The Pittsburgh Steelers are two weeks away from ending the speculation about who they will pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Steelers are currently slotted to select at pick number 17, but there are rumors that they could be looking to trade up in the first round. Virtually every mock draft has them taking an offensive tackle or a cornerback in the first round and then finding the other position on Day 2. They are the biggest holes on the team, right?
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The Pittsburgh Steelers sign offensive tackle Le'Raven Clark who had played with the Tennessee Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Omar Khan and Andy Weidl have been rebuilding the interior offensive line at a frantic pace in free agency, but except for Le’Raven Clark, they have not addressed the tackle position. Good tackles are very expensive pieces to add in free agency, so adding through the draft makes a lot of sense. There are some quality options available like Broderick Jones and Paris Johnson Jr., who could be available to play left tackle next season.
The Steelers’ other top options at tackle, like Darnell Wright from Tennessee, Anton Harrison from Oklahoma, and Dawand Jones from Ohio State, all project as right tackles in the NFL. Between Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle and Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle, Okorafor is the stronger option. Replacing Okarafor would be a curious move because of his cap hit of $13 million in 2023 and nearly $12 million in 2024.
Could The Steelers Stick With Dan Moore In 2023 At Left Tackle?
Even if the Steelers waited until June to release Okorafor, he would carry a $7 million dead cap hit and they are not going to find a left tackle for the approximate $6 million in salary cap savings that would create. This leaves the Steelers with Moore at just over $1 million due in 2023 as the likely target to be replaced, but precious few options to fill his position. Unless the draft breaks perfectly for the Steelers, maybe picking a tackle is not the lock that we all think it is for the black and gold.
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University of Georgia tight end Darnell Washington blows people's minds with his combine performance in 2023.
There is another option that makes sense for Pittsburgh, and it does not involve drafting a tackle with pick 17 or pick 32. The Steelers need to improve their run blocking and they have an option who should be available at pick 32. Darnell Washington is a 6'7", 264-pound tight end from the Georgia Bulldogs. Somehow, he appears even bigger than that when you watch his tape. Brock Bowers sucks the air out of the tight end discussion at Georgia, but there is a lot to like when you watch Washington play the position.
If the Steelers elected not to reach for a conversion project assuming Peter Skoronski, Jones, and Johnson are gone by pick 17, they can bolster the run blocking substantially by adding Washington next to Moore. When the Steelers play 12-personnel with Washington and Zach Gentry together, it would be like having seven offensive linemen on the field and unlike Gentry, Washington is a scary threat in the passing game.
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When Pat Freiermuth is on the field, defenses would not key on the pass because you could still run to Washington’s side, and if they use play-action, good luck finding a safety and a linebacker on the same team who can cover Washington and Freiermuth. The Georgia tight end runs a 4.64 40-yard dash, which is faster than Freiermuth ran coming out of college and would give Kenny Pickett another huge red zone target.
Washington is not an accomplished route runner like Freiermuth, but he is a massive upgrade over Gentry. It would also be insurance for the concussion-prone Penn State veteran and would allow the Steelers to move Connor Heyward to fullback as it appears more and more likely that Derek Watt’s tenure in Pittsburgh has come to an end. The Steelers need another weapon in the passing game and adding a top-tier tight end might be a better fit than stretching for a wide receiver too early in a shallow draft for the position.
Kevin Snyder
Darnell Washington blocks an Arkansas defender in an away game in 2022.
The NFL allowed the number 0 to be worn this season and Washington coincidentally wore that number in college. The Steelers could vastly improve their 2023 chances by adding a giant zero to their lineup in 2023.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? If the Steelers can’t get a top left tackle, should they get creative and think outside the box? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
