Offensive line is arguably the biggest need for the Steelers in the offseason. The NFL Draft is the first line of order, as there will likely be multiple picks made at the position.
Zion Johnson has been the Boston College player that has been most connected to the Steelers in mock drafts. Johnson’s a projected first-round pick at offensive tackle with tremendous upside. He’s not the only Boston College offensive lineman that the Steelers have kept tabs on, though. Alec Lindstrom had a long, productive career in the ACC, and Steelers Depot’s Jonathan Heitritter was able to catch up with him on Friday at the NFL Combine.
“I have met with them at both [Shrine Game and NFL Combine]. That’s one of the teams I met with this week, I met the O-line coach and then I met him at the Shrine Game, too. This week was just a quick sit down with him, got to know him as a person and did a little football stuff.”
(Ed Note: Lindstrom could be referring to Chris Morgan, who took a job for the Bears later in the week. New O-line coach Pat Meyer was not hired by the Steelers until after the Shrine Bowl).
Lindstrom figures to be a mid-round pick in the upcoming draft. His college career was a storied one, earning first team All-ACC honors twice and third team All-ACC once. He was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy in 2021, getting beaten out by Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum. Lindstrom is seen as a physical, old-school style lineman, but does have his limitations.
“As a center, you got to know the mental aspect of the game. You have to be smart. My versatility as a player is I think I can do those zone schemes with my athleticism and my speed and my knowledge. I think I can do whatever you ask me to do at a high level.”
Lindstrom isn’t the biggest center, as his official measurements came in at the Combine on Friday. Size and some inconsistencies are the biggest reasons as to why he’s not a top pick. The Steelers drafted center Kendrick Green a year ago, many whom said he was too small for an NFL center. Lindstrom’s measurements are even smaller than Green’s, although his arms are a little longer.
Lindstrom showed solid strength for his size with 25 reps of bench press, the same Green had in 2021. The two have some similarities and differences, but it’s hard to imagine the Steelers drafting a guy of nearly the same size, unless Green moved positions.
Lindstrom has some of that family pedigree that the Steelers love to look for in the draft process. His brother, Chris, was drafted 14th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Falcons. Since then, he’s started 38 games in three seasons. The two played together at Boston College, and the Falcons have indeed met with Alec Lindstrom, possibly reuniting the brothers.
The interest between the two is obvious, as shown by offensive line coach Pat Meyer meeting with him on two separate occasions. Lindstrom is certainly a name to keep an eye on through the draft process and into the late rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
