5 early Pittsburgh Steelers offensive training camp positional battles in 2020
By Tommy Jaggi
RT: Zach Banner vs. Chukwuma Okorafor
This is a battle I’ve been talking about since before Mike Tomlin officially stated that he planned to move Matt Feiler inside to left guard this year. There are two young candidates the Steelers have been grooming for this spot: Zach Banner and Chukwuma Okorafor.
Banner is my frontrunner for this role. He has the mass, length, and ability to anchor that makes him an ideal candidate for the right tackle role. When called upon last season, he was impressive in limited action, and with the way he has continued to transform his body in Pittsburgh, there’s no evidence to suggest he won’t get better yet.
Okorafor, on the other hand, has struggled at times with his assignments. Though his feet are faster than Banner’s, he has gotten himself out of position early in his career with sloppy technique.
This isn’t to say that Okorafor can’t win this job, but as of now, my money is on Banner. There may be an opening at left tackle for Okorafor next season if Alejandro Villanueva leaves.