Getty Mike Tomlin reacts after a play.
As the 2023 NFL draft draws closer and closer, the rumor mill spins faster and faster. The latest comes from ESPN’s draft guru Todd McShay who’s been talking with executives, scouts, coaches and other evaluators around the league about potential draft movement. He hears that the Pittsburgh Steelers are not only in talks with the Chicago Bears at No. 9 (previously reported by E.J. Snyder of Windy City Gridiron and Peter King) but also the Tennessee Titans (No. 11) about moving up in the draft.
After an aggressive first free agency from Steelers’ new general manager Omar Khan, one of their top needs remains offensive tackle. So it comes as no surprise that that’s the position Khan and Mike Tomlin would take if they can package an enticing offer for an interested team.
“I’ve heard Pittsburgh has contacted multiple teams, including the Bears (No. 9) and Titans (No. 11), about trading up for an offensive tackle,” McShay wrote in an April 24 column. “The Steelers need a long-term answer as protection for Kenny Pickett, and there are three potential cornerstone left tackles in this class who will be available in that range. It wasn’t that long ago that Pittsburgh moved up in Round 1 and took linebacker Devin Bush, and we could see a similar move this year, albeit for a different position.”
"I've heard Pittsburgh has contacted multiple teams, including the Bears (No. 9) and Titans (No. 11), about trading up for an offensive tackle." – Todd McShay.
Broderick Jones, Darnell Wright, come on down.
— Daniel Valente (@StatsGuyDaniel) April 24, 2023
It’s been projected that Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, the most polished offensive lineman in the 2023 draft class, won’t fall to No. 9 or 11. CBS Sports’ Kyle Stackpole called Skoronski one of the top prospects regardless of position. However, according to Pro Football Focus breakdown of the biggest need of each team, the in the market for tackles are the New York Jets (No. 13) and New England Patriots (No. 14). Should Skoronski be on the board after the Atlanta Falcons pick at No. 8, moving up to No. 9 would make sense if he’s their guy.
But the most draft radar buzz goes to Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr., who some scouts believe is a better all-around lineman than Skoronski given his size and athleticism. While other teams had their eyes on quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at OSU’s March 22 Pro Day, the Steelers were glued to the 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle. They brought out the big guns with both Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan, as well as offensive line coach Pat Meyer. While they were in Columbus, the three dined with Johnson, right tackle Dawand Jones, center Luke Wypler, and edge Zach Harrison.
Georgia’s Broderick Jones and Tennessee’s Darnell Wright were also among the top offensive linemen to take in Top-30 visits with the Steelers.
“Based on the offseason to date for the Steelers under Khan and Weidl, an aggressive move to get the guy they want wouldn’t be a surprise,” wrote Steelers Depot’s Josh Carney. Aggression has been the name of the game for the duo’s first draft and moving up for Johnson would be the icing on the cake.
Steelers-Bears NFL Draft Trade Rumor
The Bears rumor has been floating around since Peter King reported it in his April 17 Football Morning in America column, but the target in that move was Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. “I’ll tell you the team that is the most perfect fit for Carter in the NFL: the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’d have to trade up from 17 to get him.”
“Best rumor of the week: Steelers trading up from 17 to nine if Carter’s there,” King wrote. “There could not be a more perfect coach for Carter than Mike Tomlin.”
King is right: Tomlin is the perfect coach for Carter. A player’s coach, he’s well-known as a motivator of men. An NFL assistant once said that Tomlin is, “Maybe the best teacher I’ve ever seen. Not just about football but about life.”
And it seems Carter needs to learn a thing or 10 about life. Though he won’t face jail time for his involvement in a January 15, 2023 fatal single-car accident, scouts repeatedly have noted that Carter has “maturity issues,” which Tomlin would quickly work to put a lid on.
But defensive tackle is not a priority need for the Steelers at this juncture, and that’s exactly how Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl will be drafting. “[This draft will allow us] to draft at a priority need position,” Khan said during his and Tomlin’s April 24 pre-draft press conference.