4 glaring needs Steelers must address in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers are just two games into the 2021 season, but here are four glaring needs that must be addressed next April in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Normally, I would say it’s far too early to accurately predict which positions the Steelers will be targeting in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, the first two weeks of the 2021 NFL season have made Pittsburgh’s biggest needs glowingly obvious.
Mike Tomlin’s team sits on a 1-1 record to open the season, but fans are already starting to lose hope for Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl chances after a gutwrenching performance against the Raiders in Week 2. We hope some of these players will make massive improvements as the season goes on, but as of now, here are four glaringly obvious needs the Steelers must address in the 2022 NFL Draft:
Offensive tackle
So far, Dan Moore hasn’t been the offensive tackle we saw towards the end of training camp and into his first NFL preseason. When the games matter and starters are on the field, Moore has been just so-so.
Even if Moore improves by leaps and bounds by the season’s end, offensive tackle could still be the biggest need on this team entering the 2021 offseason. Chukwuma Okorafor has been pitiful so far. Now in his fourth NFL season, I’m not sure if we can count on him to get much better. Okorafor also has an expiring contract after the conclusion of the season.
Many look to hope in Zach Banner – who remains on IR for at least another week – but there’s a solid chance they won’t find it. With just two career starts under his belt by the age of 27, we should temper expectations for the journeyman offensive tackle who can’t seem to stay healthy.
Plain and simple, the Steelers have avoided the position for far too long, and they haven’t used a first-round pick on offensive tackle since taking Jamain Stephens with the 29th overall pick in 1996. They need to start investing in one of the NFL’s most important positions if they want to see results.