Steelers Mock Draft 2023: Pittsburgh fills their biggest team needs

Steelers mock draft round 7: Offensive Lineman Richard Gouraige

7th Rd – OT/OG – Richard Gouraige – Florida – 6’-5”, 307 lbs - Gouraige (pronounced ‘Garage’) is not the greatest athlete but he’s a fundamentally sound and effective blocker. He’s here to compete with the lackluster tackle depth signings GM, Omar Khan, has made so far but he might have starter potential down the road.

Gouraige has very strong hands and knows how to use them. That and his solid technique make him a very capable blocker. He can be beaten by speed but generally locks his guy up if he gets his hands on them. His pass blocking is a bit ahead of his run blocking and he only gave up one sack in 2022. The Gators ran a lot in his direction on off-tackle plays. He’s a little knock-kneed but still moves pretty well. He’s patient and doesn’t reach for blocks.

Gouraige was an ironman for the Gators, starting 42 games split almost evenly between left guard and left tackle. His extensive left side experience shows his potential as a swing lineman. Generally, if a blocker can handle the left side he can easily handle the right side.

In 2022 he earned an overall PFF blocking grade of 70.8 with an impressive 78.9 pass blocking and 65.7 run blocking. Gouraige totally tanked at his Pro Day. He had a 22.5-inch vertical leap, ran a 5.38 40-yard dash, did 8.03 seconds on the 3-cone drill, and completed 24 reps on the 225-pound bench press. His bench press would’ve been good for 8th Place among offensive linemen at the Combine. The rest of his numbers would’ve ranked him at or near last place.

As I said, not much of an athlete but a good player who could do swing duty at both OG and OT. Even with his athletic limitations, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gouraige develop into a solid starter on the right side at guard or tackle.