With just under one month until the 2023 NFL draft, we decided to take the Steelers roster, positional unit by positional unit and break things down as far as who the Steelers have, how high a draft priority the position is and based on that, who some potential targets are.
Next up, let’s talk about the offensive tackles.
Who the Steelers have
Both of the Steelers starters from last season return however confidence isn’t terribly high about either one. At left tackle, Dan Moore Jr. continued to struggle with penalties and overall just didn’t show the growth you expect from a young left tackle.
On the right side, Chuks Okorafor wasn’t a lot better but while he isn’t elite, his level of consistency is better. Beyond Moore and Okorafor, Pittsburgh has no viable options to start this season and are only marginal in terms of reserve potential.
What do they need?
The Steelers cannot go into the 2023 season without one new starting offensive tackle. Which side they start on depends on who they pick but with so much emphasis being put on the interior offensive line in free agency, it’s safe to assume offensive tackle will be addressed via the NFL draft.
If the Steelers draft an offensive tackle early and they are a natural left tackle, this would send Moore to the bench as the top backup. If the player they select is more of a natural right tackle, for example, Tennessee’s Darnell Wright, the team could be tempted to move Okorafor over, let him and Moore battle it out for the starting left tackle spot and start Wright on the right side.
Potential prospects
There are several top tackle prospects in this draft, all of them should be in play for the Steelers with the No. 17 overall pick. If Pittsburgh passes there, No. 32 is the next opportunity for them to draft a starter. After that, the level of talent drops off and it is more of a developmental starter.
Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Broderick Jones, Georgia
Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
Dawand Jones, Ohio State
