PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – If you are looking for the Steelers to pick an
offensive lineman in the NFL Draft or in free agency, which position? Any worth keeping from the 2022 roster? Did the improvement you saw in the second half of the season make you want to see what more is there with this group, all under contract for two more seasons?
Let’s start with how the current Steelers group, graded by Pro Football Focus.
• Center
Mason Cole - ranked 12th in the NFL, just behind Minnesota’s Garrett Bradbury and ahead of Tampa Bay’s Robert Hainsey. The 26-year-old played 1,114 snaps.
Overall grade-67.1
Pass blocking-63.8 (27th)
Run blocking-66.5 (14th)
Note-it’s the highest ranking of his career, last year was 13th with Minnesota
(69.7)
• Tackles
Dan Moore, Jr. - ranked 61st overall in the NFL, just behind Cleveland’s Jedrick Wills, Jr and just ahead of Chukwuma Okorafor. The 24-year-old played 1,160 snaps.
Overall grade-62.4
Pass blocking-67.3 (50th)
Run blocking-56.1 (56th)
Note-his PFF grade is up 11 slots from last year (57.5)
Chukwuma Okorafor - ranked 62nd overall in the NFL, just behind Dan Moore and just ahead of Cincinnati’s Jonah Williams. The 25-year-old played 1,159 snaps.
Overall grade-61.2
Pass blocking-62.8 (62nd)
Run blocking-55.7 (58th)
Note-his PFF grade is down one slot from last year and up eight from his rookie season.
• Guards
James Daniels - ranked 24th overall, just behind the Eagles Landon Dickerson and ahead of Houston’s AJ Cann. The 25-year-old played 1,160 snaps.
Overall grade-66.9
Pass blocking-73.2 (19th)
Run blocking-60.0 (40th)
Note-in his five-year career, this is his worst overall ranking other than 2020.
Kevin Dotson - ranked 29th overall, just behind Chicago’s Cody Whitehair and ahead of the Rams Oday Aboushi. The 26-year-old played 1,160 snaps.
Overall grade-65.4
Pass blocking-77.6 (11th)
Run blocking-61.1 (36th)
Note-known for being a road grader, yet judged much better in pass protection.
Comparing to 2021 Class
Two years ago, many Steelers fans wanted, some did in 2022 even after the pair of free agent signings, an offensive lineman in the first round or even in the second. In 2021, they drafted Najee Harris in the first round and TE Pat
Freiermuth in the second. Harris set a Steelers rookie record with 1,200 yards and had another 1,000-yard season in 2022. Freiermuth appears to be the tight end of the next decade.
Here were offensive linemen taken in the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft and their overall NFL position ranking:
• Center
Creed Humphrey-1, Robert Hainsey-13, Drew Dalman-14, Josh Myers-27
• Guards
Teven Jenkins-3, Alijah Vera-Tucker-14, Landon Dickerson-23, Aaron Banks-40, Liam Eichenberg-75
• Tackles
Christian Darrisaw-2, Penei Sewell-9, Samuel Cosmi-31, Walker Little-64
BTW-Harris ranked 31st among tailbacks, behind Jaylen Warren at 29. Freiermuth ranks 7th overall.
This isn’t written to change your mind, but give you an idea of where this current group ranks and where the offensive line might be had they drafted a Creed Humphrey, who is the best center in the game or a Liam Eichenberg who is ranked really low.
Is it worth trying to continue to grow this group and improve in other areas, or
time for an offensive lineman to go in the first round for the first time since David DeCastro in 2012.