Steelers Are Beginning To Get Clarity On 2024 First Round Selection

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL are a week away from the 2024 NFL Draft, bringing anticipation to an all-time high. Fans and analysts alike have been working on their mock drafts to guess what exactly their favorite team is going to do on the quest to capture another Lombardi Trophy. The Steelers have been as busy as any team in the league, attending Pro Days, hosting pre-draft workouts, and creating their own draft boards to prepare to hear the words "The Pittsburgh Steelers are on the clock."

With immediate needs at center, wide receiver, and cornerback, to go along with other needs of offensive and defensive tackles, it's anyone's guess what name will be on the card handed to the commissioner on draft day. One Steelers insider, however, seems to know not only what position the Steelers will go, but who specifically the target may be.

"I like him [DeJean] too, but I don't think the Steelers have interest in a CB in the first round."

Going offensive line seems to be the trend for the Steelers in the first round of the draft. The Steelers acquired Donte Jackson from the Carolina Panthers in the trade for Diontae Johnson, to assist in filling the vacant spot opposite Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist, Joey Porter Jr. Though corner is still a need, and one the Steelers will look to address early on in the draft, center has been the lone hole on the roster that has yet to be addressed this offseason. 

Pittsburgh has been connected to the higher ranked center prospects in this year's draft, including Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier. But another name has been heavily linked to the Steelers in Duke lineman, Graham Barton, who has been shooting up draft boards in recent days. So much so, that Dulac himself predicts that Barton will be the Steelers' selection at pick #20.

Let me tell you right now -- that (Barton's time playing center in recent seasons) doesn't matter to the Steelers. And you might find out shortly what the Steelers think about him.

Barton, who played left tackle each of the last three seasons at Duke, is projected to be a guard or center at the NFL level. He played in six games as a center at Duke in 2020 where he was named to the Freshman All-American Second Team. He would start at left tackle in the other 34 games he played for the Blue Devils on his way to being named an All-American twice. The workload may jump off the page as a starting tackle in the NFL, which he certainly can play, but if he were to come to the Steelers, it would be at center and "not tackle or guard" per Dulac. 

It's been a revolving door at center for the Steelers since Maurkice Pouncey retired in 2021. Kendrick Green, who was a natural guard, slotted in for a season before Mason Cole held the job the last two seasons. There is concern that the love of position flexible players may cloud the judgement of the Steelers, who have watched teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs thrive after taking franchise caliber players at center. The Steelers have also watched players who played in "out of position" roles do well in other places, most notably guard Kevin Dotson who thrived with the Los Angeles Rams this past season. But if the is plan to use a first round pick on a guy you plan to play out of his "natural" position, it's imperative to make sure he is the right man for the job, especially in the event the other centers of the class are on the board.