A Steelers NFL Draft trade to replace Mason Cole and then some

The Pittsburgh Steelers scored the fifth-fewest points per game (17.9) and had the eighth-fewest passing yards per game (186.1) during the 2023 season. Head coach Mike Tomlin expressed his desire to make the offense "versatile and dynamic" and "keep defenses off balance" during his season-ending press conference, and general manager Omar Khan helped fulfill that vision.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will feature a revamped offense in 2024, but new quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields both hold onto the ball far longer than any other starting quarterback. In 2023, Fields led the league in average time to throw, with Wilson trailing close behind. Wilson (100) and Fields (99) are the only two quarterbacks to be sacked more than 80 times since the 2022 season, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

With quarterbacks like Wilson and Fields, bolstering the offensive line is paramount.

Steelers could trade up for a center in 2024 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line woes have been well-documented, especially in pass protection. Plans to reconstruct the offensive line may already be underway, however. One Steelers insider expects the team to trade up in the 2024 NFL Draft to land one of the premier offensive line prospects.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac believes the team could trade up in the second round to select a center if they don't use their first-round pick on a center.

Steelers center Mason Cole played 100 percent of the team's offensive snaps and handled adjustment calls in 2023, but he was also inconsistent throughout the season and is no longer on the team. The Steelers currently do not have a starting center on their roster, so it's no secret that they'll have to draft one early.

The Steelers hold the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but centers typically haven't been drafted in the first round. Like running backs, Super Bowl teams have been able to get by with mid- to late-round centers. Still, the Steelers are no strangers to drafting a center in the first round. Pittsburgh selected center Maurkice Pouncey with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. The decision paid off — Pouncey was a nine-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro during his 11-year career in Pittsburgh.

The other option for Pittsburgh is to wait for the second round to select a center after Powers-Johnson is taken. They currently hold the No. 51 overall pick in the second round, but they could potentially trade down in the first round or move up in the second round by packaging their two picks in the third round or their fourth-round pick.

The Steelers could leapfrog the Arizona Cardinals, who may also be interested in selecting a center at No. 35 overall. To do so, Pittsburgh could trade with the New England Patriots for the No. 34 overall pick.

Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson is the consensus top prospect at his position. The 21-year-old center was only a one-year starter at Oregon, but he won the Rimington Award for the nation's best center and was a unanimous All-American. Powers-Johnson is a first-round talent who may slip down the draft board by teams who undervalue the center position. If that were to happen, he would be an ideal selection for the Steelers at No. 20. Pittsburgh hosted the 6-foot-3 center on a pre-draft top-30 visit on Wednesday.

The Steelers selected left tackle Broderick Jones with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with the intention of moving left tackle Dan Moore to right tackle. Moore's inability to flip sides forced Pittsburgh to move Jones to right tackle, even though the rookie only played 34 snaps at right tackle in college. It was a necessary solution, albeit a temporary one. Khan made it clear during the NFL Scouting Combine that the Steelers still plan to move Jones to left tackle, which could also create a need at right tackle.

The Steelers have met with the top offensive linemen in this year's draft class, but they focused mostly on centers. The team met with Duke's Graham Barton and Georgia's Sedrick Van Pran at the NFL Scouting Combine. Offensive line coach Pat Meyer attended Oregon's pro day, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith attended Duke's pro day, and Khan attended Georgia's pro day.