Steelers seek interior OL depth, but group lacking in NFL Draft

If draft positional groups were assembled like NFL power rankings, this year’s interior offensive linemen crop would be the equivalent of the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Welcome to the weakest area of the 2020 draft,” NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his annual listing of 11 positions.

Unlike tackle, which Zierlein — son of former Steelers offensive line coach Larry Zierlein — rated as the second-deepest position, the collective assortment of guards and centers in this draft class is on the opposite side of the spectrum.

Analysts are universal in their belief this class lacks a high-profile interior lineman in the mold of Quenton Nelson, who went No. 6 overall to the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. Or even a center who could be picked in the top 20, such as Garrett Bradbury, who went to the Minnesota Vikings with the No. 18 overall choice last year.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, a former scout for three NFL teams, has just two interior offensive linemen — Michigan center Cesar Ruiz and LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry — listed in his overall top 50 prospects. Ruiz is ranked No. 37 and Cushenberry No. 49. ESPN analyst Todd McShay has no interior linemen projected to be taken in the first round and just three players worthy of a second-round selection.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has two centers and Louisiana-Lafayette guard Robert Hunt listed in his latest two-round mock, with Ruiz near the end of the first round.

Aside from Hunt and Houston’s Josh Jones, a tackle who could be moved inside, Zierlein believes no other interior linemen are worth an early pick.

“Teams looking for guard play might wait until the third or fourth round before they even consider making a selection,” Zierlein wrote.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have no immediate needs on the interior even with Ramon Foster retiring in March. Foster had started at left guard since 2011, and nine-year veteran Stefen Wisniewski was signed to a two-year contract to compete for the vacancy.

Matt Feiler, the starting right tackle last season, could move to left guard, the position he played against the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 10 victory. He and Wisniewski give the Steelers options for the short term.

Wisniewski will be the top backup at all three interior positions if he doesn’t win the starting job.

“In Stefen Wisniewski, we know we have a veteran starter who has started in two Super Bowls, and he happened to win,” general manager Kevin Colbert said. “We feel great about the competition that can occur at that position. We feel good about whatever the outcome is. We think it will be a good outcome because one will have outcompeted the other, and we feel comfortable in knowing that we have options at more than one position in both of those players’ cases.”

The Steelers, though, could use the draft to begin preparing for the future. Right guard David DeCastro is 31, and center Maurkice Pouncey will turn 31 once the season begins. Wisniewski also is 31.

Colbert has done a good job of identifying interior linemen early in the draft. Pouncey has started essentially from the day he was drafted No. 18 overall in 2010. DeCastro has started since 2013, the year after he came aboard with the No. 24 pick. They have combined for 13 Pro Bowls and eight first-team or second-team All-Pro nominations.

Pouncey and DeCastro each are signed through the 2021 season.

One possible addition is Michigan’s Ben Bredeson, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound prospect who started three years at left guard and was a two-year team captain for the Wolverines. He is viewed as a third-round candidate.

“Obviously, you love the size, and he’s got some quickness,” Jeremiah said. “You see the strength, upper body-wise, the torque. There’s an issue with me with some of his balance issues. He leans a little bit, gets tugged and pulled. And I thought he struggled a little bit changing direction at the next level. … He has a chance — a chance to develop into a functional starter.”