Steelers' Mike Tomlin Gives 'Meaningless' Depth Chart at Left Tackle
PITTSBURGH -- For right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a left tackle - and you can quote it.
During Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert's pre-draft (in-person) press conference, the head coach and general manager discussed a number of topics relating to the Steelers' needs during draft week. Of those topics included their "current" left tackle and right cornerback, if the depth chart was released today.
"Chuks [Okorafor] will probably be the guy who's penciled in at left tackle in April," Tomlin said with a laugh. "... It means absolutely nothing. And quote me on that."
Tomlin's words don't mean much. The Steelers will be a team in contention of drafting a left tackle this upcoming weekend and will most certainly have a competition at both tackle spots this summer.
"Depth charts this time of year are funny," Tomlin said. "They don't mean anything. They're not worth the paper they're written on."
Well, maybe this time it does mean something. The Steelers won't hand anyone the starting job without earning it, but Tomlin saying Okorafor would move to the left side - if needed - should assume Zach Banner is the starting right tackle, as of now.
Okorafor's athleticism allows him to move better on the left side of the offensive line, but this Tomlin quote should speak more on the placement of Banner. The team has seemed fairly high on Banner since his emergence in 2019, and he should resume his starting job on the right side, which he won last summer before tearing his ACL in Week 1.
Meanwhile, Colbert said the team will be "wide open" to drafting any position with the 24th pick. "If you have a dynamic player at any position, that player could make a difference," Colbert said.
That position could be a tackle. Which could make Okorafor's time as the starting left tackle rather short.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
