Will the Pittsburgh Steelers draft only one offensive lineman early?
Everyone appears to be working under the assumption that the Steelers will draft multiple offensive linemen. There’s good reason to think that they want to, of course. They need a starting center, and they have a prime upgrade opportunity at tackle.
But they can only draft one offensive lineman in the first round. Will they feel better about their second- or third-round options than at other positions? For example, if they take a center in the first round, they can probably get a better wide receiver than an offensive tackle in the second.
And it goes on and on from there, and as the rounds slip by, how likely are you to find a starter? Like it or not, the Steelers do seem to be “comfortable” with Dan Moore Jr. as a starting option. For one more season, anyway, barring a clear opportunity to upgrade, which isn’t guaranteed depending on how the draft breaks.
If you go into the draft with a shopping list, you’re probably going to come away disappointed. You have 32 different customers all buying from the same store with a limited supply of each item. And the quality of each sample of each item varies wildly, so if you don’t get to that section early…
I think you get the idea. My point is everyone is acting under the assumption that the Steelers draft two offensive linemen. More specifically, we expect them to select two starting-quality offensive linemen, early in the draft.
But if they do that, they’re not going to get the wide receiver or defensive tackle or cornerback they want. And there’s a good chance there’s a more valuable player at another position than offensive line when they pick. I’m sure the Steelers hope to draft two starting offensive linemen next week, as do many other teams.
Sometimes, however, you have to take what you can get. The Steelers can’t reach for a player just because they feel compelled to take an offensive lineman. Especially in the earlier rounds, this class is deep enough where you’re likely missing out on a better player. And a better player at a position the Steelers probably want to address.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wild Card Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
