The NFL Scouting Combine is wrapping up with the big guys taking the field Sunday, as the offensive line group got its chance to shine. The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a good job of rebuilding their OL over the past few seasons, but there are reasons to believe they could target even more reinforcements early in the 2026 NFL draft.
All the talk around the Steelers' first-round pick has been dominated by playmakers on offense, with names like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Jordan Tyson being commonly mocked by analysts. With questions at both left tackle and left guard, however, the idea of taking another OL in the first round shouldn't be dismissed.
Athletic testing at the Combine can have a real impact on the stock of OL prospects, and one player solidified his status as one of the best athletes in the class. Georgia OT Monroe Freeling has been a riser ever since draft season got into full swing, and he may have just forced his way into the conversation for the Steelers' top pick.
Monroe Freeling could be the Pittsburgh Steelers next big swing at offensive line
With Broderick Jones' status still uncertain, LT could sneakily be one of the Steelers' biggest needs this offseason. Dylan Cook played incredibly well in Jones' absence last season, but relying on him to be the unquestioned starter carries a ton of risk. At the very least, Steelers general manager Omar Khan needs to add more competition to the room before training camp.
Taking Freeling in the first round would be an aggressive way to do it, but he has all the traits teams look for in a franchise LT.
His athletic testing was off the charts, with a 4.93 40-yard dash, 1.71 10-yard split, 33.5' vertical leap, and a 9'7" broad jump at 6'7" and 315 pounds. It all culminated in one of the best RAS (Relative Athletic Score) scores of all time for the position.
Monroe Freeling is a OT prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 2 out of 1512 OT from 1987 to 2026.
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 1, 2026
Pending agilities and bench, times unofficial.https://t.co/TsSacgEVNo pic.twitter.com/DutErsaTuh
One issue with Freeling is his lack of experience, something that fellow Georgia prospects Jones and Bengals OT Amarius Mims also had to work around when they were going through the draft process. He is a bit raw in pass protection, and he needs to be more physical as a blocker in general. At the end of the day, though, there just aren't many guys with his physical skill set.
It's entirely possible that Freeling just put himself out of reach for the Steelers even if they wanted to take him, but if he is on the board at pick 21, don't be shocked if Khan turns in the card for another Georgia tackle to solidify Pittsburgh's offensive line.