Steelers are targeting a specific type of OT in the 2024 NFL Draft

Every NFL front office has specific things they look for at certain positions. The longer the general manager is in place, the more obvious these thresholds become. Some teams will only draft cornerbacks with at least 32'' arms, while other teams have thresholds for height and weight when taking a wide receiver early in the NFL Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have some things they have looked for historically. However, with new heads in the front office, some of these trends could be changing soon, and we are already getting a feel for what Omar Khan and Andy Weidl like when it comes to the offensive tackle position.

Tackle is a pressing need for the Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft -- even after selecting Broderick Jones in the first round last year. While Dan Moore Jr. has three years of starting experience under his belt, the former fourth-round pick isn't getting the job done, and OT is too important to be cutting corners.

The Steelers have made it known that the offensive tackle position must be addressed, but more than that, they have given us a glimpse into the specific type of OT they will be looking to select in the draft.

Steelers are eyeing big, long right tackle prospects

The 2024 draft class is loaded with talent at the offensive tackle position, with very different types of prospects. There are a handful of nimble-footed blind-side protectors like Olu Fashanu and Troy Fautanu as well as mammoth OT prospects like Amarius Mims, JC Latham, and Tyler Guyton.

So which type of offensive tackle are the Steelers interested in drafting?

While there is still more than enough time and available Top 30 visits to bring in more OT prospects, here are the sizes of the tackles the Steelers have either used a Top 30 visit to meet with or Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan were on hand at their Pro Day:

• Amarius Mims: 6'7 3/4'', 340 pounds (Pro Day, Top 30 visit)
• JC Latham: 6'5 3/4'', 342 pounds ( Pro Day)
• Taliese Fuaga: 6'5 3/4'', 324 pounds (Top 30 visit)
• Travis Glover: 6'6'', 338 pounds (Top 30 visit)

This sample is relatively small, but there are a few things these offensive tackles all have in common: they are over 6'5'' and at least 320 pounds.

It's interesting to note that not all of these players share the same thresholds when it comes to arm length. While Mims and Latham have over 35'' arms, Fuaga's arm length comes in at just 33 1/8'' (which is 15th percentile among NFL offensive tackles, according to Mockdraftable). Perhaps the Steelers would be willing to bend on this threshold as Fuaga is considered a consensus top-20 player in the class.

It's also worth mentioning that, during the 2023 offseason, the Steelers reportedly made a hard push for Orlando Brown Jr (who ultimately signed with the Bengals). Brown measures in at 6'7 7/8'' and 345 pounds with 35'' arms.

Amarius Mims is a player who has been frequently mocked to the Steelers in the first round, and it's not hard to see why. Last year, Pittsburgh took a toolsy Georgia OT with a trade-up in Round 1, and with Dan Moore struggling, they could use another promising prospect to pair with Broderick Jones.

Mims would make an ideal right tackle and allow Jones to kick back over to his more natural position at left tackle. The Steelers recently hosted Mims for a pre-draft visit.

The type of offensive tackle that the Steelers are eying seems to indicate that Khan and Weidl have a heavy hand in which direction they go on the offensive line. In the past, Arthur Smith has had smaller offensive tackles who excel at moving in space for his wide zone scheme.

Based on their Pro Day meetings and Top 30 visits, we have every reason to believe that the Pittsburgh Steelers are eyeing a big, powerful right tackle to pair with Jones. We will continue to track their visits as we inch closer to the 2024 NFL Draft.