The Steelers have an unstable position at left tackle, but do they need to throw an early draft pick at the problem there? Beat writer Mark Kaboly doesn’t think so, at least not yet. While incumbent starter Broderick Jones is coming off an injury and Dylan Cook has a very limited resume, he doesn’t see their position as that bleak.
The Steelers have used a first-round draft pick on an offensive tackle twice in the past three years. Jones, their 2023 selection, was one of them, followed by Troy Fautanu in 2024. Fautanu missed almost all of his rookie season due to injury; however, he settled into a starting right tackle since.
Jones has had a more volatile and unstable career, but finally moved to left tackle last season. As for Dylan Cook, he had been a career practice squad player up until last year. In fact, he was on the practice squad shortly before making his first NFL start. But he played pretty well in his limited opportunities at the end of last season. So what does this all mean for the Steelers at tackle in the draft later this month?
“I don’t know what they’re thinking”, Kaboly admitted on 93.7 The Fan, maintaining that the Steelers should have higher priorities in the draft than another tackle. “To me, I wouldn’t. I’d just like to see how it plays out with [Dylan] Cook and [Broderick] Jones this year, then worry about that potentially next year”.
The Steelers may have hit on a sure thing in 2024 in the draft with Troy Fautanu, but do they need another long-term answer at tackle? Even if Broderick Jones this year plays and plays well, he will be a free agent in 2027. That is assuming they don’t exercise his fifth-year option, which seems the far more likely outcome.
Last year, the Steelers let their previous left tackle, Dan Moore Jr., walk in free agency, earning a third-round compensatory draft pick in exchange. They had planned for that by drafting Jones and Fautanu. But they could prepare for the future this year by drafting another one, regardless of the scenario.
It’s worth noting that this is not the strongest year for offensive tackles in the draft, either, the Steelers benefiting from that depth in 2023 and 2024. They still had to move up a bit for Jones, who was more of a developmental prospect. While he has developed some, positional instability and injuries have also gotten in the way.
But what if Dylan Cook just ends up being better? It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have a diamond in the rough emerge at left tackle. It would probably save you some money if it works out, but is it the Steelers’ best option? Is there a “best” option at tackle for the Steelers in this draft? Or, like quarterback, would it be better anyway for them to wait until 2027? By then, they may find that they already have the answer, after all. And they don’t necessarily have to draft a tackle in the first round, anyway.
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