Though the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves preparing for an AFC Wild Card Round matchup against the Buffalo Bills Sunday at 1 p.m. on the road, it’s never too early to look ahead to the offseason from a roster-building standpoint.
That offseason focus centers on the 2024 NFL Draft, which will be a big opportunity for the Steelers under GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl. After putting together an impressive crop in the 2023 NFL Draft that saw the likes of offensive tackle Broderick Jones, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., defensive lineman Keeanu Benton, tight end Darnell Washington and linebacker Nick Herbig all play big roles for the Steelers as rookies, Pittsburgh hopes to hit on another strong draft class, especially with some holes on the roster.
One such hole remains on the offensive line, particularly at offensive tackle. Despite Jones stepping into the starting lineup in Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans at right tackle, the position remains a real concern, especially after left tackle Dan Moore Jr. struggled all season and finished the 2023 regular season as the worst-graded pass-blocking tackle in football.Â
There’s a good chance that Jones flips to left tackle, his natural position, for 2024. That opens a hole at right tackle. Fortunately for the Steelers, ESPN’s Jordan Reid plugged that hole in his latest mock draft for ESPN.com Wednesday.Â
In Reid’s mock, the Steelers landed Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga at No. 21 overall.
“Broderick Jones has shown potential as a right tackle in Year 1, but his natural position is on the left side. I could see Pittsburgh sliding him over — left tackle Dan Moore Jr. gave up 12 sacks this season and 35 over the past three years — and drafting another first-round tackle,” Reid writes regarding the Steelers’ selection at No. 21 overall. “Fuaga is a physically imposing blocker who overwhelms defenders at the point of attack, and the Steelers could build their offensive line around these two reliable bookend tackles.”
Fuaga is considered one of the best tackle prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. He measures in at 6-6, 334 pounds and is ranked the No. 6 tackle in the 2024 NFL Draft currently by ESPN’s draft group featuring Reid, Mel Kiper Jr., Field Yates, and Matt Miller.
While at Oregon State, Fuaga started two seasons at right tackle and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors during his time in Corvallis. He played more than 1,500 snaps at right tackle in his collegiate career and was a captain for the Beavers, fitting the hearts-and-smarts mold that the Steelers historically like.
With Weidl on board, the Steelers have focused on building through the trenches once again. The addition of Fuaga would certainly fit that team-building philosophy, strengthening the Steelers’ offensive tackle position in one fell swoop, should Jones move to left tackle and Fuaga step in at right tackle.
That would be quite the nasty, mauling pair the Steelers would have at the tackle position were Fuaga to be a target in the draft. We’ll see how things shake out after the postseason and leading up into free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft, but Fuaga certainly is a player to dream about adding to the Steelers’ offensive line.
