Mock drafts are a dime a dozen. You can find a hundred of them each day or play around with simulators and draft your own. But when NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah puts one together, it’s worth extra attention. The league’s leading draft analyst revealed Mock Draft 1.0 today and with the 17th pick, has the Pittsburgh Steelers improving their offensive line. He mocked the team Florida OG O’Cyrus Torrence, writing:
“The Steelers must address the interior of the offensive line this offseason, and Torrence is a big, powerful man. Pittsburgh could probably slide back and still get him in the 20s.”
Guards typically carry less draft value than tackles meaning a top-talent like Torrence could slide down a bit, similar to how David DeCastro fell into the Steelers’ laps at #24 back in 2012. Torrence is a potential plug-n-play candidate that would be in-line with Andy Weidl’s mindset of building through the trenches.
In our scouting report of him, our Jonathan Heitritter wrote:
“Overall, O’Cyrus Torrence is a thickly-built offensive guard that has the size, strength, and experience you look for. He has the frame and sheer power to maul opposing defenders in the running game as well as the sturdiness in pass protection to sit in and anchor against the strongest interior defenders.”
Still, Heitritter noted Torrence could improve his mobility by losing 10-15 pounds and by consistently finishing his blocks with improved technique. You can – and you should – read his full report below.
If drafted, he would almost certainly take over for Kevin Dotson at LG. Like the rest of the offense, Dotson improved his play the second half of the season as the Steelers’ ground game found its footing but his repeated mental mistakes and penalties are difficult to watch. He’s also a pending free agent after the 2023 season.
Torrence could be a major building block for a team that hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman early in years. In fact, DeCastro a decade ago was the last time the team spent a first or second round pick on an offensive lineman. Some of that was due to the team keeping together a starting five, Maukrice Pouncey, Alejandro Villanueva, DeCastro, etc, and not needing to invest. That group is long gone. To be fair, the Steelers’ need to improve its offensive line has lessened since the year began. But adding a statement player like Torrence to fill that spot at left guard wouldn’t be a bad decision as Pittsburgh looks to improve its trench play on both sides of the football.
Going #1 in Jeremiah’s mock is Georgia DT Jalen Carter to the Chicago Bears. Alabama QB Bryce Young is the first arm off the board at #2 while only two receivers show up in the first round, USC’s Jordan Addison at #25 and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba at #31.
