Steelers Could Overcome Their Draft Night Predicament By Waiting Out The Initial Run On Tackles

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan will look to stack back-to-back great draft classes when the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off at the end of April. The organization has already had an impressive and productive offseason by making moves for players like Russell Wilson, Patrick Queen, and Justin Fields, but Khan and his colleagues will need to pair that with an impressive draft class in order to achieve their goal of being true competitors during the 2024 season. 

There has been a lot of debate about which position of need the Steelers should address with the 20th overall pick, both the tackle and center pools are shallow. Pittsburgh can likely get a starting-caliber receiver in the second round with the 51st selection, but that position could also be addressed in the first, especially if Brian Thomas Jr. is still available when Pittsburgh is on the clock. The Steelers' first selection will likely come down to the center or tackle position, and Matt Miller of ESPN believes it should be center because the Steelers could get their starting right tackle later on. 

Miller has Pittsburgh selecting Jackson Powers-Johnson in the first round, followed by wide receiver Malachi Corley, and then right tackle Christian Jones. Miller then offered some analysis, and discussed how all three players could impact the offense immediately.

"After trading Diontae Johnson, the Steelers signed veteran receiver Van Jefferson, but have done little more to upgrade the WR depth chart for quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. Adding Corley would give the Steelers a big receiver with awesome after-the-catch ability and the power to run through contact on underneath routes. With two new quarterbacks in Pittsburgh, I'd consider moving last year's first-rounder Broderick Jones to the left side and taking the incredibly steady Christian Jones here to start as a rookie at right tackle."

With Diontae Johnson being dealt to the Carolina Panthers earlier in the offseason, the Steelers need to add a receiver near the top of the draft, which will likely happen with the 51st selection. This means tackle and center will be the picks in the first and third round, but the order is still unclear. There are options for both positions in each round, and if Pittsburgh decides to go center early, Jones could be the selection in the third round.

Jones played his college football at Texas. He originally enrolled in the university in the spring of 2018, with his first collegiate season being the 2018 season. He spent six years at Texas and stands at 6'6", weighing approximately 320 pounds. 

Jones has experience at both left and right tackle, playing 688 snaps at left tackle during the 2021 season and 1,780 snaps at right tackle in 2022 and 2023. Drafting Jones in the third round would allow Broderick Jones to move back to his natural position at left tackle, and would hopefully take Dan Moore Jr. out of the starting lineup. 

Steelers' Options At Tackle And Center In The 2024 NFL Draft

The Steelers' options at center are quite slim, and they seem to have one option per round based on where their three candidates at center are projected to be selected. Powers-Johnson should and will be a first round pick, Zach Frazier is an option in the second round, and Sedrick Van Pran is a third round option who should be available when the Steelers pick, or they could reach for him in the second if Frazier is off the board by the 51st pick. 

The pool of tackles is much larger at the top of the draft, with guys like Mims, JC Latham, Troy Fautanu, and Olumuyiwa Fashanu all being prospects who could be available when the Steelers pick. Center is a larger need, and should Pittsburgh decide to use their first round pick on Powers-Johnson, they will have an option at tackle later in the draft in Christian Jones. 

How do you want the Steelers to approach their first three picks with in the 2024 NFL Draft?