Following an offseason spending spree that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers land offensive guard Isaac Seumalo and offensive guard Nate Herbig in free agency to fill a position of need along the offensive line and address the depth there, more work needs to be done at the position.
At least according to The Athletic’s Diante Lee.
Lee, who covers the NFL Draft for The Athletic after working for Pro Football Focus, released his latest mock draft Wednesday. He went in a rather surprising, confusing direction for the Steelers at No. 17 overall, selecting Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence in the first round.
“Adding former Eagles guard Isaac Seumalo gave Pittsburgh a solid starting point on the offensive line, but the work can’t stop there if the Steelers want to get the most out of running back Najee Harris and quarterback Kenny Pickett,” Lee writes. “Torrence is significantly ahead of the other interior offensive linemen in this class, so the Steelers have to pounce if he’s available. He’s a sharp and technically sound player in executing any run-blocking scheme, and he’s also a strong pass protector against interior power rushers. This is a safe bet for the Steelers and should give them immediate returns.”
There is certainly no denying how good Torrence is. He’s a consensus top-20 player in the 2023 NFL Draft, but his fit with the Steelers — especially after the moves the Steelers have made in successive offseasons with the signings of Seumalo, Herbig and James Daniels — is a questionable one.
No doubt, his play style and demeanor are qualities that the Steelers could certainly use as they look to lean heavily on the running game with Harris and backup Jaylen Warren, especially after the success the Steelers had down the stretch last season on the ground. But adding a guy like Torrence doesn’t provide a clear fit.
It appears as though the starting duo at guard will be Seumalo and Daniels at left and right guard, respectively, with Herbig as the backup swing guy at both positions, not to mention center behind Mason Cole. While the Steelers have shown interest in Torrence dating back to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine and hosted him on a top-30 visit, the moves in free agency likely negates some of that interest.
In Lee’s mock, he has the Steelers selecting Torrence over the likes of Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks, Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison, Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith, Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, and even USC wide receiver Jordan Addison.
The selection of Torrence isn’t a bad one, at least in terms of the talent it would provide the Steelers. The fit is a real question though. There are more questions than answers that would occur with the selection of Torrence.
