The Steelers will likely look to address the offensive line this offseason with a new center and tackle to finish off a project they worked on last season and hope to polish off once again. Mason Cole and Dan Moore Jr. have significantly struggled throughout the season, and Broderick Jones is playing out of his natural position.
So, the team could look to an NFL Draft class with talented tackles for them to land. In Adam Caplan’s new NFL Mock Draft for Pro Football Network, he has the Steelers doing just that and adding a tackle. Caplan has the team landing Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga.
“We’re told Pittsburgh is very happy with rookie OT Broderick Jones. He’s proven he can play both tackle positions,” Caplan wrote. “Now they need someone to start on the opposite side. Taliese Fuaga would help the coaches to form a formidable tackle tandem for years to come.”
Fuaga is a true junior but took massive leaps this year while playing mostly at right tackle. That makes him an ideal fit for the Steelers to get Jones back into his natural spot at left tackle, too. Fuaga is a mauler with good athleticism and burst off the line, and would fit well with their mauler mentality in the running game.
Jones has struggled at right tackle at time, looking a little bit unorthodox in his kickstep. It makes sense. We are talking about someone who is a natural left tackle and already came out as raw. Moore has struggled enough, too. Thus, Fuaga could be the solution to that problem.
He still has a skill set that needs polishing. Still, Fuaga’s promising growth over his years as a starter in Corvalis is something that NFL teams should bank on as something that can continue to be replicated moving forward. For the Steelers, landing a natural right tackle who fits what they like up front would be perfect.