Apr 25, 2016 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – A couple of weeks ago, it seemed all but certain Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil would be the first player selected when the NFL Draft begins Thursday night.

Now, he could drop as far as the eighth or even 10th pick after both the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles moved up to the top two spots to presumably select quarterbacks.

A fall by Tunsil, considered by many to be the surest pick in this draft, could make things interesting for the Steelers, who hold the 25th selection in the first round of the seven-round, three day draft.

If Tunsil falls because other teams are selecting need over value, it could push some of the other top offensive linemen in this draft down the board.

With its starting five returning, along with center Maurkice Pouncey, who did not play a snap after suffering a broken leg in the second preseason game, the Steelers appear to be well-stocked on the offensive line.

But Kelvin Beachum, who began last season as the starting left tackle before tearing an ACL midway through the year, left as a free agent, and Pro Bowl guard David DeCastro is heading into the final year of his contract, though the team will try to sign him to an extension before the regular season begins.

Pittsburgh signed veteran free-agent lineman Ryan Harris to compete with Alejandro Villanueva for the left tackle position, with the loser of that battle likely serving as the backup on both sides of the line. The Steelers, however, will be looking to add line depth through the draft.

Though it’s unlikely they would have a shot at Tunsil, Notre Dame’s Ronnie Stanley, Ohio State’s Taylor Decker or Michigan State’s Jack Conklin – the top four-rated offensive tackles in this draft – are possibilities if they think DeCastro’s asking price will be too high.

One player who would be an excellent fit is Stanford guard Josh Garnett. He missed playing with DeCastro, also a Stanford product, by a year, but knows all about the Steelers’ star lineman.

“That was kind of the guy I liked to model myself after at Stanford. That’s a guy who was a mauler, a finisher,” Garnett said. “When he punches you, you’re going to feel it. That was a guy I really liked to watch film of, just the way he finished. I really wanted to finish people and imitate what David DeCastro was doing.”

Garnett might take finishing to another level. The 6-5, 321-pounder has a goal in mind when he pulls through a hole into the linebackers and defensive backs.

“A lot guys want to get in space against smaller, quicker guys and just want to chop down on them,” Garnett said. “You’ve got to run through them. Just run through their soul.”

It sounds painful, but Garnett, who, like DeCastro, grew up just outside of Seattle, doesn’t mind inflicting pain on his opponents.

“I feel like my strengths are my ability to finish blocks and get into blocks,” said Garnett, whose father, Scott, played four seasons as a nose tackle in the NFL.

“That was something I really prided myself in – my ability to down block, my pulling ability, my ability to get on blocks and really finish people. My aggressiveness, that’s something that teams are really interested in.

“Something I need to work on is not being too aggressive in pass-pro situations. I want to lock on somebody and finish them. Maybe I can just grab them and then finish them.”

If the Steelers don’t want to spend a high draft pick on Garnett, there are later-round prospects who could draw their interest, including LSU’s Jerald Hawkins, UCLA’s Caleb Benenoch or another Stanford product, Kyle Murphy.