Coming into the offseason, there were a couple of clear needs on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster. But they did well to address those needs in free agency, and things are wide open now in the first round. As a result, the offensive line is starting to gain some momentum for the Steelers in many mock drafts. Analyst Connor Rogers thinks Kadyn Proctor is an excellent candidate in the first round.
“Proctor would be a good fit because he can play guard, if they still have hope in Jones. So you do get a little bit of both there, where Proctor could start on a line with Broderick Jones, if you still believe in Jones’ development… I’m gonna take Proctor, and go with that philosophy, because it upgrades your offensive line no matter what,” Rogers said on his NFL Stock Exchange Podcast this week. “So I’ll go Proctor here, and I think he starts out, he stays on the left side. But maybe he can start out at left guard… He might be a better guard than tackle, to be honest with you.”
The Steelers have a complicated situation at left tackle. Broderick Jones got a positive update this week, but he’s yet to really prove himself as a consistent NFL tackle. Dylan Cook took some steps toward doing so last year, but it was on a small, six-game sample size. The Steelers were mostly fine at the position last year, but potentially having a 42-year-old quarterback behind it, the left tackle spot could be upgraded.
If the Steelers do want to upgrade at tackle, Proctor is a solid option. He’s very strong at the point of attack and keeps a good anchor, helping him physically outmatch edge rushers. He has a massive frame as one of the biggest players in the entire draft class. Yet, he has an impressive amount of athleticism to pair with that size and moves his feet pretty well.
Proctor can play guard, as Rogers notes. The Steelers have some depth at the position with Spencer Anderson and Brock Hoffman, but Proctor would offer more upside than those two. Proctor playing guard would allow the Steelers to get him on the field, while still getting a chance to see what they have in Jones or Cook.
There’s a solid chance Kadyn Proctor is available at the 21st overall pick. In our Ryan Paglia’s scouting report earlier this offseason, Proctor was labeled a mid-Day 1 to early-Day 2 talent. With his positional flexibility, it could make some sense for the Steelers.
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