The Pittsburgh Steelers need offensive line help, that much is very clear and obvious. Of their 30 pre-draft visits, 12 were dedicated to the offensive line with an additional two on local prospects who didn’t count against the total. One guy who would know a thing or two about what makes a successful offense in the city of Pittsburgh, QB Ben Roethlisberger, appeared on DVE Radio this morning and said that offensive line help should be the Steelers’ top priority.
“You just got two quarterbacks, you’ve got to protect them,” Roethlisberger said. “That should be your start. I mean, it feels like they’ve been trying to rebuild the line, but in unique ways recently, so I would start with line, whether there’s a good center out there or a tackle. I mean, maybe take the first two…there’s other stuff with receivers and stuff like that, but to me it starts and stops with the line.”
His opinion is nothing out of the norm for what draft analysts have been saying about the team all offseason. The Steelers need to walk out of this draft by the end of Day 2 on Friday with an answer at both offensive tackle and center. To Roethlisberger, center takes priority No. 1.
“Listen, tackles are important, they’re protecting your blindside, but you can put tight ends and help chip. You can do things to help a tackle. A center has to be a guy. He’s making your calls,” Roethlisberger said. “Your center and quarterback have to work together. I mean, you saw Pounce and I, we fed off each other…if you’re not on the same page with your center, you’re in trouble.”
Center is the more pressing need with no obvious option on the current roster. Nate Herbig has been the top interior backup, but he doesn’t have much experience at the position. When the Steelers moved on from Mason Cole in late February, they turned around in free agency and made a play on veteran C Mitch Morse to try to lessen the immediate need but came away empty handed. There are three main center prospects who many have as fringe first-round players and then a handful in the middle rounds with a chance to be Year 1 contributors.
GM Omar Khan said during the pre-draft process that the team owes it to itself to find the next great Steelers center, and that is what the team appears poised to do.
As for tackle, Ben Roethlisberger has always been a fan of Dan Moore Jr., and spoke highly of him on his Footbahlin’ podcast on multiple occasions. That being said, even he thinks that tackle is a priority for this team. That tackle wouldn’t be to replace 2023 first-round pick Broderick Jones, so it would appear Roethlisberger has finally come around on upgrading over Moore.
The tackle class has a lot of good players, but several teams appear to be in line to take advantage of the talent in the class and there could be a drop-off if the Steelers don’t address it in the first round.
