No Pittsburgh Steelers’ position coach has been as busy as offensive line coach Pat Meyer this Pro Day cycle. He’s made at least four stops and the most recent one is also the most unexpected. Meyer attended N.C. State’s Pro Day Tuesday to watch two of their top offensive linemen go through drills.
It’s a little hard to see but we’ve circled Meyer, standing along the sideline watching this drill.
Meyer was there to see two interior offensive linemen: guard Chandler Zavala and center Grant Gibson. Zavala was considered to be one of the NFL Combine’s biggest snubs. A transfer from Fairmont State, he’s a plus athlete who had a strong 2022 season after suffering a back injury midway through 2021. His workout was impressive, and he flashed his athleticism with a near sub-5 second 40 time, a 32.5 inch vertical, and 30 reps on the bench press.
He was a late bloomer to the game, not playing football until his senior season, and it’s why he took the small school path of attending Division II Fairmont State before transferring up to the FBS level. He’s currently viewed as a late-round pick, but after an impressive workout could wind up going somewhere in the fourth round.
Gibson was N.C. State’s anchor at center. A multi-time captain for the Wolfpack, he moved from defensive tackle to center early in his college career and became a four-year starter in the middle. He’s battled leg and knee injuries throughout his career, including missing the final three games of 2022, but said he was healthy for his Pro Day.
Despite the Steelers signing two interior offensive linemen in Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig, they continue to show interest in upgrading their interior. Perhaps the team is looking for another center to back up or replace Mason Cole, sooner or later. Currently, depth here is poor with only Ryan McCollum behind Cole.
It’s also worth noting Meyer has ties to N.C. State, coaching there in the early to mid 2000s, so perhaps this trip was partly to go back to a school he knows well. Still, it’s a notable attendance, especially knowing the team’s continued interest in interior offensive linemen and how active Meyer has been this year. In addition to N.C. State, we’ve spotted him at Northwestern, Ohio State, and Alabama.
