Omar Khan’s first draft as Pittsburgh Steelers GM went beautifully. He made the right moves and got some fortunate bounces along the way, able to snag Penn State CB Joey Porter Jr. at the top of the second round while trading down in Round 3 and still coming away with TE Darnell Washington, a big-bodied blocking tight end.
But there’s a chance Khan isn’t as lucky this year. In a worst-case scenario exercise for each team’s draft, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon lays out everything going wrong for Pittsburgh in the first round. The premise is simple but sound. A run on top offensive linemen that leaves the Steelers with few options.
“When they’re on the clock in the No. 20 spot, primo offensive linemen [Olu] Fashanu, [JC] Latham, [Troy] Fautanu, [Taliese] Fuaga, Amarius Mims and Jackson Powers-Johnson are all gone.”
While it’s a deep and strong offensive line class, the rest of the NFL recognizes that fact, too. And o-line is the one area where virtually every team is looking for help. Pittsburgh is also looking for a more specific player, preferably someone with right tackle experience or one of the top centers. A run at the position right ahead of the Steelers’ pick could force them to pivot.
The Cincinnati Bengals at No. 18. could be a team that snags one of Pittsburgh’s targets. They have needs anywhere along their 0-line but have shown an interest in the top tackles. With two big tackles in Orlando Brown Jr. and Trent Brown, they could add Georgia OT Amarius Mims, who tips the scales at a massive 6076, 340 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms.
If Mims, Latham, Fautanu, Fuaga, and Graham Barton are gone by No. 20, would the Steelers still take an offensive lineman? Would they target West Virginia center Zach Frazier or Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson? Or would they be forced to consider another position, potentially corner, and grab a player who may have fallen during the o-line run. They’ve shown some interest there in Clemson’s Nate Wiggins and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean while Alabama CB Terrion Arnold would only need to slip a few spots off his projection to reach the Steelers’ pick. The same goes for Toledo corner Quinyon Mitchell.
Even if the Steelers have several o-line options, the team will have to make a choice. Do they go tackle or center? That is a central question to their draft and frankly, it’s hard to guess which way they’re leaning. They have a giant need at center but there could be more talent and positional value at tackle in addition to the opportunity of moving Broderick Jones over to the left side. What they do at No. 20 will determine the rest of the Steelers’ draft and will make for an unpredictable Night 1.
