The 2024 NFL Draft has a lot of talent at the offensive tackle position, with a number of those players projected to go in the first round. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a popular team when it comes to mocking the position, as they could stand to replace Dan Moore Jr. and move Broderick Jones back to his natural left tackle position. But the Steelers aren’t the only team in the market for an offensive tackle, as Daniel Jeremiah tweeted on Wednesday that he’s hearing “everyone” is trying to move up for an offensive tackle.
Obviously, there’s some hyperbole involved there, but the fact of the matter is that there are a lot of teams that would love to secure a top option at offensive tackle and take care of the position in a draft with a number of premium prospects. With plug-and-play starters like Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, Taliese Fuaga and JC Latham available, among other intriguing prospects like Tyler Guyton and Amarius Mims, who could all go in the first round, it could end up being an arms race to grab the top tackles in the draft. And teams will potentially be willing to move draft capital to do so.
If the Steelers don’t land a first-round tackle, they’ll still be fine as they have other positions they need to address, particularly center but they also have needs at cornerback and wide receiver, although a first-round receiver doesn’t feel extremely likely. Dane Brugler chimed in, quote tweeting Jeremiah’s post and writing “It’s a very top-heavy OT class. Better get your guy early.”
The question for the Steelers is whether No. 20 will be early enough if they’re set on getting a tackle. They got aggressive and traded up to nab Jones last season, and they’ve reportedly been in talks to trade up, albeit for Toledo CB Quinyon Mitchell. But it’s a possibility to consider, especially if there’s a run on tackles earlier than expected and the Steelers see an opportunity to move up to get their guy. With the number of holes they have, it might be difficult to work something out that wouldn’t cost too much, especially if there’s a lot of interest in trading up. But if the opportunity presents itself for the Steelers to potentially grab another bookend tackle to pair with Jones for the next few years, it’s something they just might consider.
