Steelers 2022 NFL Draft preview: Top-3 interior offensive linemen
The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to work on their offensive line, especially the interior if they wish to improve the team.
The Steelers will be on the hunt for some help across their entire restructuring offensive line. The unit will be in flux again as they will lose starters from the previous season to free agency. They tried to address this issue last year by putting a band-aid on it and that did not help.
The team will likely be losing players like Trai Turner and Chuks Okorafor in free agency and they could also move on from other backup players for this unit. Those are two starters possibly departing the team despite those two having difficult seasons in 2021. The team will need to look for replacements elsewhere.
Two opening spots to start for the black and gold will be the main focus but finding quality depth will also need to be found as well. Finding a starting guard and tackle will be the top priority unless the team can upgrade at center and shove Kendrick Green to guard. That would be the ideal situation but the club will likely try and give Green’s experiment at center another go around.
Honorable mentions
Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College
Zion Johnson will be a player that could potentially raise his draft stock as time goes on. He is a big guy that has a ton of playing experience on the left side of the offensive line during his tenure at Boston College. He played mostly guard but Johnson has also played some at left tackle as well.
He screams physical run blocker when you watch him play football. His experience and potential to start at guard and plug into a tackle spot when needed will be a nice option to have on an NFL roster. Currently, this player is projected to go at some point during the second or third round.
Dohnovan West, OG/OC, Arizona State
Dohnovan West is declaring to enter the draft as a young prospect. He still has a lot of growth in his game but his size will give him a great opportunity to better his game as he transitions to the pro level. This player started all three years at Arizona State, his first two at guard and his last at center.
He was able to handle the transition well and this is a player that Steelers fans should keep a close eye on. His position flexibility will be interesting to Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert as they search for answers across the line. His youth and coachability will allow him to compete on day one and grow with the team. West is projected to go at some point between rounds three through five.