Pittsburgh Steelers have open competition at right tackle

The Pittsburgh Steelers traded right tackle Marcus Gilbert to the Arizona Cardinals in March, leaving the position wide open for training camp.

A little over a month before the 2019 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to move on from their first-choice right tackle for the past 8 years, Marcus Gilbert. Trading him to the Arizona Cardinals for a sixth-round draft pick in the final year of his contract showed that the Steelers had no intentions of re-signing him to a contract.

That move led to the Steelers selecting Ulysees Grant with the 207th pick, a linebacker out of Akron, and a wide-open competition at right tackle for the 2019 season. Gilbert has been an anchor at that spot for Ben Roethlisberger, who will need all the help he can get from his offensive line this season.

With training camp several weeks away, the Steelers will have strong eyes on several players in the running for that starting spot. Matt Feiler and Chukwuma Okorafor are the two favorites to compete, with guys like Jerald Hawkins, Zach Banner and Derwin Gray also in the chase.

The change at right tackle will be something that doesn’t happen too often with the Pittsburgh Steelers’ line — outside of injuries here and there. The Steelers have had the same brass on their offensive line for several years, so a lot of this transition will depend on the other four starters getting either Feiler or Okorafor comfortable in the Steelers’ offense.

Last season was a good enough intro into that, with Marcus Gilbert out most of the season. Matt Feiler ended up replacing him for 10 starts in 2018, while Chukwuma Okorafor started 3 games at right tackle.

Of the two, Feiler looked to have more control over his matchups, earning a 71.1 grade from Pro Football Focus. Feiler had most of his success with his pass protection, which will be key to Ben Roethlisberger having a great season without Antonio Brown or the rushing ability of Le’Veon Bell. Feiler was a product of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ practice squad after he was claimed off waivers in 2015. Feiler spent two years with the Houston Texans.

On the other Chukwuma Okorafor finished with a less-appealing grade from Pro Football Focus, who gave the 21-year-old a 51.1 based on his 155 snaps last season. Okorafor will likely have a higher ceiling than Feiler in the future, entering his second season in the NFL. The Steelers drafted him last season in the third round out of Western Michigan.

Jerald Hawkins, who was a fourth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2016, will have his shot at the starting spot, but he will have to have a killer training camp and preseason to beat out Feiler and Okorafor. At only 25 years old, he can still have a decent ceiling, but will need to start showing something soon.

As it stands right now, I see Feiler being slotted as the starting right tackle, with Okorafor backing him up.

As far as the rest of the offensive line, it’s pretty much set in stone. Alejandro Villanueva will man the left tackle, with Okorafor (or Feiler) backing him up. Ramon Foster will be at left guard, with B.J. Finney behind him. Center will be reserved for Maurkice Pouncey, with B.J. Finney the likely backup. David DeCastro will start at right guard with R.J. Prince as a backup.

If the Steelers’ offensive line can protect Roethlisberger and open lanes for James Conner, the Steelers still have a shot at something special. After losing two of their biggest offensive weapons, it’s next man up mentality in Pittsburgh.

Luckily, team chemistry is at a much more stable level now, and it seems to be all business moving forward.

What do you see happening at right tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Can Okorafar impress the coaches enough to earn a starting spot? Leave your comments below!