Apr 24, 2015 3 min read

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories profiling the NFL draft.

By F. Dale Lolley

Staff writer

dlolley@observer-reporter.com

With four players in their offensive line selected in the first or second round of the NFL draft between 2010 and 2012, the Steelers invested heavily there.

It finally paid dividends last season as the unit stayed relatively healthy and paved the way for a record-setting performance by the offense.

But that success comes at a price. The Steelers signed center Maurkice Pouncey and right tackle Marcus Gilbert to long-term contract extensions last summer and picked up the fifth-year option for right guard David DeCastro that will keep him with the team through 2016.

With those moves made, the organization will soon have to make decisions about the futures of left tackle Kelvin Beachum, left guard Ramon Foster and reserve tackle Mike Adams, who will all be unrestricted free agents following this season.

With an eye to the future, the Steelers could be tempted to select an offensive lineman in this year’s three-day draft, which begins Thursday. The Steelers have eight picks in the seven-round draft, including the 22nd selection in the first round.

One player who might interest them if he is still available in the first round could be LSU’s La’el Collins, who played left tackle in his final two seasons for LSU, but lined up at guard early in his career.

Collins, who plays with a nasty streak, doesn’t have a preference about playing guard or tackle. He just wants to be on the field in the NFL.

“When you’re inside, you’re going up against pretty big guys, bigger, stronger guys,” Collins said. “But when you’re out there on the island (at tackle), you’re going against fast guys with speed and you have to be able to understand where you’re at on the field and the personnel you’re going against. Since I played both positions, I understand them well.”

Not only did Collins play both spots, he played them well. He was voted the best offensive lineman in the SEC in 2014, second-team all-SEC as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore. The coaching staff at LSU credited him with 222 knockdown blocks in his 45-game career.

But no LSU offensive lineman has been selected in the first round in 17 years.

“We’ve had a lot of guys go in the first round, but at the offensive line position, there haven’t been too many of them,” Collins said.

If the Steelers wait until later in the draft to address the offensive line, they could take Sean Hickey of Syracuse or West Virginia’s Quinton Spain.

Hickey, a Franklin Regional High School graduate, played guard and tackle at Syracuse, making 38 career starts, including his final 17 at left tackle.

Extremely strong, Hickey (6-5, 309) was credited with 38 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press at the NFL Scouting Combine. He would probably play guard for the Steelers but could be inserted at right tackle.

Spain, like Hickey, played left tackle and guard in college, but at 6-4 and 332 pounds, he might be better suited to play guard.

While Hickey was invited to the combine, Spain was not, something the latter said motivated him throughout this process.

“I took it personally because I felt like I should have been there,” Spain told reporters at the WVU pro day. “I told my trainer that we’ve got to do whatever we’ve got to do to show these scouts that they made a mistake.”