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 Offensive Tackles.
Joe Alt – Notre Dame, 6’9″ 320lbs
First team All-American and your proto-typical offensive tackle… Son of former NFL OL John Alt who played more than a decade for the Kansas City Chiefs… Combines size of an offensive tackle with athletic ability of a tight end… Intelligent player… Sees twists and stunts before they happen… An absolute destroyer in the run game… He locks on you and you’re done… Great anchor and bend in pass protection… Superb length keeps pass rushers away… Heavy hands that jar the defender… Could actually stand to get stronger… Footwork isn’t what I would call “quick” but it works for him… There are technique things to clean up. This guy is an immediate plug and play type.
Our Projection: Top Ten
Olumuyiwa Fashanu – Penn State, 6’6″ 310lbs
Played with Caleb Williams in high school… Redshirted in freshman season of 2020 at Penn State… Extreme athletic ability… Very natural, athletic movements… Solid technical skills as a run blocker and gets to the second level quickly… Excellent hand usage in pass protection… Fun to watch him zero in on defenders in the open field… Powerful in both his upper and lower body… Wide rushers give him some issues in pass protection… There are some moments of inconsistent play (due to limited experience maybe?)… Another high-ceiling type of player.
Our Projection: Mid-First Round
Taliese Fuaga – Oregon State, 6’6″ 325lbs
Played in just a couple of games in his freshman season but immediately took on a larger role in years two and three for the Beavers… Another guy with a solid NFL frame for the position… A destructive force on the line in terms of blocking in the run game… Has some position versatility that NFL coaches will welcome… More explosive and athletic than you would first think… Aggressive and plays with heavy, powerful hands… Can sometimes get too upright in pass protection… Arm length is not ideal… Can sometimes be over-aggressive leading to mistakes.
Our Projection: Mid-to-Late First Round
Amarius Mims – Georgia, 6’8″ 340lbs
An absolute beast of a man who shows little fat on his huge frame… Moves exceptionally well for his size… Tremendous length and loses zero strength as a result of long arms… Excellent pass blocker who uses length and athleticism well… Displays ability to understand twists and stunts by the defense… Dominant open-field force who buries smaller defenders… I’m very concerned about his lack of experience combined with tight rope ankle surgery which saw him miss several games in 2023… Played just two games in 2022… He may have the highest ceiling of anyone in this Draft.
Our Projection: Mid to Late First Round
JC Latham – Alabama, 6’6″ 340lbs
Tons of experience in time at Alabama… One time defensive end who made switch while at IMG Academy… Saw some time at guard for Bama as well… Has the type of build for an offensive tackle that a machine would crank out meaning size, strength and length are all perfect… Recognizes and plays stunts well… Has that ‘anchor’ you hear scouts talk about… Very quick in his pass sets… Very good run blocker who can maul opponents with the best of them… He has seen struggles with speed rushers… Needs to maintain contact longer in run blocking… Overall footwork and hand usage needs technique upgrades.
Our Projection: Late First to Early Second Round
Troy Fautanu – Washington, 6’4″ 315lbs
Former 3-star recruit who has a background in volleyball… Four-year player for the Huskies who saw significant time in his junior and senior campaigns… Really nice mixture of power and athleticism… Heavy hands that consistently deliver hard blow to the opponent… Has ideal length for the position… Volleyball history is noticeable with his quickness and foot movements… Definitely has to improve as a run blocker… Can get away from his technique which causes him problems in pass protection… He enters the league at the perfect time. Teams look for pass protectors first and foremost.
Our Projection: Mid to Late First Round
Tyler Guyton – Oklahoma, 6’8″ 320lbs
Played his first two seasons at TCU before transferring to OU… Played in 18 games over two seasons with the Sooners… Another guy with a classic and ideal build for the position… Powerful yet very agile on his feet… Can be a dominate force in the running game but must maintain consistency… Impressive burst at the snap gives him an immediate advantage over defenders… Arm length is only decent for his size… Had some issues with some stunts/twists that need to be addressed… He’s another guy with significant upside and a high ceiling… Pass happy teams will likely desire him quickly.
Our Projection: Late First to Early Second
Graham Barton – Duke, 6’5″ 315lbs
Probably the most versatile offensive lineman in this Draft… Has played significant snaps at Center, Guard and Tackle… Most experts believe he’ll be playing on the interior and I can’t disagree with that… This is mostly due to lack of NFL arm length… Tremendous mobility combined with very explosive power at the snap… High football I.Q… Really good in space mostly due to his wide base and athleticism… Can sometimes lose his way due to over-aggressive nature… Played only five career games at center but many believe he has a future there.
Our Projection: Late First Round
Other guys to keep an eye on… Jordan Morgan – Arizona… Blake Fisher – Notre Dame… Matt Gonclaves – PITT
