The Pittsburgh Steelers did well in free agency to shore up some of their bigger roster needs ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. With acquisitions at receiver, the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the defensive backfield, a couple of positions that seemed like major needs a few weeks ago aren’t quite as dire with the draft less than a month away.

An offensive lineman is still a popular pick for the Steelers in the first round in recent mock drafts, though. There’s some uncertainty with Broderick Jones, and with Dylan Cook having little experience, tackle is one spot that’s starting to gain momentum in the media. But to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Brian Batko, it’s probably not a position the Steelers will consider in the first round.

“I haven’t spent a ton of time really combing through the tackles. Because I just don’t think the Steelers are going to use their first-round pick that way. And once you get to a lot of the second- and third-round tackles, they’re either projects to a degree, or they’re someone who might actually make more sense for the Steelers to get them inside to guard,” Batko said recently on the North Shore Drive podcast.

The reasons for the Steelers taking a tackle are there. Jones hasn’t been consistent enough through the first three seasons of his career. Now a serious neck injury suffered late in the year makes his Steelers future very uncertain. Dylan Cook did well in relief of Jones to end the season. However, that was on a very small sample size. And if Aaron Rodgers returns, that inexperience is risky to have protecting an older quarterback’s blind side.

However, just drafting a tackle might not be that simple. There are some names that might be available at 21st overall who played left tackle in college, like Kadyn Proctor and Caleb Lomu. But others, like Blake Miller and Max Iheanachor, played on the right side.

Some have floated the Steelers drafting a left tackle and moving Troy Fautanu to the left side, where he played in college. While that could make some sense, Batko is against the idea of shuffling the line any more than it already has been.

“Part of the calculus with the mock drafts going tackle for the Steelers, is it’s gonna require some tinkering, most likely,” Batko said. “Otherwise, I just feel like, I’d love to slot in a left guard who’s actually played left guard, or guard at all. Because you’ve done so much jumping around with your o-line in recent years…I’d want these guys to settle into where they are.”

It’s hard to argue with Batko here. Jones himself is an example of some struggles that can come with shifting younger players around the line. With Fautanu, Mason McCormick and Zach Frazier holding down center and the right side of the line, it makes a lot of sense to keep them where they are and avoid messing with a good thing.

Yet, the left side of the line does have questions. The Steelers could probably use some more depth there, even with the addition of Brock Hoffman. But to Batko, the Steelers aren’t likely to take a tackle early in the draft.