lineman Daniel Faalele is the final player in the top 100 with an above the mean grade and has unbelievable size, playing right tackle exclusively last season and 2019 but didn’t play in 2020. In 2021 he had a low 80 overall grade, high 70 run block and gap grades, and plus 70 pass block and zone grades. Faalele started for the National team in the Senior Bowl and particularly enjoyed him showing quickness for his size, getting out in front of a screen pass for a nice block but wanted to see more dominance as a run blocker.
The next players landed in the top 100 on PFF’s Big Board with lower overall grades. Washington State offensive lineman Abraham Lucas has great size and played mainly right tackle the last three seasons with a handful of snaps at right guard last season. He had a high 80 overall grade, plus 90 pass block grade, but plus 60 run block, zone grades and gap grades. Lucas played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance as part of the strong run blocking unit on multiple plays but struggled on a few plays in the pass game. Ohio State offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere has good size and played both tackle spots the last three seasons, primarily at left tackle in 2021. He had a high 70 overall grade, plus 80 run block and zone grade, but low 60 pass block and gap grades.
Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer has great size and played all five positions in the last three seasons, primarily at left tackle the past two. He had a high 60 overall grade, mid 80 pass block grade, low 60 run block and zone grades, but a high 50 gap grade. Salyer played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance as a run blocker but had a negative pass block early in his playing time.
Getting outside the current top 100, UCLA offensive lineman Sean Rhyan has good size and played nearly all his snaps at left tackle the past three seasons. He had plus 80 overall, run block, and gap grades, and mid 70 pass block and zone grades. North Dakota offensive lineman Matt Waletzko has good size and played all his snaps at left tackle the last three seasons. In 2021 he had a low 80 overall and pass block grade, high 70 run block and zone grade, and a high 60 gap grade. Waletzko played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and showed good movement skills out in front of a screen and on the second level with a nice punch run blocking, but was also beat around the edge in pass protection.
Southern Utah offensive lineman Braxton Jones has good size and played all but one of his snaps at left tackle the past three seasons. In 2021 he had a plus 90 overall, run block, pass block, and zone grade along with a plus 70 gap grade. Jones played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and struggled, getting pushed back several times in both the run and pass game, allowing two sacks with one resulting in a fumble, but sprinkled in some good highlighted by a nice run block taking his man to the ground.
North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson has good size and played mostly right tackle the last three seasons with experience across the line, particularly left tackle and right guard. In 2021 he had plus 80 overall, pass block, and run block grades, plus 90 zone grade, and a high 70 gap grade. Volson started at right guard for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed his performance particularly in the run game with a good block on a touchdown, a pancake, and good push. TCU offensive lineman Obinna Eze has great size and played mostly left tackle the last three seasons, with some experience at right tackle in 2019. In 2021 he had a low 70 overall grade, mid 80 pass block grade, low 60 run block and zone grade but a mid 50 gap grade. Eze played for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and noted a couple good run blocks.
Penn State offensive lineman Rasheed Walker has great size and lands on the far left of the graph with low grades. He had a 60 overall, pass block, and zone grade along with his high 50 run block and gap grade. Most of his snaps came at left tackle the past three seasons, time at right tackle in 2019, and a couple snaps at left guard last season. Tulsa offensive lineman Chris Paul has great size and played over 900 snaps at left guard in 2019, then primarily at right tackle the last two seasons along with some time at left tackle. In 2021 he had plus 60 overall, run block, pass block, and zone grades, but high 50 gap grade. He played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and noted some struggles in the pass game with allowed pressure and had a false start penalty.
The remaining players are currently PFF’s later round/undrafted possibilities. Wake Forest offensive lineman Zach Tom is undersized and played left tackle primarily the past two seasons along with over 1000 snaps at center in 2019 and a handful at right tackle in 2021. He had a mid 80 overall grade, plus 90 pass block grade, plus 70 run block grade, zone, and gap grades. Tom played for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and had a good pass block on a touchdown throw. Tennessee offensive lineman Cade Mays has great size and had snaps at all five positions in the last three seasons, with all of them at right tackle in 2021. He had plus 70 overall, run block, pass block grade, and zone grades, and mid 60 gap grade. Mays started at right guard for the American team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance with several positives, highlighted by a pull and seal block on an explosive run and a pancake on a screen.
Conneticut offensive lineman Ryan Van Denmark has the lowest grade on the graph, likely needs to add weight to his frame, and played exclusively at left tackle and didn’t play in 2020. Last season he had a high 50 overall and pass block grade and low 60 run block, zone, and gap grade. Van Denmark started at left tackle for the East team in the Shrine Bowl but thought he was quiet. Oklahoma offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson has great size and had snaps the last three seasons at right guard and right tackle, playing the latter exclusively in 2021. He had plus 70 overall, pass block, run block, and zone grade, and mid 60 gap grade. He started at right guard for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and was also a player that didn’t stand out.
Fordham offensive lineman Nick Zakelj has good size and was exclusively a left tackle the last three seasons. He had plus 70 overall, run block, and zone grades, with plus 60 pass block and gap grades. Zakelj played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and had a through the whistle block into the ground but was pushed back, allowed pressure, and pancaked in the pass game along with two false starts!
LSU offensive lineman Austin Deculus has great size and played exclusively at right tackle the last three seasons, but plus 60 overall and zone grades, low 70 pass block grade, and in the 50’s for run block and gap grades. He started at right tackle for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed his run blocking on several snaps.
UTSA offensive lineman Spencer Burford is undersized and played primarily at left guard in 2019, along with snaps at right tackle and played exclusively at left tackle in 2021. He had plus 70 overall, run block, and zone grades, and plus 65 pass block and gap grades. He started at left tackle for the American team in the Senior Bowl and had ups and downs with a couple strong pass blocks but allowed the edge, a free rusher, and a sack as well.
Michigan offensive lineman Andrew Stueber has great size and mostly played right tackle the last two seasons, right guard in 2020, and a handful at left tackle in 2021. He had plus 70 overall and zone grades, low 80 pass block grade, mid 60 run block grade, and mid 50 gap grade. He started at right guard for the National team in the Senior Bowl and thought he struggled, in the pass game allowing a sack and beat on a run allowing a tackle near the goal line.
A name that did not appear on the board that I enjoyed was USC offensive lineman Jalen McKenzie. He played for the West team in the Shrine Bowl and was a strong run blocker with one aiding a touchdown but did have a hands to the face penalty.
I doubt many will disagree that offensive line should be addressed in the offseason, and with good depth at the position it will be interesting to see when (hopefully not if) the Steelers select an offensive lineman, and if it’s a tackle, interior, or hopefully a versatile player that can compete and contribute to a positive 2022 line trend.
While the ranks on PFF’s board with certainly change, and surely some names missing from this list, I especially hope you enjoyed the grade data (while not the be all-do all) and some notes from the all-star games. Later in the process as the Steelers Depot draft team continues to compile more draft profiles, I plan and look forward to providing visuals with their Depot draft grade and projection.
What are your thoughts on this year’s offensive tackle class? Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
