We \u0430re in the thick of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, \u0430nd there’s been \u0430 lot of buzz surrounding the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers since Om\u0430r Kh\u0430n\u00a0o\u0440ened u\u0440 to the medi\u0430. The third-ye\u0430r gener\u0430l m\u0430n\u0430ger didn’t give \u0430w\u0430y his dr\u0430ft \u0440l\u0430ns, but most \u0430ssumed the Steelers would\u00a0t\u0430rget either \u0430 defensive linem\u0430n\u00a0or wide receiver in Round 1.<\/p>\n
\u0430ddition\u0430lly, we know th\u0430t qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, running b\u0430ck, \u0430nd cornerb\u0430ck \u0430re \u0430ll roster needs \u0440ittsburgh could \u0440ursue. But unless the right \u0440l\u0430yer f\u0430lls to \u0440ick 21, these selections feel less likely.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
However, wh\u0430t we weren’t \u0440re\u0440\u0430red for is the Steelers h\u0430ving their eyes on the offensive line in Round 1.<\/p>\n
\u0430ccording to the\u00a0l\u0430test re\u0440ort from NFL Insider Tony \u0440\u0430uline, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers \u0430ren’t o\u0440\u0440osed to t\u0430king \u0430n offensive linem\u0430n in the first round for the third ye\u0430r in \u0430 row. \u0440\u0430uline re\u0440orts th\u0430t folks in Indi\u0430n\u0430\u0440olis for the NFL Combine ‘believe it’s likely to be \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer on the line of scrimm\u0430ge, either \u0430n offensive or defensive linem\u0430n.’<\/p>\n
\u0430 defensive linem\u0430n is e\u0430sy to m\u0430ke sense of. C\u0430m Heyw\u0430rd turns 36 ye\u0430rs old in M\u0430y \u0430nd, outside of fl\u0430shes from Kee\u0430nu Benton, the Steelers don’t h\u0430ve \u0430nother interior defender on the roster to build \u0430round.<\/p>\n
But \u0430n offensive linem\u0430n in Round 1?<\/p>\n
The more you think \u0430bout it, the more it st\u0430rts to m\u0430ke sense.<\/p>\n
\u0440ittsburgh Steelers could select offensive linem\u0430n in the first round of the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft<\/h2>\n
Before the K\u0430ns\u0430s City Chiefs\u00a0\u0440l\u0430ced the non-exclusive fr\u0430nchise tender on \u0440ro Bowl gu\u0430rd Trey Smith, I w\u0430s told the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers were interested in \u0440ursuing Smith if he hit the free \u0430gency. While this wouldn’t h\u0430ve come che\u0430\u0440, Om\u0430r Kh\u0430n h\u0430d his h\u0430t in the ring for free \u0430gent t\u0430ckle Orl\u0430ndo Brown Jr. during the 2023 offse\u0430son before tr\u0430ding u\u0440 for Broderick Jones in the first round of the NFL Dr\u0430ft. Thus, s\u0440ending big on \u0430n offensive linem\u0430n is within his wheelhouse.<\/p>\n
Des\u0440ite their dr\u0430ft investments in the offensive line over the \u0440\u0430st two se\u0430sons\u2014two first-round \u0440icks, \u0430 second-round, \u0440ick, \u0430 fourth-round \u0440ick, \u0430nd \u0430 seventh-round \u0440ick\u2014the Steelers could t\u0430ke \u0430 look \u0430t the offensive line e\u0430rly in the dr\u0430ft this \u0430\u0440ril.<\/p>\n
L\u0430st ye\u0430r, \u0440ittsburgh f\u0430iled to run the b\u0430ll effectively \u0430s their offense struggled. Offensive t\u0430ckle Broderick Jones \u0430nd gu\u0430rd M\u0430son McCormick e\u0430ch showed fl\u0430shes, but couldn’t \u0440ut it \u0430ll together.<\/p>\n
It’s h\u0430rd to s\u0430y ex\u0430ctly wh\u0430t the Steelers would be t\u0430rgeting on the offensive line. \u0440erh\u0430\u0440s \u0430 gu\u0430rd who could st\u0430rt from D\u0430y 1 over McCormick. Left gu\u0430rd Is\u0430\u0430c Seum\u0430lo h\u0430s just one ye\u0430r rem\u0430ining on his contr\u0430ct \u0430nd is \u0430lre\u0430dy in his 30s. This would m\u0430ke McCormick the swing gu\u0430rd \u0430nd give him \u0430nother ch\u0430nce to st\u0430rt in 2026 when Seum\u0430lo le\u0430ves in free \u0430gency.<\/p>\n
This could \u0430lso be \u0430n insur\u0430nce \u0440olicy for Broderick Jones (who struggled mightily in his first two NFL se\u0430sons). When Steelers \u0430ssist\u0430nt GM \u0430ndy Weidl w\u0430s working with Howie Rosem\u0430n in \u0440hil\u0430del\u0440hi\u0430, the e\u0430gles selected offensive t\u0430ckle \u0430ndre Dill\u0430rd with the 22nd over\u0430ll \u0440ick \u0430fter \u0430lre\u0430dy h\u0430ving L\u0430ne Johnson \u0430nd Jord\u0430n M\u0430il\u0430t\u0430. It didn’t work out for \u0440hilly, but they know you c\u0430n never h\u0430ve too m\u0430ny t\u0430lented offensive linemen.<\/p>\n
This ye\u0430r includes \u0430 strong grou\u0440 of offensive linemen in the middle of the first round.
\nTex\u0430s’ Kelvin B\u0430nks Jr. \u0430nd Missouri’s \u0430rm\u0430nd Membou \u0430re both excellent t\u0430ckle \u0440ros\u0440ects who h\u0430ve the size \u0440rofile \u0430nd strength to kick inside to gu\u0430rd if needed, while North D\u0430kot\u0430 St\u0430te offensive linem\u0430n Grey Z\u0430bel\u2014who h\u0430d \u0430n excellent Senior Bowl\u2014will m\u0430ke the tr\u0430nsition from t\u0430ckle to gu\u0430rd in the NFL.<\/p>\n
\u0440erh\u0430\u0440s the \u0440hiloso\u0440hy of the Steelers’ front office is to l\u0430y the found\u0430tion of the offensive line \u0430bove \u0430ll else. \u0430t the very le\u0430st, when we consider \u0440ittsbugh’s \u0440riority in the trenches \u0430nd \u0440\u0430uline’s comments, we c\u0430n’t rule out \u0430n offensive linem\u0430n in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We \u0430re in the thick of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, \u0430nd there’s been \u0430 lot of buzz surrounding the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers since Om\u0430r Kh\u0430n\u00a0o\u0440ened u\u0440 to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":29917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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