A look at Steelers training camp battles heading into 2019

Right tackle

The Steelers traded Marcus Gilbert and so that is an end of an era at right tackle. Marcus Gilbert was a very good right tackle for many years. Now Matt Feiler was the right tackle for the remainder of the year when Marcus Gilbert got hurt in 2018.

The question is whether he will keep the job as the Steelers drafted a tackle in the third round of the 2018 draft. He is a bit of a project, but Chukwoma Okorafor is the future at tackle for the Steelers. There is also the outside option that Jerald Hawkins wins the right tackle job, but he will have to have improved after an ACL tear that happened early in the 2018 season.

Matt Feiler is the favorite to win the job as he had the job in 2018 and did a solid job when Marcus Gilbert was hurt. Feiler is a steady right tackle, although his best position might be guard. He is capable of playing across the offensive line.

The problem is that Matt Feiler is not a high pedigree player. He was acquired by being put on the practice squad and then he developed throughout his Steelers career. They tried him at different positions and he was able to hold down the job.

Chukwoma Okorafor has the better upside and so there is a hope that he wins the job. I believe the Steelers think of him as the successor at left tackle to Alejandro Villanueva. He has plenty of upside but needs to be pushed a little bit to get a fire lit under him.

I think the thought is that Okorafor could become the right tackle in the short term and then develop him into a left tackle. Of course, Okorafor didn’t produce as well when he played right tackle in 2018 for the injured Feiler and Gilbert. Still, the biggest jump in a player’s career is from their rookie year to their second year.