Could The Steelers Select Possibly The Best Offensive Tackle In The 2023 NFL Draft?

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to upgrade the tackle position. It would be hard going into next season having to rely on Dan Moore Jr. to hold down the left tackle position. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, the 2023 NFL Draft has many solid OT prospects, and Tennessee might have the best one. 

Darnell Wright is a former five-star recruit and comes in at 6-5, 333lb. Wright tested extremely well at the combine, registering an above-average 40 time and broad jump. His hands and technique are his two biggest strengths. Will Anderson Jr., a projected top-five pick, said Wright was the best tackle he played against, complementing his mirroring skills and anchor ability.

Wright has experience playing both tackle positions as well as starting a few games at guard. He is great in both run and pass blocking. Wright loves to drive his opponents downhill in the run game. His LT experience came in the 2021 season, where he had a good year but struggled with penalties. 2022 was his best year, he didn't allow a single sack in 507 passing snaps while primarily playing RT. 

One of his best attributes doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He is very physical and plays with a "nasty" mentality. He has great size for an offensive tackle and is extremely powerful. Wright wants to drive defenders into the dirt whenever possible and is not afraid to show it.

Not only is Wright big and powerful, but he also moves quickly on the line. He has an incredibly fast kick step that he does to start out some of his blocks. Being good at both power and speed means that it is hard to get around a guy like Wright. The way he plays and handles himself makes his floor very high. 

Wright earned multiple awards and honors for his outstanding 2022 season. One of them was the 2022 All-SEC First Team, showing how great he played. Wright played in the 2023 Reese's Senior Bowl and drove up his draft stock there as well. He turned a lot of heads in Mobile and showed how he can pick up any stunt thrown at him.

Wright has been flying up draft boards over the last couple of months. He most likely won't make it to the Steelers' second pick, 32nd overall. Selecting Wright at pick number 17 seems like the route Pittsburgh would have to take if they want the Tennessee tackle. This is becoming a popular destination for Wright, ESPN has him going 17th overall in their latest mock draft that came out Wednesday.

How Would Wright Fit with the Steelers?

The Steelers have already added two new guards to the roster. Isaac Seumalo looks to be the everyday starter at LG while Nate Herbig is a great depth piece with starting experience. Pittsburgh is still slated to open the season with Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor as their starting tackles. If drafted, Wright would come in and immediately start in place of Moore. With Wright's better games coming from the right side of the line, Pittsburgh could look to play him there with Okorafor sliding to LT.

The competition for starts that Moore would have would hopefully be a good thing for him to develop and up his play. After a lackluster 2022 season from Moore, the Steelers would love to have a better option at the tackle position. Wright would provide great tackle play for the Steelers and would be someone who Kenny Pickett could rely on.

Would you like to see the Steelers draft Darnell Wright? Let us know in the comments below.

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