Analyst Has Steelers Selecting Massive OT in Mock Draft
Another mock draft, another offensive tackle is sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Steelers selecting Oregon State Taliese Fuaga at 20th overall.
It will be surprising if the Steelers don’t take a offensive tackler, center or wide receiver in the first round. It appears those are the three positions they are targeting.
“Taliese Fuaga could be long gone by the time the Steelers are on the clock. But if he’s here, this would be a layup; he can be the starter at right tackle while last year’s first-rounder, Broderick Jones, can move over to the left side, where he played at Georgia,” Wilson wrote.
The Steelers hosted Fuaga on a pre-draft visit at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, according to a report by Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Fuaga, who is projected by most to be an immediate starter at right tackle, was one of the Steelers’ top interests at the Senior Bowl, where Mike Tomlin took a special interest in the big Oregon State lineman.
“It was crazy,” Fuaga said of doing drills with Tomlin barking over his shoulder. “I met Mike Tomlin during the interviews the other day. It was kind of surprising. I didn’t expect him to be there. Meeting him, I’ve got some family that are Steelers fans, so just to be able to talk to that guy in real life was kind of crazy.”
Fuaga measured in at 6-foot-5 3/4 and 324 pounds at the 2024 NFL Combine. His one physical weakness might be in his arm length, which is 33 1/8.
He dispelled concerns about that at the Senior Bowl.
“I think as long as, at the end of the day, you can stop your guy in front of you, that’s all I can say,” he said. “Everybody over here has the ability to beat anybody. Just being able to get out there on a tackle set, if your technique is clicking for you, then you can stop anybody.”
The Steelers sent offensive line coach Pat Meyer to Corvallis, Oregon for the Beavers’ pro day, but Tomlin and Khan stayed behind, as it was on the first day of the free agent contact period.
They’ll get one more shot to meet with Fuaga up close and person during his pre-draft visit to Pittsburgh.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that Fuaga will be an option for the Steelers. His current NFL Mock Draft Database average has him at No. 15 overall.
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