Plenty of talk the last few weeks has been surround by the Pittsburgh Steelers plethora of issues facing the offensive line. It seems to be like beating a dead horse at this point, but the big men up front are critical to an offense's ability to have consistent success in the NFL. Without a bold trade this season or a surprising release of a formidable lineman, it seems already foregone conclusion that the organization will have to look at selecting an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. There are a few reasons why this seems inevitable and is already an expectation that Steelers fans have.
Steelers' owner Art Rooney II introduces Omar Khan as General Manager (AP)
1.) Steelers Selected Future Franchise Quarterback, Kenny Pickett in 2022 First Round
The organization was not messing around when it came to Ben Roethlisberger's retirement and the 20th overall pick in April's draft. Pickett was the only quarterback drafted within the first two rounds and is now in a quarterback battle with Mitch Trubisky to be the team's starter. The belief all around the league is that regardless of who starts the season, Pickett will emerge as the future at the position for the Steelers.
One of the most important parts of building around a franchise signal-caller is the big men who keep him upright. The plan has to be to do that next year, even though the team spent millions in free agency trying to improve the line. With poor play all around, every scout the Steelers have around the country should be eyeing up the best offensive line prospects throughout college football in order to make things easy for Pickett as he matures.
2.) Steelers Drafted Franchise Running Back, Najee Harris In 2021 First Round
The organization is known for staying away from skill players early in the draft in recent years. The main focus has been defense, but the last two years saw a complete 180 to that trend. Harris, who rushed for 1,200 yards during his rookie season, was selected 24th overall over a year ago. To the naked eye, that seems like a solid first season, but the issue was that he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry.
He has all the talent in the world, but is only going to go as far as the guys blocking for him will let him. There is no reason not to invest in an all-around top prospect in next year's draft. Not only does it begin to build protection for Pickett in the future, but it also will open up the running lanes for Harris and those two factors put together would completely change the dynamic of the offense.
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3.) The Steelers Offensive Line Right Now Simply Isn't Good
Despite the free agent investments this past off-season, the line has been atrocious to say the least. James Daniels looks like he is missing a step at right guard, Mason Cole will get snaps off, but not blow anyone up at the line of scrimmage, and let's not get started on the disaster that is the left guard position with Kevin Dotson and Kendrick Green.
The hope is that the unit progresses throughout the season and makes the decision to take a lineman in the first round a little more challenging, but it may already be too far gone. A name to look out for is Notre Dame starting center, Jarrett Patterson. He enters the year after starting the previous three seasons and has not allowed a sack during his college career. Peter Skoronski from Northwestern is another name to look out for and will most likely transition from tackle to guard in the NFL.
We have an entire 2022 season to play, but as it stands today, there is no way the Steelers can ignore the position that has given them trouble in recent years. Two future franchise-caliber players were selected in the first round the last two years. In 2023, it is time to make a significant investment early in the draft in order to protect the longevity of their careers.
Do you think the Steelers front office is already set on taking an offensive lineman in next year's draft? Let us know in the comments below!
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