Chukwuma Okorafor is an unrestricted free agent and the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely need a new right tackle. Here are five candidates who could fill the void.
Outside of Ben Roethlisberger’s imminent departure, I don’t think that fans are going to spend much time wiping their tears away when a few Pittsburgh Steelers players leave in free agency this offseason. One of them who seems very likely to do so is offensive tackle, Chukwuma Okorafor.
Okorafor was initially projected to be the left tackle for the Steelers, but Pittsburgh ultimately stuck with rookie Dan Moore in that spot and kicked Okorafor over to right tackle. The team apparently didn’t trust Zach Banner enough to even enter the game late in the season when injuries occurred and it doesn’t look like he will be a long-term solution at the position. Here are five offensive tackles who could potentially replace Okorafor for the Steelers in 2022:
Trent Brown, Patriots
For years now, Trent Brown has been one of the best offensive tackles in the entire league. That didn’t seem to change in 2021 as a member of the New England Patriots. The former Pro Bowl right tackle did a good job keeping his rookie quarterback upright, and he was equally as impressive clearing paths on the ground for the running game.
At 6’8” and 380 pounds, the mammoth offensive tackle doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the type of athletic, mobile tackle Matt Canada may want for his offense, but it may not be up to him. Brown has been one of the best tackles in the NFL since 2017, and has graded out as such.
For the Steelers, Trent Brown would be a massive improvement at right tackle. Still just 28 years old, Brown could stick around for the foreseeable future while Pittsburgh figures out the rest of their offensive line.