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At this point, the level of intrigue surrounding the Pittsburgh Steelers and the first round of the 2021 NFL draft is pretty low. Most pundits have conceded that former Alabama running back Najee Harris is going to be the pick and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
But what if something magical happens and Harris is either off the board or dare I say it, a better player is available? This is the case with the latest mock draft by our friends over at Touchdown Wire.
Their mock draft let the Steelers hit the jackpot with USC offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker. Here’s what they had to say about the pick.
Could the Steelers take a running back like Alabama’s Najee Harris here? Sure. Should they? Not with a bunch of hits along their offensive line, including the departure of left tackle Alejandro Villanueva. The Steelers ran more short drops than any other team last season in their passing game, which helped the protection to a point, but general manager Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin are at an inflection point with that offensive line.
Vera-Tucker, who played right and left guard for the Trojans in 2018 and 2019, flipped to left tackle in 2020 and held up very well. Outside of the two sacks he allowed to Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, who will likely be a top-five pick next year, Vera-Tucker gave up just two sacks, two quarterback hits, and two quarterback hurries in 305 pass-blocking snaps. There isn’t a lot of work he needs at any position, which makes him an ideal Steeler on Thursday night.
Whether Harris is on the board or not, this pick is a no-brainer if Vera-Tucker is still on the board. In fact, the former USC star is one of only a few players I’d consider trade-up candidates for Pittsburgh.
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