Welcome to our annual Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Profiles! Each of these articles will feature all of the positions in the game of football and more importantly, the top-rated players at these positions and those that the Steelers may be interested in! This one features the Interior Offensive Linemen covering Guards and Centers but we spent most of our time on the centers for obvious reasons.
Jackson Powers-Johnson – Oregon, 6’3″ 325lbs
2023 Rimington Award winner as nation’s top center… Excellent power and athletic ability… Extremely explosive in the running game… I would suggest he could work in either a zone or man blocking scheme… Aggressive pass blocker who will make sure rushers know not to come his way… Plays with a ‘don’t mess with me’ demeanor… Gets out well on wide plays and screens… Arm length is a bit of a concern… Has a tendency to get a bit ‘grabby’ at times… Can sometimes get too upright.
Our Projection: Mid-To-Late First Round
Zach Frazier – West Virginia, 6’3″ 310lbs
Four-time State Champion wrestler… Tremendous experience with over 40 career games in four seasons with the Mountaineers… Wrestling background is evident in many facets of his game… Stays low… Excellent use of his hands…Wide base and tremendous balance… Excellent run blocker who gets under and into defenders… Incredibly tough and durable player… Average arm length… Can drop his head at times which is a big ‘no-no’ in the NFL… Struggled at times with some of the bigger and more athletic interior D-Linemen in the Big 12… Decent pass blocker but there will be some necessary adjustments here.
Our Projection: Mid-Second Round
Sedrick Van Pran – Georgia, 6’4″ 300lbs
Started 43 games for the Bulldogs winning two National Titles… Tremendous leader on and off the field… Team captain… High football I.Q… Total command of both ‘A’ gaps… Very good explosiveness off the snap… Appears to be scheme versatile having done well in zone and power rushing attacks… Good, solid hand usage… Functional strength is very good but could use added strength… Lacks the type of length teams covet… Will have some technique and balance issues to clean up.
Our Projection: Late Second Round to Early Third
Beaux Limmer – Arkansas, 6’5″ 300lbs
Academic All-SEC player… high intelligence translates well to the football field… Solid quickness and agility… Gets to the second level as well as anyone in the draft… Has played numerous positions along the O-Line… Quick feet and a wide base make him a terrific drive blocker… Heavy hands initiate a strong punch at the snap… Pass protection is a work in progress… Can sometimes get ahead of himself leading to poor balance… Short arms.
Our Projection: Early Fourth Round
Hunter Nourzad – Penn State, 6’3″ 315lbs
Turned down US Military Academy to attend Cornell where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering… Transferred to Penn State for final year… Former lacrosse and track star… Tremendous versatility along the O-Line… Quick off the snap and delivers a forceful blow… Pulls well from center position… Uses angles wisely… Seems best suited to a zone scheme… His overall balance needs attention… Can sometimes get too wide leading to issues against faster rushers.
Our Projection: Late Fourth to Mid-Fifth Round
Tanor Bertolini – Wisconsin, 6’3″ 300lbs
Played in 31 games over his final three seasons for the Badgers… Smart player who reacts quickly to stunts and twists… Agile and technically sound player… Patient player who sets up well in pass protection… Might have a future at guard… Not a superior athlete but a good one… The effort is always there but he can be overpowered too often… If he doesn’t have the angle he’s likely going to be beaten.
Our Projection: Mid-Fifth to Mid-Sixth Round
Other Centers to keep an eye on…
Drake Nugent – Michigan, Andrew Raym – Oklahoma, Delmar Glaze – Maryland
Guards
Mason McCormick, South Dakota State, 6′ 3″ 310lbs
Two-time National Champion at SDSU… Was a freshman back in 2018… Fifth year senior who took advantage of his Covid year… Has some experience at tackle but is likely locked in at guard in the NFL… Had an unreal 57 consecutive starts… Had an exceptional showing at the Combine… Very good athlete… Aggressive, mauler mentality… Would benefit from a team that is ‘run-first’… Team captain… Speedy and athletic rushers give him problems… Can be upright too much at times… Side-to-side movements need improvement.
Our Projection: Fifth Round
Steven Jones – Oregon, 6’5″ 340lbs
Massive guy who had 14 starts in 2023 at right guard… Came to Eugene in 2018… Wide body who displays more athleticism than you would think… Plays with a mauler mentality… Pulls well despite his massive size… Missed most of 2022 with an injury that limited him to just five games… Has some technique things to clean up… Has been routinely mentioned as a free agent priority but has started to gain traction as a late round pick.
Our Projection: Seventh Round
Cooper Beebe – Kansas State, 6’3″ 320lbs
Typically rated as the top guard prospect in the Draft… Former 3-star recruit who played in 47 career games in his final four years with the Wildcats… Tremendous pass protector who rarely gives ground and closes down his gaps immediately and with authority… Pulls extremely well in either direction… Really good hand technique… Smart player and strong leader… Length is not up to normal NFL standards… Athleticism of NFL players will pose challenges for him.
Our Projection: Second Round
Zac Zinter – Michigan, 6’6″ 310lbs
Had 33 straight starts for the Wolverines… Pro ready after practicing against All-American talent daily and on Saturdays in the Big Ten… Anchors extremely well guided by powerful upper body… Pulls well in either direction but especially on short pulls where he takes good angles… Smart player who adjusts well in any situation… Broke both bones in lowers leg against Ohio State in 2023… Quick, athletic interior defenders will pose some problems for him… Could be scheme-limited based on issues against speed.
Our Projection: Fourth Round
Other Guards to keep an eye on…
Matthew Jones – Ohio State… Christian Mahogany – Boston College… Walter Rouse – Oklahoma.
