Steelers Draft Strategy: Why using top-50 pick on offensive line would be mistake

The Pittsburgh Steelers rode a 7-2 finish after their bye week into the 2023 offseason. Kenny Pickett cemented himself as the Steelers starting quarterback of the future, the running game finally started to click, and the defense came together after T.J. Watt’s return.

Luckily, new general manager Omar Khan acquired some extra premium draft capital by trading Chase Claypool to the Chicago Bears. Khan also churned the roster to clear some cap room, revamping the inside linebacker room and bringing in some new interior offensive linemen. But the Steelers' draft strategy became the prime talking point for media and fans alike. 

With three picks in the top 50 of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Steelers could go in many directions. They have several pressing needs on defense, both for starters and depth. They also have some minor needs on offense, but many are projecting the Steelers to take an offensive tackle in the draft, usually with the 17th overall pick but sometimes with the 32nd or 49th.

Given that Pittsburgh already has multi-year starters in Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor, this was a surprising trend, at least to me. Moore and Okorafor aren’t the best tackle duo in the league; they’re probably closer to the worst than the best, but they’re still playable.

Additionally, the Steelers have several needs on defense that need addressing soon. Therefore, this article will present the case for why drafting an offensive tackle in the top 50 would be a mistake for the Pittsburgh Steelers and why they should use those three picks elsewhere.