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The Pittsburgh Steelers and the rest of the NFL are a month away from the 2021 NFL draft and the Steelers roster is starting to take shape. Pittsburgh is sure to get an impact player or two through the 2021 NFL draft but it is still a mystery as to what positions they could target.
This brings us to the interior of the Steelers offensive line. After losing center Maurkice Pouncey to retirement and guard Matt Feiler to free agency, questions immediately emerged about how this group is going to not only get the run game back on track but protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as well.
Where do things stand as of now? The guards are locked in. David DeCastro is a seasoned veteran and while we saw a bit of a step back last season, we are counting on a bounceback in 2021. Meanwhile, Kevin Dotson is a star in the making. His transition to starting left guard should be seamless after starting four games last season. As far as depth goes, the Steelers signed Rashaad Coward who is an experienced starter and should be the third man in the rotation.
This leaves us to center. Filling the void left by Pouncey’s retirement isn’t going to be easy. And while we fully expect Pittsburgh to address the position in the draft, the combination of J.C. Hassenauer and B.J. Finney will have the first shot at the starting spot. While I don’t think it would preclude the Steelers from taking a center early, I also feel like the Steelers have confidence in Finney and Hassenauer to start the season.
Overall, this group could end up much improved in 2021. Dotson is an instant upgrade over Feiler and if DeCastro can get back to form, the run game should improve. And while we are all Pouncey fans, we shouldn’t pretend like he had played at an elite level the last two seasons. There is definitely room for improvement here as well.
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