The Steelers need to add some physicality to their rushing attack this offseason. Landing a nasty guard like Cleveland in Round 3 would allow Pittsburgh’s offense to do just that.
Cleveland is far from a refined technician at the guard spot, but he’s a massive body that’s really difficult for an interior defensive lineman to move. The real appeal to Cleveland as a prospect is his mean streak. Throw on the tape of him at Georgia and you see a guy who takes sincere joy at making opposing defensive lineman miserable.
That’s a quality that will endear him to Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers coaching staff. They want to get back to their core identity as a physical nightmare for opponents in 2021. For that to happen, they need to add a mauler like Cleveland to their offensive line.
Some teams shy away from spending relatively high draft picks on guards, but Pittsburgh would be happy to secure a rookie starter in Round 3. They’ll face a nervous wait to see if Cleveland falls this far, but if he does, the Steelers should not waste any time making their pick.