Steelers And Tennessee Offensive Tackle Continue To Be Linked At Pick 17

With the 2023 NFL Draft starting on Thursday, the Pittsburgh Steelers will look to add a star player in the middle of round one. Many mock drafts have the Steelers using their first pick on a cornerback, particularly Joey Porter Jr from Penn State given the obvious connections. While cornerback is one of Pittsburgh's largest needs, a well-known sports analyst wants to see them use pick number 17 to help protect quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Chris Simms did his first and only mock draft on Monday, having Pittsburgh select OT Darnell Wright from Tennessee. This doesn't come as a surprise to most fans, Wright and the Steelers have been gaining buzz ever since Pittsburgh hosted him for a Top 30 Visit last Tuesday. Wright is a powerful tackle that is hard for any defensive lineman to get past. Simms contemplated CB or DL for the Steelers in the first round but ended up going with OL.

"I think ultimately the number one problem we've talked about with their football team the last two or three years is what, O-Line, O-Line, they can't block, they can't open holes, they don't protect that well. Darnell Wright, Tennessee, is going to fix those problems."

It's no secret that Pittsburgh needs another body on the offensive line. With Chukwuma Okorafor and Dan Moore Jr slated to start at each tackle position, you would hope to draft a player that could come in and provide some better protection for Pickett going into year two. Wright would be that player. After not allowing a sack in 507 passing snaps last year, Wright would give the Steelers' offense an immediate upgrade. 

The biggest concern for the Steelers drafting Wright would be the left tackle position. Okorafor plays a much better RT than LT and Wright saw a better performance at Tennessee on the right side as well. Simms mentions this in his podcast.

"[The Steelers] need a tackle, and Darnell Wright to me can play left or right, it doesn't really matter. He can start off at right, and I thought he was the best road grading, physically imposing tackle in the draft."

Pittsburgh would be getting an incredible player at pick 17 by drafting Wright. After bringing in Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig in free agency, Wright could be the last piece to the offensive line puzzle for the Steelers. The Tennessee tackle is seen as the third or fourth-best OT in the draft based on the consensus rankings but has been receiving some much-deserved hype recently. Simms loves Wright's tools and has him as his number-one tackle going into Thursday.

Wright also has played games against some highly touted edge prospects. He played against Will Anderson and Bryan Bresee, two first-round talents. Not only did he face off against them, but he also came out on top in both games. You can see Wright absolutely dominate Bresee, putting him in the ground multiple times. Wright could easily have the highest floor out of every OT prospect in the draft. 

With the 2023 NFL Draft days away, expect multiple prospects to garner buzz with Pittsburgh. The Steelers currently hold three picks inside the top 49 which could potentially be three excellent players to help Pittsburgh get back to the playoffs. One of the picks will almost certainly be an offensive tackle, with Wright being a top option. Check out our Wright draft profile for a more in-depth look at Pittsburgh's potential first-round pick. 

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

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