Steelers desperately need to address these positions in 2023 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers are lacking talent at some cornerstone positions. Here are the positions they should be targeting next April. 

I know that we are still half a year away from the 2023 NFL Draft, but with the way things are looking for the Pittsburgh Steelers right now, it’s hard not to think about their future at times. The first stretch of games in 2022 has taught us that this team has some major issues — both in terms of talent and coaching.

While there are some positions on the roster that I really like, the Steelers are lacking quality players at some critical cornerstone positions, and it’s clearly affecting the team’s performance. Here are three positions they desperately need to target early in the 2023 NFL Draft based on what we have witnessed so far this year:

Steelers need a long-term left tackle

If I could go back and do it over again, I wouldn’t have a problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Dan Moore in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. I thought Moore had some tools to work with as a developmental tackle. Though he is only in his second season, I definetly view Moore as a quality swing tackle as opposed to a starting left tackle.

This isn’t to say that he can’t improve like Chukwuma Okorafor did, but left tackle is far too important of a position to settle for anything less. The Steelers were fortunate to get by with little investment at left tackle over the years with players like Kelvin Beachum and Alejandro Villanueva, but now it’s time to consider taking a tackle in the first round for the first time since 1996. Pittsburgh is long overdue.

Defensive tackle could be addressed in the first round

This isn’t a position I wanted to be talking about in this way already. Just two years ago, I really thought the Steelers had the best interior defensive line in the NFL, as Cameron Heyward was in the prime of his career and Stephon Tuitt was emerging as one of the best players on the team. However, with Tuitt now retired and Heyward in his old age, Pittsburgh needs to start making a plan to keep their defensive line strong.

Third-round rookie, DeMarvin Leal, might be able to carve out a role, but he doesn’t fit the mold of what they are looking for in a full-time player at that 5-technique position. The rest of their interior defenders are nothing to write home about. This is a position the Steelers could be looking to target as early as the first round in 2023.

Steelers still missing a true number one cornerback

Cornerback is one position Steelers fans want the team to avoid like the plague. While Pittsburgh has been admittedly poor at drafting and developing corners over the years, it doesn’t mean they should just stop trying. In today’s passing league, cornerbacks are a staple to a great defense, and it’s been forever since the Steelers have had a true number one cornerback that could take away the opposing team’s best receiver.

Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan could be looking at a pretty high draft choice next April if things continue to go the way they have been, and there are some quality cornerbacks projected to enter the draft. This is a ‘money’ position they can’t afford to keep ignoring, and a great CB would really help give this defense a boost.