Could Omar Khan do it again? After making a deal to move up for a tackle in his first NFL Draft, he could be preparing an encore performance in 2024. In CBS Sports’ latest mock draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers again work the phones to go up and get an offensive tackle, acquiring Alabama’s JC Latham.
In Josh Edwards’ scenario, he has the Steelers moving from No. 20 to No. 15 in a deal with the Indianapolis Colts for Latham, the big and strong right tackle. Edwards writes:
“If Pittsburgh wants an offensive tackle, then it may choose to be aggressive in filling that need in the first round. The selection of J.C. Latham would allow Broderick Jones to move back to the left side. The Steelers could really lean on the run game with that offensive line.”
With the Steelers’ intent on moving Broderick Jones, whom the team traded up for a year ago, back to left tackle, their aim should be finding a college tackle who played on the right side. That’s Latham, with 25 starts across 2022 and 2023 on that side. Though he’s far from the only right tackle in this class, it’s less common to find top-end players on the right side than left. Normally, a team’s top tackle plays on the left side, but given Alabama’s five-star talent, Latham went the opposite way.
Edwards’ mock doesn’t take a crack at trade terms. But using a conventional trade value chart, moving up those five spots could cost Pittsburgh its first third-round pick, No. 84, and a fourth, No. 119. Of course, Khan only gave up a fourth-round pick last season to move from No. 17 to No. 14, so perhaps the trade wouldn’t be as costly as the charts suggest.
Adding Latham would not only give Pittsburgh the freedom to shift Jones back over, the Steelers would get a mauling right tackle in the run game. In one of the first scouting reports we penned, Latham’s size and strength were the focal point of our highlights.
“JC Latham is a rock-solid prospect who has plenty of positive traits on tape, as well as the starting experience in the SEC to make for a plug-and-play right tackle at the next level. He needs to continue to work on fine-tuning his technique regarding his hand placement and playing with proper leverage, but he’s shown to be a consistent pass protector against top-end competition while also excelling as a run blocker in Alabama’s rushing attack, excelling in a gap/power system where he should flourish at the next level.”
Latham didn’t fully test during yesterday’s Alabama Pro Day but went through positional drills, reportedly looking fluid with “explosive feet,” per ESPN’s Jordan Reid. Pittsburgh, as is often the case, sent the house consisting of Mike Tomlin, Khan, and others. However, it doesn’t appear that offensive line coach Pat Meyer made the trip.
And though drafts are unpredictable and the tackle class is deep, odds are Latham won’t be on the board if the Steelers stand pat at pick 20.
Elsewhere in Edwards’ mock, the top three picks consist of quarterbacks. Caleb Williams to Chicago, Drake Maye to Washington, and Jayden Daniels to New England. After WR Marvin Harrison Jr. goes fourth to Arizona, the quarterbacks return with Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 5 in another trade-up scenario.
