3 predictions for Steelers new-look offensive line in 2021

One of Pittsburgh’s offensive tackles will get benched

Without a lot tied to their offensive tackles, it may not take long before Mike Tomlin starts looking for answers if Chukwuma Okorafor or Zach Banner have a hard time keeping their man off quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. We know the only way the Steelers are going to have a chance this year is if Big Ben is completely healthy and improves on his performance from last season.

Okorafor in particular seems like a player who could get demoted back to swing tackle. Though he was a former third-round pick, Okorafor hasn’t yet panned out the way the Steelers had hoped, and he graded out as one of the worst offensive tackles in the NFL last year, according to Pro Football Focus.

While Pittsburgh has more money tied to Zach Banner, it’s not enough to cause him to sit if the Steelers think they may have a better option. However, I have a feeling that Okorafor could really struggle at left tackle this year, and for the sake of the team, Tomlin could elect to make a switch to Joe Haeg or Rookie Dan Moore Jr. in the middle of the season. Maybe they would even be bold enough to sign a quality tackle in free agency.

It’s going to be interesting to see how things progress along the offensive line this year. While some areas could be improved, we can’t expect everything to go on without a hitch. Let’s hope this younger group with a new offensive line coach exceeds expectations in 2021.