The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent two of their last three first-round picks on offensive linemen. One of those, Troy Fautanu, is working out well, while the other, Broderick Jones, has seen less success. While the Steelers have hit on other linemen in the draft, they could still improve up front. Several names have been thrown around as potential Day 1 options for the Steelers. Georgia Tech offensive guard Keylan Rutledge could be a dark horse candidate for them, though. Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah recently had a lot of praise for Rutledge.
“He’s in my top 50, but it wouldn’t shock me at all, [Peter Schrager] had Keylan Rutledge from Georgia Tech sneaking into the bottom of the first round…” Jeremiah said on his Move the Sticks podcast. “If you asked me who’s my favorite guy, that’s who I would have as my favorite guy.
“I really like him a lot as a player. And there are some similarities to Logan Mankins… Everybody loved Logan Mankins, but everybody assumed he was going to go in the second round. The Patriots ripped that card at the bottom of the first.”
Rutledge hasn’t received much first-round buzz throughout this process, but Schrager’s latest mock draft sent him to the New England Patriots at pick 31. While he might not be the most exciting name, Jeremiah’s praise is notable. He has worked as an NFL scout, and he’s been one of the draft’s best experts for years.
The Steelers’ pick at 21 still might be a little high, but there’s no guarantee they’ll stick there on draft day. Omar Khan acknowledged that he’s willing to trade down. In that scenario, Rutledge could be a more serious option.
The comparison to Mankins stands out, too. He was in the NFL from 2005 to 2015, and he was one of the league’s best guards for most of that time. Mankins was a seven-time Pro Bowler, one-time First-team All-Pro, and five-time Second-team All-Pro. He was a home-run pick by the Patriots with the 32nd pick in the 2005 draft.
If Rutledge is half as good as that, then he’d easily be worth a first-round pick. He made 43 starts in college between Middle Tennessee and Georgia Tech. He also wasn’t charged with giving up a sack last season.
Jeremiah isn’t the only draft analyst praising Rutledge, either. Dane Brugler also had some nice things to say about him.
“Keylan Rutledge is a good name to include as a player who might sneak into the late 1st round,” Brugler wrote on Twitter. “One of the reasons is position flex. He has been snapping for teams, and some in the NFL see him as a day 1 starter at center or guard.”
Keylan Rutledge is a good name to include as a player who might sneak into the late 1st round.
One of the reasons is position flex. He has been snapping for teams and some in NFL see him as a day 1 starter at center or guard. https://t.co/jLHrg0iozn
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) April 7, 2026
Rutledge played right guard for most of his college career, and the Steelers have a hole on the left side. Therefore, he might not be the best replacement for Isaac Seumalo.
However, the Steelers haven’t shied away from moving offensive linemen around in the past. Jones and Fautanu both moved to the opposite side to start their NFL careers.
Additionally, the Steelers brought Rutledge in for a pre-draft visit. They have an interest in him. If they like him enough, perhaps they’ll spend their first-round pick on him. He might not slip to them in the second round.
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