2015 Steelers NFL Mock Draft: 7 Rounds v14.0

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

I understand that I might be on an offensive line “binge” of sorts with some of my recent mocks. Yet when one looks at the contract situations of Kelvin Beachum, Mike Adams, David DeCastro and Ramon Foster, the fear of Pittsburgh needed to reload and retool in the trenches could be very real as early as next spring.

Luckily for the Steelers, there could be plenty of talented players at that position available when they go on the clock in the first round at number 22 overall. In the event that the front office, scouts and coaching staff elect to go with a “BPA” do target an offensive lineman in round one, then Andrus Peat of Stanford could be the selection.

A big (6’7″ 313 lbs.), strong and road-grading player with the type of arm length (34.375″) and overall athletic ability to man the left tackle position, Peat was a consistent force along Stanford’s offensive line during his collegiate career. The former Cardinal started two of his three seasons in Palo Alto (27 starts), and was a rotational player during his freshman year.

Yet as I discussed in my T.J. Clemmings breakdown, Peat would benefit greatly from a redshirt year of sorts during his first season in the NFL. When I watch the former Stanford star on tape, I see areas which he must improve upon before he becomes a blind-side protector at the professional level.

The biggest inconsistency in Peat’s game revolves around getting proper bend and pad level. Make no mistake; Peat is athletic enough to get the type of bend necessary to succeed. Unfortunately, his height and current lack of technique cause him to be sloppy in that particular area and lead to mistakes. In addition to working on his bend and pad level, Peat could stand to iron out other technical aspects of his game such as his hand placement and footwork too.

Current issues aside, the Steelers do have Mike Munchak as their offensive line coach to help the talented Stanford tackle develop into a capable force on the blind-side. The Steelers cannot afford to ignore the impending depth issues along their offensive line; especially when one takes into account the contract situations of Beachum, DeCastro and Foster.

Next: Round 2