Offensive tackle seemingly wasn’t a position on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft radar entering the offseason. But as the weeks have gone on and Omar Khan expressed uncertainty about OT Broderick Jones’ health, the position has suddenly become one to monitor.
Draft experts such as Daniel Jeremiah have linked the Steelers to a first-round offensive tackle, and it’s a position that the team could address early. If they do, they’ll be doing so in a draft class that scouts believe is strong at the position.
In the latest entry in Bob McGinn’s series for Go Long breaking down each position with scouts, the group was fairly high on the tackle class, with one personnel executive believing there are eight potential starting tackles in the crop.
“I’ve got at least eight potential starting tackles,” the executive told McGinn. “That’s pretty good at a position that’s so hard to find. Eight in the first round would be some kind of record, wouldn’t it?”
The consensus among scouts is that there isn’t a true, got-to-have-him talent, but that Miami OT Francis Mauigoa is the best tackle in the draft. One scout believes he’s better than 2025 No. 4 overall pick Will Campbell and has All-Pro potential.
Multiple mocks drafts, including Jeremiah’s, linked the Steelers to Clemson’s Blake Miller. He was rated as the No. 3 tackle in the class behind Mauigoa and Utah’s Spencer Fano. Scouts praised Miller for being consistent despite not having any standout trait.
“There’s nothing sexy,” a scout told McGinn. “Nothing that stands out where you go, ‘Oh, wow.’ All he does is play down in, down out with consistent technique.”
The problem with Miller to the Steelers is that he’s likely a long-term right tackle in the NFL, and that would require the Steelers to flip Troy Fautanu to the left side. That hasn’t been discussed publicly, and I don’t think the team will take that route.
The Steelers also hosted Miami OT Markel Bell for a pre-draft visit. A projected Day 2 selection, Bell was ranked as the No. 10 offensive tackle by the scouts. One compared him to Houston Texans OT Trent Brown, a long-time NFL starter, and multiple scouts praised Bell. There’s a belief he’ll go early due to his size (6092, 346 pounds), with one scout calling Bell “a piece of clay you can coach up.”
A developmental prospect like Bell in the middle rounds makes the most sense for the Steelers, in my opinion. But it’ll be interesting to see how and if they approach the offensive tackle position in April. There won’t be a shortage of options.
Recommended for you