Judging by the logic of popular culture, the Pittsburgh Steelers have done things backwards in the NFL draft when it comes to offensive tackle. “Backwards? Haven’t didn’t they use consecutive first round picks on tackles?” you ask?
Well…, Offensive tackle might not hold a lot of sex appeal, but it is sexy enough to inspire a Hollywood movie. If we accept Leigh Anne Tuohy’s logic as handed down by Sandra Bullock in the opening monologue of The Blind Side, the first check an NFL team writes pays the mortgage, the second goes to the insurance.
- The mortgage is of course, the quarterback and the insurance is offensive tackle.
Yet Omar Khan and Andy Weidl still haven’t made a mortgage payment in the NFL draft, but their first two first round draft picks brought offensive tackles to Pittsburgh.
Should the duo continue to take out insurance policies in the 2026 NFL Draft? Let’s have look.
This is the latest article in our Steelers 2026 Draft series.
The Steelers Offensive Tackle Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Starters
Broderick Jones became the first pick of the Khan-Weidl era when the Steelers picked him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Although they traded up to get him, Jones was viewed as a bit of a project based on his limited experience starting at Georgia.
He did not crack the starting line up initially as a rookie, but he saw action in the debacle the Steelers suffered in Houston and made another start the following week in the upset over the Ravens at Acrisure.
Jones took over starting duties at right tackle when Mike Tomlin benched Chukwuma Okorafor in the Steelers Monday Night win over the Titans and, in some ways, the offense’s rebound began then.
Jones had a difficult summer in 2024 would have found himself behind both Dan Moore and Troy Fautanu, 2024’s first round pick. However, an injury cost Fautanu all but one game of his rookie year, so Jones continued to start at right tackle and struggled at times.
- 2025 saw Jones move to left tackle, and the results were mixed.
Early in the season he had difficulties, and coaches openly schemed both to give him help and design plays that allowed Aaron Rodgers to get rid of the ball quickly.
Broadrick Jones during the Steelers win in Dublin. Photo Credit: Karl Roser, Steelers.com
However, the consensus is that Jones improved until an injury in the loss to the Bears cost him the rest of the season.
Jones’ injury was more serious than expected, and Omar Khan has indicated that the team cannot be sure that he’ll be ready for the start of the 2026 season.
As both hoped and expected, Troy Fautanu took over as the starter at right tackle in 2026 and played the entire year, as the right side of the Steelers lines began taking form as a team strength.
The Steelers Offensive Tackle Depth Chart Entering the 2026 NFL Draft – The Backups
Practice squad players are an interesting subset of NFL veterans. Oftentimes, they’re blips that you see come and go in a week or less. Sometimes you see come and go and return, on and off, over the course of a season, or several seasons.
And then there are the ones that reporters give shout outs to Q&A columns and on-line chats, reminding everyone to keep an eye on. Some of those players you never get to see. But others do make good on their shot at 15 minutes of fame, and Dylan Cook is one of those.
Cook signed with the Steelers and was on their practice squad in 2023, pegged by some as a “dark horse roster candidate.” He didn’t make the active roster in 2023, got injured in 2024 then was cut and resigned to the practice squad and then brought to camp in 2025.
Yet he didn’t make the final cut and had to come back for another stint on the practice squad, but got activated following Jones’ injury, and made his first start in the Steelers victory over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
That win was the turning point in transforming what looked like a disaster into another AFC North title.
Was it a coincidence? Well, probably yes, but the turnaround would not have happened at Cook proved unable to withstand the heat of the kitchen.
The Steelers also have Jack Driscoll who has 18 starts under his belt, and Spencer Anderson can play tackle as well, but he is currently a candidate to start a guard.
Steelers 2026 Draft Needs at Offensive Tackle
Offensive Tackle should presents Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan with their most perplexing position challenge this off season. While Broderick Jones still has his critics, he did improve during the course the 2025 season. Well-sourced reporters have indicated that the team would likely have given him his 5th year rookie tender were it not for his neck injury.
And that’s the rub.
The Steelers aren’t even sure he’ll be ready to suit up by the time they arrive at St. Vincents. And while Steel Curtain Rising has no medical knowledge or specific insight into either situation, we’ll remind readers that a similar neck injury caused serious issues for Marvel Smith, ultimately forcing his retirement.
Dylan Cook has been good in relief, but has he been good enough to count on as a season-long starter?
- And even if he is, the Steelers still need a swing tackle.
The bottom line is that, unless the next Tony Boselli or Alan Faneca falls to them, the Steelers almost certainly won’t draft an offensive lineman in the first round.
But, depending on what they do with Spencer Anderson and their starting guard position, they almost certainly need to draft one with a premium pick because the Steelers need at offensive tackle going into the 2026 NFL Draft must be considered High.
