There are sexier positions to draft in the first round than offensive guard, but perhaps no other position would be immediately more impactful for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to a panel of anonymous scouts and personnel execs around the league, Vega Ioane would be well worth the investment.
“He’s a Pro Bowl guard,” one scout told Bob McGinn for his annual series on GoLong. Another scout added he “arguably could be the best lineman in the draft.”
That would include standout OT prospects like Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, and Monroe Freeling. They may ultimately be selected higher than Ioane, but tackles have more positional value than guards.
The Steelers completely transformed their offensive line over the last few years with first-round tackles Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu, second-round center Zach Frazier, and fourth-round guard Mason McCormick. With Isaac Seumalo’s free-agency departure, they might complete their rebuild with one of the class’s top talents.
The 2025 class surprised with three guards going in the first round, but zero were taken in the first round in each of the prior two years. It’s not unthinkable that the top guard could fall to the Steelers at No. 21.
Things could get interesting if Ioane is still available and other top talents, like S Dillon Thieneman, WR Makai Lemon, or WR Jordyn Tyson, are as well. The anonymous panel of scouts panned the WR class overall, but spoke highly of Ioane in contrast.
“If you value a starting guard and you’re in the middle of the first, you jump all over this guy,” a third scout told McGinn.
As is often the case in talent evaluation, Ioane has detractors, with one scout saying his athleticism will limit him.
“When he gets out and pulls, he’s heavy-legged. I don’t see it. I think he’s overrated,” one scout said, according to McGinn.
Our scouting report on Ioane gave him an 8.9 grade, just below what we would consider an All-Pro prospect. He’s a mauler with a high football IQ who proved himself effective in pass protection, despite some of the scouting panel’s concerns.
If they miss out on Ioane, the panel of scouts ranked the guard prospects as follows:
1. Vega Ioane/Penn State
2. Chase Bisontis/Texas A&M
3. Emmanuel Pregnon/Oregon
4. Jalen Farmer/Kentucky
5. Gennings Dunker/Iowa
6. Beau Stephens/Iowa
7. Keylan Rutledge/Georgia Tech
8. Logan Taylor/Boston College
9. Keagen Trost/Missouri
10. Billy Schrauth/Notre Dame
11. Anez Cooper/Miami
12. Febechi Nwaiwu/Oklahoma
My main takeaways from the list? Bisontis is higher than I expected, with one scout saying he’s “very close to Ioane.” Conversely, Rutledge and Schrauth came in much lower than I would have thought.
If the Steelers think they can find a starter-ready guard outside of the first round, then they should prioritize more valuable positions, but it’s hard to pass up on a potential Pro Bowl talent in Vega Ioane.
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