The Pittsburgh Steelers have their work cut out for them this offseason as they try to build a contending roster. No longer in a “reloading” stage, they are now a team looking for answers rather than filling gaps. After another disappointing season in 2023, we look back on the roster as we move into the next phase.
Position: Offensive Tackle
Total Positional Figure: 8
Additions: 2
Deletions: 1
Players Retained:
Under Contract:
Broderick Jones: Last year’s first-round pick, Jones came in anointed at the left tackle of the future. Then the Steelers played him at right tackle for the majority of the season. He is extremely talented, but still has a great deal to learn. Can he reach his full potential playing on the right side or do the Steelers need to move him?
Dan Moore Jr.: Moore has one year left on his contract. The question he faces: does he hold onto his starting left tackle job? The Steelers probably want to move Broderick Jones to the left side, but they need to find a new right tackle. Moore is the placeholder. Yet, apparently, they like him more than everybody who isn’t them.
Spencer Anderson: A 2023 seventh-round draft pick, Anderson can play all five positions. The Steelers reportedly like him best at tackle, however. I’m not expecting him to emerge as the right tackle they need as alluded to above, but he is intriguing.
Dylan Cook: Cook made the 53-man roster as a first-year free agent after an impressive training camp. The Steelers hope he is another diamond in the rough, one they haven’t found along the offensive line in a bit. He can play both guard and tackle.
Kellen Diesch: A 2022 college free agent, Diesch spent the 2023 season on the Steelers’ practice squad. He had been with the Chicago Bears for roughly a year before they waived him on Aug. 29. CBS Sports named him one of the NFL’s top practice squad players for whatever that’s worth.
Tyler Beach: The Steelers worked out Beach in late December and signed him to the practice squad on Jan. 8. He has some position flexibility but primarily plays tackle.
Pending Free Agents: N/A
Additions:
Anderson Hardy: The Steelers first worked out Hardy in early September, but they never signed him until after the season ended, adding him on a Reserve/Future contract. He can also play multiple positions, but they list him at tackle.
Devery Hamilton: Hamilton worked out at the same time as Beach, but the Steelers signed the latter instead. Then they signed Hamilton at the end of the season to a Reserve/Future deal. He can also play guard, as he did for the Chiefs during the 2023 offseason.
Deletions:
Chukwuma Okorafor: A six-year veteran and four-year starter, Okorafor lost his job midseason in 2023. The Steelers couched his demotion in disciplinary terms, but they likely did it to play Jones. Due almost $9 million in 2024, the Steelers released him rather than pay him as a very expensive backup.
Offseason Strategy:
This is hard to say because their fondness for Moore remains enigmatic. Many believe he and Jones are their starting tackles for 2024, and if that’s the case, it means Jones stays on the right side for the time being.
They’ve already released Okorafor, so they likely want to add a veteran or pedigreed rookie here. They will not allow Anderson and Cook to battle it out for the swing tackle role without external competition. That’s too much trust in unknown commodities, even if each impressed enough to make the roster last year.
Mike Tomlin admitted he is undecided about moving Jones to left tackle. If they do not, the Steelers better be very confident he can be a really good right tackle. And I don’t see Moore re-signing as a starter in 2025, so they need another starter at left tackle soon.
