Potential draftees on the Steelers initial draft short list

Dawand Jones, Right Tackle, Ohio State

Here is where things get more interesting. Assuming the Steelers do not make a move for Paris Johnson when they have Dawand Jones on their list. Why wouldn’t they, though? He almost makes Johnson look like a dwarf in comparison. At 6’8 and 374 lbs at the combine, that’s a lot of beef to put on your offensive line. Plus, his size is perhaps his best attribute. His best NFL comparison is Orlando Brown.

His Strengths include good awareness, effectively reacting, and adjusting. He is a devastating run blocker who can open huge offensive line holes. He has the long arms required for an NFL-level tackle and quick lateral quickness in the Passing game.

His negatives are as he relies on arm strength to win offensive battles and is quick to stop moving his feet. His foot speed is underwhelming, causing difficulty in recovering blocks. His size prevents him from getting effective leverage when firing off the line.

Now here is where the chess match begins as far as the draft is concerned. We know the Steelers like him as a potential prospect. Now that said, depending on whose list you go by, aside from Paris Johnson, there are potentially four other tackles ranked ahead of him Peter Skoronski, Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright, and Anton Harrison.

So if the Steelers are content in keeping their 32nd selection, taking Jones at 17 could be a reach if he's available at 32. Plus, Jones could fall out of the first round, allowing them to use their 17th selection on another player while still taking Jones at 32, it’s a very plausible scenario.