Deep tackle class plays into Steelers' hands in NFL Draft

No long ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers boasted a durable and dependable offensive line.

Four of the five starters were mainstays — Alejandro Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro — with Marcus Gilbert giving way to Matt Feiler at right tackle.

How times have changed.

When the Steelers open the 2021 season, only DeCastro is guaranteed to remain from a group that was intact as recently as two years ago.

Pouncey followed Foster into retirement, Feiler left in free agency and Villanueva remains on the market more than a month after open season for his services began.

With the Steelers finishing last in rushing in 2020 and a passing offense becoming predictable down the stretch, changes were necessary up front. And that includes the bookends of the line.

Zach Banner will be given a chance to retain the starting right tackle job he won in training camp before a torn ACL ended his season after fewer than four quarters. Chuks Okorafor, his replacement, could move to the left side. Joe Haeg was signed in free agency for depth.

Still, the Steelers need reinforcements — and perhaps even immediate contributors — at tackle, which is where the NFL Draft enters the equation.

Securing a tackle, particularly on the left side, could be a priority in the first round with the No. 24 overall pick. If not then, it likely will happen on the second day with the Steelers holding the Nos. 55 and 87 selections.

New offensive line coach Adrian Klemm will get a chance to pound the table when the Steelers’ turn arises, and with good reason. This class is rich in tackles capable of playing on either side of the line. Pro Football Focus has first-round grades on seven tackles and second-day grades on six more prospects.

“I think the tackle class is really strong,” ESPN analyst Todd McShay said. “There are some guys you can’t go wrong with taking.”

Oregon’s Penei Sewell and Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater are the consensus top two tackles in the draft, and both will be long gone by the time the Steelers make their first pick. Because of the pandemic, Sewell and Slater opted out of the 2020 season, but their decisions didn’t hurt their draft status.

“I think they will both be All-Pros in the league,” McShay said. “They are really good. I’m not going to say they are the best in the league. … They are plug-and-play starters right away. They are some of the safest picks of the first round.”

Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw is a left tackle with a first-round grade, but he would have to slide in order for the Steelers to have a chance at taking him.

“I think he can play right tackle, too,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said, “and the absolutely worst-case scenario is he slides inside and he’s a really, really good guard.”

Texas’ Sam Cosmi and Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins carry late first-round grades.

The Steelers never have drafted a tackle in the first round in the Kevin Colbert era. Since Mike Tomlin arrived as coach in 2007, the Steelers have used just three second-round picks on a tackle. One was Gilbert, who had a lengthy NFL career. The others were Kraig Urbik and Mike Adams.

Prospects who could be on the Steelers’ radar on the second day of the draft include North Dakota State’s Dillon Radunz, Michigan’s Jalen Mayfield, Notre Dame’s Liam Eichenberg, Cincinnati’s James Hudson and Northern Iowa’s Spencer Brown.

Radunz and Brown are wild cards because the pandemic canceled their school’s fall football season.

“There are some projects in this draft,” said Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys executive. “You can take a guy who has long arms and good feet and make him a pretty good offensive tackle. Any time you’ve got a chance to get a good tackle, you have to take him.”

TOP 5 OTs

1. Penei Sewell, Oregon, Jr., 6-5, 331

Sewell opted out of the 2020 season after becoming the first sophomore to win the Outland Trophy a year earlier. Sewell made 20 career starts at left tackle in two seasons, and he doesn’t turn 21 until October.

2. Rashawn Slater, Northwestern, Sr., 6-4, 304

Slater also opted out of the 2020 season. He was a three-year starter at Northwestern, playing 26 games at right tackle in his first two seasons before switching to the left side in 2019.

3. Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech, Jr., 6-5, 322

A three-year starter at left tackle, Darrisaw was named a second-team All-American in 2020. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed zero sacks and six pressures on 269 pass-blocking snaps last year.

4. Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State, R-Sr., 6-6, 317

A four-year contributor and three-year starter, Jenkins played left and right tackle for the Cowboys, getting most of his playing time on the right side. He opted out of the final month of the 2020 season.

5. Jalen Mayfield, Michigan, R-So., 6-5, 326

Mayfield made 13 starts at right tackle in 2019. He initially opted out of last season but changed his mind when the Big Ten began play in the fall. He made two starts before suffering a high ankle sprain.

Best fit for Steelers, first day

Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech

The Steelers are in the market for a left tackle, and Darrisaw certainly fits the bill. The question is whether he still will be around for pick No. 24. If he is, the Steelers could delay taking a running back until the second day.

Best fit for Steelers, second day

Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State

A 6-foot-4, 301-pound redshirt senior, Radunz was first-team All-American as a junior when he started 16 games at left tackle for the perennial FCS powerhouse. He made one start last year before the school’s season was postponed until the spring. He carries a second-round grade.

Best fit for Steelers, third day

Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan

The same school that produced Steelers tackle Chuks Okorafor has another tackle prospect in the 6-4, 311-pound Moore, who was a tight end in high school and defensive end in his first year of college. He started the past three years at tackle.