Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. Makes Getting A Future Franchise Changing LT In The 2023 NFL Draft More Likely According To Team Insider

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been involved in all kinds of trade rumors entering the 2023 NFL Draft. Whether it be making a move with the Arizona Cardinals for the third overall pick or calling up the Chicago Bears to get the ninth overall pick, General Manager, Omar Khan is looking to add a franchise-altering player in this draft and his aggressiveness in making moves so far is a good indicator he's not afraid to pull the trigger. 

The next big question is which player the Steelers would be willing to make a move up for. While there's some speculation out there that has linked the team to making a move up to try and get the talented but maligned Jalen Carter from Georgia, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette's Brian Batko thinks jumping up to get Paris Johnson Jr of Ohio State, like in a recent mock draft from The Draft Network, makes more sense. 

In the final installment of his series analyzing mock drafts, Batko outlined to co-host Adam Bittner why he sees moving up for the potential future franchise tackle as a more likely move for the team. 

"I think he's worth it more than even a Jalen Carter who has some of those off-the-field concerns and I think the Steelers are deeper at his position than at Johnson's position, and that's the equation you have to weigh if you're Omar Khan and company," he said. "It's been very difficult for them to get that big-time left tackle because they're never picking very high in the draft."

The 3 Biggest Reasons Johnson Makes Sense For The Steelers

Johnson grades as a top-three tackle in this year's class according to ESPN's top draft analysts and finished atop The Athletic's Dane Brugler's rankings at the position. Despite that, he still will need some time to reach his potential in the NFL and Batko says that's fine because the Steelers have Dan Moore Jr. His presence on the roster can allow Johnson to take his time to develop into the franchise-altering player analysts think he can become.    

"If you're the Steelers, that's ok," Batko said referencing that Johnson still has some work to be fully polished in the NFL. "You have Dan Moore who's already proven he can play and start games at the NFL level. The caliber of starter he is your mileage may vary on that, but they at least have a placeholder in there. It's not a situation where Johnson or any other tackle they might draft has to come in and be the day-one starter."        

The other factor in going after Johnson according to Batko is the Steelers coaching staff, particularly head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive line coach Pat Meyer. 

"I think Mike Tomlin relishes those opportunities, as a head coach he wants guys that are coachable, and if their biggest issue is technique, fine, regardless of the position they play," he said. "Now second-year o-line coach Meyer did a good job with the developmental aspects last year so that might be a plus."

He concluded that if his biggest issues are technique, but he managed to make it work for one of the best teams in college football in 2022, the Steelers could definitely work with him to help him transition into a stud.

Would you trade up to get Johnson? Let us know in the comments below!

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