After some quality signings in free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have any major needs ahead of picking 21st overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. They need to figure out the quarterback position, but the options there are pretty clear. At receiver, defensive back, and most recently the offensive line, the Steelers addressed most of their needs. But CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson thinks Pittsburgh might be in need of an upgrade at left tackle, and he thinks Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor could be just that.
“I would give serious consideration, and I know you guys have hesitation, but Kadyn Proctor makes a ton of sense if you were concerned about Broderick Jones and the spinal-fusion surgery he had in December. That’s a concern,” Wilson said Tuesday on his With The First Pick podcast.
Jones’ injury definitely is troublesome. Anytime a player deals with a neck injury it’s always going to be more serious of a recovery process. Asante Samuel Jr., for example, was finally able to contribute again late in 2025 after he suffered a neck injury that kept him off the field for a long time.
It was bad timing for Jones, who was starting to build some consistency as last year went on. But coming off such a serious injury, while having failed to establish enough consistency through his first three seasons, Jones’ future in Pittsburgh is up in the air.
One of his replacements, Dylan Cook, performed well after Jones went down. But Wilson doesn’t know if it came on enough of a sample size that Pittsburgh should trust him.
“How comfortable are you, if you get three games worth of an undrafted free agent, starting as a very young player, and holding his own as a left tackle moving forward with that?” Wilson asked. “I’m all in on Kadyn Proctor.”
Cook played well during the six games in which he saw the field. He got plenty of help, but he mostly held his own against some talented defenses. It was a nice emergence from Cook, who could get a chance to compete for the starting job.
But Wilson isn’t wrong to be leery about Cook’s lack of experience. And if the Steelers want a tackle in the draft, Kadyn Proctor is a solid option. He has tremendous size, a ton of power, sustains his anchor relatively consistently, and can really punish defenders.
But there are some things Proctor needs to work on as well. Proctor occasionally plays with too high of a pad level, which leads to him catching blocks. Proctor also leads with his head into contact sometimes. Which is coincidentally the same thing Jones did when he suffered the neck injury.
Proctor’s draft projection is a little all over the place. No matter what, he will probably go in the first round. Whether he makes it to the Steelers at 21st overall isn’t a guarantee, though. But if he’s on the board, Wilson thinks the fit makes plenty of sense in Pittsburgh.
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