One of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest questions ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft centers on left tackle Broderick Jones’ health and future with the Black and Gold.
Though GM Omar Khan gave a positive update just last week, stating that Jones is making progress, there still remains real concern for a guy coming off spinal-fusion surgery after suffering a neck injury in the Steelers’ Week 12 loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Steelers have to make a decision on Jones’ fifth-year option soon, too, and even when he was healthy his play wasn’t all that great. So, the Steelers could be in the market for an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft, whether that’s in the first round or later.
With two new offensive line coaches in James Campen and Jahri Evans in place, the developmental route alongside Dylan Cook could be the Steelers’ best option.
NFL Draft on SI’s Justin Melo has the perfect player for the Steelers to draft and develop. That would be Texas A&M offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover.
“There isn’t enough depth behind Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu at offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Melo writes. “Texas A&M’s Dametrious Crownover is the ideal developmental prospect at the position, given a 6-foot-7, 319-pound frame which boasts 35 3/8-inch arms and 10-inch hands.
“Crownover’s size, length, and athleticism will have NFL offensive line coaches thinking they can potentially mold him into a starter.”
Crownover measured in at 6072, 319 pounds with 35 3/8-inch arms, making him one of the biggest offensive linemen in the draft. Over the last three seasons at A&M, Crownover held down the starting job at right tackle, providing a physical, mauling presence in the trenches for the Aggies.
Despite that great size and starting experience, Crownover has been highly penalized in recent years, with 14 penalties in 2024 and 2025 combined. He will be a 25-year-old rookie, also raising some concerns.
But his tape has some eye-opening moments, and as a developmental piece he has the look of a guy worth taking a chance on.
In our scouting report, Crownover was graded as a Late Day 2 guy and a spot starter at 7.8 by Jake Brockhoff, who wrote this:
“There are some skills Dametrious Crownover has that should translate well. In the run game, he has a good understanding of how to seal off defenders and open a hole. His length keeps defenders from shedding blocks with any consistency, and he always finishes blocks. Crownover has the speed to work as a puller, and he can get downfield quickly on screen plays as well. He can help in double teams and react to stunts in pass protection, and he does have a complete season as a starter with no sacks allowed.
“That said, I’d probably be more optimistic about Crownover coming off the 2024 season. He was penalized far more often in 2025, and his pass protection looked worse. That’s not encouraging, considering he’ll turn 25 at the start of his rookie season. Without a lot of lateral agility, and with inconsistent pad level and hand placement, I’m not sure how high his ceiling can reach unless those two things are improved.”
The size and the length are very intriguing, and there’s real power to his game, which was highlight-reel worthy during his last two seasons in college. But there’s a lot of work to do and spending a third-round pick on that might not be ideal right now for the Steelers.
But if they continue to get positive news about Jones, and Cook continues to take steps forward, it might be worth taking a chance on a guy with Crownover’s measurables, giving Campen and Evans a ball of clay to try and mold.
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