It’s an important upcoming draft for Pittsburgh Steelers general manager, Omar Khan. With three picks in the top 50, it’s important Khan capitalizes on some talent in some much-needed areas. While the offensive line ended up being much better than expected in 2022, it’s still an area that could use reinforcements. With the Steelers now over a week removed from the end of their season, mock draft season is officially here.
Omar Khan is introduced as the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager at a press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Friday, May 27, 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
The black and gold can go a number of different ways with their 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The offensive line, cornerback, and linebacker positions seem to be the ones of biggest need heading into the off-season. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah chose to address the offensive line in his first mock draft, picking interior lineman, O'Cyrus Torrence from the University of Florida for the Steelers:
"The Steelers must address the interior of the offensive line this off-season, and Torrence is a big, powerful man. Pittsburgh could probably slide back and still get him in the 20's."
Torrence followed head coach, Billy Napier from Louisiana-Lafayette and transferred to Florida for the 2022 season. The lineman is quite versatile and is seen as a mauler in the running game. DraftNetwork projects him as a guard in the NFL, either the left or right side. He could become what the Steelers expected Kevin Dotson to be, as the black and gold's left guard hasn't lived up to expectations.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
In fact, the two were teammates at Louisiana-Lafayette. James Daniels is locked in at right guard, and he did quite well in his first season with Pittsburgh. Veteran Mason Cole became an underrated signing, as he was able to stabilize the offensive line. Not only did he perform better than expected, but Cole became the leader of the group. As a result, it's hard to see the Steelers drafting a center and trying to move Cole to a different position.
That leaves the left side of the line up for improvement, which includes left tackle Dan Moore Jr. Dotson and Moore both struggled to take a big step forward in 2022. Bringing in a true mauler like Torrence could take this offensive line to the next level. As we've seen in the playoffs, teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles are winning and dominating in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Who do you want to see the Steelers draft with the 17th pick? What position should be of the highest priority? Do you think Torrence would be a good selection by Khan? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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