It is really tough to quantify just how much better or worse the Pittsburgh Steelers are since the end of last season. There have been losses on the roster at some key positions on both sides of the football. The 2021 NFL draft was supposed to fill those losses but did it work?
ESPN doesn’t seem to think so. They updated their NFL power rankings after the draft and the Steelers fell four spots from No. 11 to No. 15.
Here’s what ESPN Steelers reporter Brooke Pryor had to say about the team’s draft:
The Steelers didn’t draft a Day 1 starting tackle, and that’s good news for both Okorafor and Banner. With Alejandro Villanueva departing in free agency, Okorafor is “penciled in” at starting left tackle, according to what Mike Tomlin said in April. Banner, coming off ACL surgery, is projected to start at right tackle — the position he won in a training camp battle a year ago. Both have more job security, with the Steelers opting to wait until the fourth round to take an offensive tackle.
The Steelers entire season is going to hinge on how well the offensive line plays. It isn’t hard to wonder if Pittsburgh did enough in the draft to address the issues but personally, I’m still hopeful that they will address offensive tackle in free agency to solidify the position.
