Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh takes an interesting route on day two

Steelers third-round pick: OT Bernhard Raimann

For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers miss out on an incredible wave of offensive tackles in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, but they know this is still a big position of need. While Dan Moore has been inconsistent as a rookie, he’s starting to look the part of a future quality offensive tackle.

But even if Moore pans out, Pittsburgh desperately needs another option opposite of him. Chukwuma Okorafor is an unrestricted free agent this year and he will be free to sign with whichever team offers the steepest deal. Though the Steelers could try to retain him, it probably wouldn’t be worth their money to do so, as young tackles with starting experience rake in a fortune on the open market — even unspectacular ones like Okorafor.

Bernhard Raimann is a small school option who transitioned from tight end to become a starting offensive tackle for the Chippewas. The Austria native has a quality skill set that projects him as a starting NFL offensive tackle down the line, but he may not be ready for such a role right away.

At 6’7” and 305 pounds, Raimann has great tape, but his small-school status and inexperience at the position (just two years playing offensive tackle) could hurt his stock just a bit. Still, Pittsburgh has a fetish for Michigan schools and Raimann seems like a good gamble here.