The Pittsburgh Steelers are slated to have seven selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, including three in the top 50. Over the course of the last few weeks, the team has held a number of top-30 meetings with prospects, with a majority of the players being either offensive linemen or cornerbacks. Considering these two positional groups are widely viewed as the Steelers' biggest need at this point in the offseason, it may entirely be possible that Omar Khan picks up multiple players at the same position in the upcoming NFL Draft this month.
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Steelers general manager, Omar Khan.
Steelers' fans do not have to look very far in the past for this philosophy in action, as the team selected multiple players at the same position group at both quarterback and wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft. Quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Chris Oladokun were selected in the first-round and seventh-round, respectively. Additionally, the Steelers selected wide receivers George Pickens in the second-round and Calvin Austin III in the fourth-round. While neither Oladokun nor Austin III saw the field in 2023, both Pickett and Pickens played prominent roles in the Matt Canada lead offense this past season.
Credit: Associated Press
Steelers' George Pickens and Kenny Pickett
The current structure roster would absolutely allow for this to take place at various positions, you will find a list of the top two most likely positional groups the Steelers may look to add multiple players at in the 2023 NFL Draft, below.
1. Offensive Line
The offensive line is perhaps the easiest group to predict as the team normally keeps anywhere from eight-to-ten linemen on their 53-man roster, depending on the year. However, this is not the biggest reason as to why the Steelers may look to add multiple players at OL in the 2023 NFL Draft. Since Omar Khan has taken over as General Manager, he has made it abundantly clear that the team is committed to running the football effectively. This is why the Steelers added veteran free agents such as James Daniels and Mason Cole in 2022 as well as Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig in 2023.
While 4/5 of the starting offensive line is for the most part set for next season, the Steelers may be looking to upgrade their left tackle position from Dan Moore to a player such as Paris Johnson Jr from The Ohio State University or Darnell Wright from the University of Tennessee. If the organization truly is interested in upgrading its services at blindside protector, it will most likely need to select a tackle with one of its first two picks, either at pick #17 or #32.
While the Steelers will inevitably end up taking a tackle with one of their early sections, do not rule out the team looking into adding interior offensive line help as well later in the draft. A few names to keep an eye on are, Joe Tippmann from the University of Wisconsin, Steve Avila from Texas Christian University and O'Cyrus Torrence from the University of Florida.
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Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr.'s foundation won the 2022 Armed Forces Merit Award Friday. Johnson, one of the nation's top offensive linemen, is a Princeton High School graduate.
Similar to the offensive line, the Steelers have made their indications of drafting a corner with one of their first three picks to be very high. Consequently, this opens up the possibility for the team looking to add multiple players to this position group. On a typical 53-man roster, the Steelers will keep either five or six cornerbacks, with usually at least one corner on the practice squad. With the current lack of depth in this group, the Steelers would absolutely benefit by adding two young players to the roster.
Thus far, the Steelers have met with, or are scheduled to meet with five cornerback prospects. Many of these players such as Joey Porter Jr from Penn State University and Kelee Ringo from the University of Georgia are projected to be first-round selections. However, players such as Julius Brents from Kansas State University, and Tyrique Stevenson from the University of Miami, may fall to the team in a middle-to-late round.
The opportunity to add two rookies to an already solid defensive backroom could make a tremendous difference for the Steelers defense. Under the leadership of players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Patrick Peterson, the new additions could help solidify the team's secondary as one of the best in the entire NFL. The crop of corners in this year's draft class is deep, there truly has never been a better time to make a splash and add multiple playmakers on the defensive side of the ball who have the opportunity to help the Steelers regain their AFC North Division title in 2023.
Photo Credit: kstatesports.com
Julius Brents (#23) lines up against LSU.
Final Thoughts On The Steelers Adding Multiple Players To The Same Positional Group
Omar Khan, along with nearly every other NFL General Manager, has stressed the importance of taking the "best player available" when it comes time to select in the NFL Draft. For the Steelers, the depth at both offensive line and corner in this year's class is an incredible opportunity to improve their 2023 roster. If the organization can find a way to ace the upcoming draft, there is no telling how successful this team might be next season. Just maybe, the best way to accomplish this feat is to add multiple players to the same positional group.
How do Yinz feel about this scenario? Would you rather Omar Khan select a player from a different position group with each of his seven selections? Other than the players mentioned above, is there a cornerback or offensive line prospect that you would love to see in Pittsburgh next season? Let's hear it in the comments!
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