Before the Draft: Left Tackle
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Draft Potential:
- Day 1: VERY LOW*
- Day 2: LOW
* - Because of lack of depth at guard and some weakness at right tackle, it is possible (unlikely, but possible) that the team will attempt to trade up to take LT Levi Brown out of Penn State in the draft; however, the likelihood that he would be utilized as a left tackle is just about zero percent. Therefore, drafting a left tackle in the first round should be counted as either a draft of a left guard or a right tackle — unless Mike Tomlin is a complete sucker, which I highly doubt.
The Steelers are solid at left tackle heading into 2007, and for good reason. For a right-handed quarterback, the left side of the line is critical, because that’s his blind side. While guards are generally bigger and are responsible for interior linemen and middle blitzes, the space they need to occupy is somewhat limited. Tackles are responsible for covering outside blitzes that can come from nearly any level of the defense and can start from any point from the hash marks to the sideline. It’s a lot of ground to keep your eyes on, and you need to be in peak shape to handle the position.
Marvel Smith is, to put it simply, really good at what he does.
The seven-year veteran began his career on the right side but was moved after three seasons to the left side of the line, where he has become the hands-down starter. Combined with Alan Faneca, the left side of the line has become as dominant of a force as any in the league. The pair have started side by side for nearly every game over the last four seasons, during which the Steelers have regularly been among the top rushing teams in the league. He’s been a starter since his first game in the league.
Behind Smith is youngster Trai Essex. Essex has seen limited playing time due to the presense of Smith, but is good enough to be a starter for a number of teams. His limited playing time has hampered his growth to a certain extent, and the lack of familiarity with his fellow linemen has shown in the snaps for which he has been on the field. However, he shows natural ability and has a ton of power. He can drive his opponent off the line and is adequate as a pass blocker, although he could certainly stand to improve a good deal in that respect.
Don’t look for the team to draft a left tackle, unless their plans are to utilize the player elsewhere. There’s enough talent here to be content with as-is, and no need to dig any deeper.
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