After looks at the classes of running backs and tight ends in the 2020 NFL Draft, it's time to glance over prospects on the offensive line. The Steelers still have all-pro linemen in Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro, but could use reinforcements to the unit that doesn't have a third definitive anchor.
After reading comments on earlier classroom articles, I figured it's time we provide an overlook of prospects the Steelers could consider at center, guard and offensive tackle. So here's a breakdown of prospects along with where I see the Steelers' best moves:
Early targets
This NFL draft class is stacked with top-tier offensive tackles that will most likely go in the first round. As the Steelers' first pick is in the second round as the 49th overall pick I've ruled out obvious prospects like Tritan Wirfs, Mekhi Beckton, Jedrick Wills, and Andrew Thomas. I've also ruled out Josh Jones of Houston as the consensus seems to be he will either be selected in the first round or very early in the second.
Cesar Ruiz - Michigan - C/G
6-foot-4, 319 lbs.
Projected Mid-First Round to Mid-Second Round
Ruiz is another example of a pie in the sky pick for the Steelers, but I've seen some mocks where he's lasted until their pick. He's the best center of this class with strength to bully defensive tackles, athleticism to pull and hit and in space and tops it off with very good technique.
The only way he even gets close to the Steelers is if teams value skill positions and offensive tackles enough to pass on this group going into the second round. As the prospect of B.J. Finney being a starter at left guard looms, it may make sense to invest in another center that can fill in at guard. Ruiz would be Pouncey's successor, but again this is an extreme long shot. He would have to fall into the second round and then the Steelers to trade up for this to happen.
Lloyd Cushenberry III - LSU - C/G
6-foot-3, 312 lbs.
Projected Late First Round to Mid-Second Round
Cushenberry is the second best center in the class and is more reasonably attainable. He started two years at LSU and became their most reliable lineman in their 2019 run to the national championship.
He's not a mauler at center but he does a very good job identifying defensive fronts and keeping the line on the same page while also fulfilling his assignments. Even when he can't overpower opponents, Cushenberry finds different ways to win through footwork, positioning, hand placement and keeping a good base with a low center of gravity.
Watch how he drives No. 99 of Texas off the ball just enough to give Clyde Edwards-Helaire the middle of the line, then fights to seal the defensive tackle away from his running back. You can see his pad level below his opponents and how he dominates the point of attack:
Cushenberry isn't the dominant force that Ruiz presents on tape, but he's very consistent and looks the part of a leader in the trench wars. He also most likely will be gone by when the Steelers pick, but if teams are reluctant on interior offensive linemen, there's a chance he could fall back far enough for the Steelers to take a look.
Lucas Niang - USC - OT
6-foot-7, 328 lbs.
Projected Late First Round to Mid-Second Round
Niang is the best tackle that I see the Steelers having even the slightest chance of drafting. He's a road-grader with great size and athleticism for the position. In other years where the didn't have five first round tackles at the level this class boasts, Niang would grade higher.
He's well-schooled in how to use his frame to win leverage battles and often looks to bury his opponents in both the run game and in pass protection. Watch how he works as the right tackle in this run out on the edge by getting full extension of his arms as No. 77 against the edge edge defender. He drives his man eight yards downfield and gives his running back space for a good gain:
I expect Niang to get closer to the Steelers' range than the other top linemen because he had a hip injury in 2019 that caused him to miss games, but to still be gone by the time they pick. If he somehow lasts until their pick, it would be tough to overlook the contributions he could bring at tackle, even with Chukwuma Okorafor waiting in the wings.
Jonah Jackson - Ohio State - G
6-foot-4, 310 lbs.
Projected Mid-Second Round to Mid-Third Round
Jackson is a good guard with size that brings solid technique and footwork without being a powerhouse in the middle of the line. He transferred from Rutgers to Ohio State and dabbled a little at center while playing plenty of guard last year.
He's disciplined enough to win leverage battles at various spots and not afraid to move around the line to take on different defenders. Watch this left reach block where he (No. 73) seals the edge defender to the inside to open up the hole at the point of attack:
Jackson has plenty of potential through his understanding of how to win different spots, but he lacks the dominating strength needed to counter top-tier NFL defensive tackles that Ruiz and Cushenberry display. This leads me to think that he'll definitely be around for the Steelers' pick at 49, but that they might be better served drafting a skill position like running back if it hasn't been tapped too much by other teams.
Prince Tega Wanogho - Auburn - OT
6-foot-5, 307 lbs.
Projected Late Second Round to Late Third Round
Wanogho is an SEC lineman from Nigeria who has the prototypical build of an offensive tackle but not the traditional football background. You can see the raw technical mistakes in his tape that lead to misplaced hands and inconsistent footwork. He won't go early but he could be seen as a good project to develop in the third round.
Later targets
These are the players the Steelers could consider with their third round compensatory pick or either of their fourth round selections. None of these players project to be starters, but could be depth on the line should the Steelers lose more in free agency than expected.
Saahdiq Charles - LSU - OT
6-foot-4, 295 lbs.
Third Round to Fourth Round
Charles is a solid tackle that has traditional skills and looks smooth working with LSU's line. On tape he looks like a jack of all trades but a master of none. With polish he could become an exceptional blocker in zone schemes for positioning and working with a stronger line, but he's not a mauler and doesn't look like that will become part of his game.
Isaiah Wilson - Georgia - OT
6-foot-7, 340 lbs.
Third Round to Fourth Round
Wilson is the opposite to Charles in that he's definitely a mauler of a linemen but lacks technical skills to beat opponents who aren't crushed by his raw strength. His hand placement can seem erratic on film and he sometimes is out of position, but when he's on target he's a load to fight.
He projects as a potential sixth linemen the way the Steelers used Zach Banner this year with the hope he can develop more technical skills to become a more balanced linemen in the coming years.
Nick Harris - Washington - C/G
6-foot-1, 293 lbs.
Late Third Round to Fifth Round
Harris has very impressive footwork and a knack to engage defenders in space. Pulling centers are a big part of what the Steelers like to do when their run game is working, so he could be a later prospect to consider to back up Pouncey and Finney while also helping at guard.
As No. 56, watch how he pulls and takes on the edge rusher Nick Coe, No. 91 for Auburn. He keeps a low pad level with a wide base and gets his hands inside to stand up Coe and prevent him from disengaging in time to stop the run:
Harris looks feisty on tape but there are legitimate concerns about he would hold up against bigger defensive tackles, but he won plenty of battles with better positioning and a high motor.
Ben Bredeson - Michigan - G
6-foot-5, 316 lbs.
Late Third Round to Fifth Round
Bredeson is a strong run blocker especially in short distance situations. He can engage in the hole and drive out defenders to win tight spots, but in both pass protection and working in space he loses that edge. Some tape you see poor hand placement, other tape you see him look like a natural guard flowing to the second level and sealing off the right spot against linebackers.
He's a mauler type guard which is usually interesting, and could be a good find in the middle rounds.
Damien Lewis - LSU - G
6-foot-2, 329 lbs.
Fourth Round to Fifth Round
My favorite of the middle round players is the lesser talked about of the LSU offensive linemen, Lewis. He doesn't have the all around polish of Charles or the leadership of Henry, but he does look like a complete bully in the trenches.
His raw strength is impressive like Bredeson's and he helped open plenty of holes for Clyde Edwards-Helaire in their championship run. Watch how he gets his control of his man at the line and pancakes hi right where Edwards-Helaire runs past on his way to score:
Lewis has a ways to go with hand placement, consistent footwork and fundamentals, but his raw power could be nice to have and develop over the next couple seasons.
Synopsis
The Steelers have to consider taking the best player available with the 49th overall pick and that most likely won't be a lineman if as many teams as I expect to be in the market. From the teams picking before the Steelers, I counted at least 13 teams could use an interior offensive lineman and another 13 teams could use an offensive tackle.
Any of those teams could get skill position players, but the point is that even if the Steelers want to upgrade their offensive line soon, there's little chance any of the players that look like potentially instant starters would be available.
If Niang or Cushenberry are there when the Steelers pick, that might change the narrative. But I'm more confident enough NFL teams will want top linemen of this class that the Steelers would best be served looking at other offensive positions. After doing so, Kevin Colbert could still dip into the offensive line class in the later rounds and get a good project.
MORE CLASSROOM
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Feb. 4: Break more tackles in 2020