Steelers Draft: Which offensive tackles are the best fit in Pittsburgh?
By Tommy Jaggi
The Steelers have a lot of decisions to make on the offensive line this year. Here’s a look at how some potential first-round tackles would fit in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line was in shambles in the second half of the 2020 season, as Ben Roethlisberger was forced to get the ball out quickly and the team ranked dead last in the league in rushing yards and yards per attempt. Because of this, it’s no secret that addressing the offensive line will be high on the Steelers to-do list this April.
While center is arguably Pittsburgh’s biggest need as Maurkice Pouncey has now officially retired, an offensive tackle could be where the value lies with the 24th overall pick. Alejandro Villanueva and Matt Feiler could both be gone in free agency and addressing this position will be extremely important.
Fortunately, the Steelers stumbled upon a very good offensive tackle class that includes a number of plug-and-play starters. Here’s a look at some of the tackles that could fall to them in the first round of the NFL Draft and their fit in Pittsburgh:
Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
College position: Left Tackle
Best fit: Right Tackle
Secondary position: Left tackle
Liam Eichenberg doesn’t have a lot of flashiness to his game. He’s a bit heavy-footed and his two-hand punch gets him in a load of trouble too often. But despite a few of his shortcomings, Eichenberg still has one of the highest floors of the offensive tackle prospects in this draft class.
Notre Dame has a thoroughly impressive track record when it comes to developing offensive lineman, and there have been some impressive names to come through the program in recent years. They are known for high-profile players on the offensive line like Zach Martin, Quinton Nelson, and Mike McGlinchey. Eichenberg isn’t to the level of these three, but he’s not as far behind as you might think. He could be a dominant right tackle for the Steelers who could still be good enough to stick at left tackle in the NFL.