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.
Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
College position: Left tackle
Best fit: Right tackle
Secondary position: Right guard
Alex Leatherwood simply looks the part. He’s tall, long, and muscular with an incredible wingspan. In fact, everything about his physique screams ‘left tackle.’ Unfortunately, I don’t think that is his best fit if he were to be drafted by the Steelers. Though there may not be a big drop in play from Alejandro Villanueva to Leatherwood at this point, I worry about the Alabama product protecting the blindside.
Though he rarely lets edge rushers run through him, he has inconsistent feet and technique that must be cleaned up. At the Senior Bowl practices, he was routinely beat with speed around the edge. To be honest, there will be many teams that peg him as a guard in the NFL – and he could be a very good one.
I don’t think Leatherwood would be a terrible pick by the Steelers, but I worry that his best fit is inside. However, I truly believe the big offensive lineman can make a living in the NFL at right tackle. He’s not all that different from Ereck Flowers – a former first-round pick who started his career at offensive tackle but is now playing his best football at guard. Leatherwood could have a similar career path if he doesn’t play well on the outside.
Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
College position: Right tackle
Best fit: Right tackle
Secondary position: Left guard
Teven Jenkins is a big, mauling right tackle with grown-man strength who loves nothing more than driving defenders into the ground. According to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins graded out as one of the best offensive tackles in college football this year, and he is quite consistent on tape.
Jenkins is a player who has drawn a lot of buzz to the Steelers in mock drafts as of late, and it’s not terribly hard to see why. Coming off the best season of his collegiate career, Jenkins could potentially be one of the top available offensive line candidates when Pittsburgh is on the clock at pick 24.
However, the Oklahoma State product is not without his flaws, in addition to playing against softer Big 12 pass rushers, Jenkins is likely a right tackle only. While he has logged over 500 snaps at left tackle in college, he has played upwards of 1,800 snaps at right tackle while at Oklahoma State. Jenkins isn’t a great mover in space. While his technique is pretty sound, he would get beaten by speed rushers if he played left tackle in the NFL. Fortunately, I have little worries that a team would have to kick him inside, as he could prove to be one of the better right tackles in the league.
Samuel Cosmi, Texas
College position: Left tackle
Best fit: Left tackle
Secondary position: Right tackle
If the Steelers are going to sit at pick 24 and not move up in the draft, Penei Sewell, Rashan Slater, and Christian Darrisaw will all be off the board. Of the next tier of offensive linemen, Samuel Cosmi may have the best chance to be a legitimate starting left tackle in the NFL. However, he’s far from a finished product.
Though Cosmi started at left tackle each of the past two seasons for the Texas Longhorns, he has a lot of work to do with his technique. Cosmi can be late out of his stance at times and often bends at the waist instead of the knees. Still, his athletic traits and ability to open his hips and glide effortlessly while keeping pass rushers in front of him is impressive.
For the Steelers, I would feel a whole lot better about Cosmi’s development if offensive line coach Mike Munchak was still around. Samuel Cosmi had solid enough tape this year to warrant first-round consideration, but he still has a long way to go and he could fail without the proper coaching. However, he’s a legitimate left tackle prospect if someone can refine his technique.
Jackson Carman, Clemson
College position: Left tackle
Best fit: right tackle
Secondary position: Left guard
At 335 pounds, Jackson Carman just looks like a guard in the NFL; but I wouldn’t pigeonhole him into that position just yet. Despite his thick frame, Carman has impressive movement skills. In addition, he was a three-year starter and blindside protector of Trevor Lawrence at Clemson. However, there are reasons why we aren’t talking about him as one of the best tackle prospects in this class.
Despite his plus movement skills, Carman had some mental lapses that resulted in failed blitz pickups and free rushers getting past him. In terms of grading, Carman is only average – posting a 79.8 overall grade this past season, according to Pro Football Focus.
There are going to be some teams who believe he has Pro Bowl upside as a guard in the NFL, and moving him inside is a definite possibility despite playing never logging a snap anywhere but left tackle in college. I think Carman’s best fit with the Steelers is at right tackle where he is powerful enough to anchor the edge while still athletic enough to handle speed rushers.
Jalen Mayfield, Michigan
College position: Right tackle
Best fit: Right guard
Secondary position: Right tackle
Jalen Mayfield is a guy that I love to watch. At 6’5” and 325 pounds, he’s as fiery as they come and you will be hard-pressed to find a tackle who puts forth more effort on each and every play. While there is a lot about Mayfield’s game to like, there are also some concerns – the biggest of which will likely limit him to being a guard in the NFL.
Athletically, Mayfield is plenty good enough to stick on the outside. He is very nimble for a big man and he’s rarely phased by bullrushes. Mayfield really makes his presence felt in the run game where he looks for any excuse to drive defenders into the turf. In addition, he’s only a redshirt sophomore and there is ample room to grow.
Unfortunately, Mayfield lacks the desired length to be a tackle in the NFL and most teams will have him as a guard at the next level. His technique is all over the place and he tends to overextend far too often. Mayfield checks all of the boxes the Steelers typically look for in terms of age, athleticism, and tools, but there is much coaching that still needs to be done.
Which offensive tackle would be best for the Steelers?
It would be nice if there was one clear and obvious choice at pick 24 for the Steelers, but that won’t be the case unless Christian Darrisaw somehow falls this far. This makes for a very interesting predicament. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert could go with a battle-tested player like Alex Leatherwood who has faced very good SEC competition or a raw player with tools like Samuel Cosmi. I’m also a very big fan of Jalen Mayfield, but I’m afraid that his best fit in the NFL is on the inside.
Personally, I think Liam Eichenberg might be Pittsburgh’s best bet at pick 24 if they are to take an offensive tackle. Though he doesn’t seem to be drawing a lot of the first-round buzz at this point, he’s one of the few players that will be available that I believe has a chance to be a left tackle in the NFL, but also has a very high floor as a right tackle. Eichenberg already has loads of experience against Big 10 pass rushers and his grade improved substantially each season.
The Steelers could choose a player with position flexibility, but Kevin Dotson is going to be manning the left guard position, while David DeCastro may still have several years left in the tank. Pittsburgh needs a true tackle prospect that has enough tools to play on the left side if Alejandro Villanueva does not return, and Eichenberg has one of the highest floors of this group.
Obviously, the Steelers may not be targeting a tackle at all early in the daft, and they could choose to go an entirely different route. However, in a deep offensive tackle class, it’s important to have a good understanding of their different skill sets as every one of these players could potentially be on their radar early in the 2021 NFL Draft.