Steelers' can add key depth with a Super Bowl-champ on track to be cut
The Pittsburgh Steelers won't be alone in just a few days when they trim their roster from 90 to 53. As you may expect, that leaves a lot of considerable players on the street, with many looking for a new NFL home. And in this league, one man's trash is another man's treasure. So here's […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers won't be alone in just a few days when they trim their roster from 90 to 53.
As you may expect, that leaves a lot of considerable players on the street, with many looking for a new NFL home.
And in this league, one man's trash is another man's treasure. So here's one player potentially on his way out that would help Pittsburgh tremendously:
Lucas Niang, OT, Kansas City Chiefs
Niang was drafted in the third round of the 2020 draft and started nine games at right tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
But when speaking with Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports Kansas City, there is a chance Niang is looking for another job come next week:
"Niang's biggest issue in Kansas City has been availability," Goldman told me. "The talent is certainly there, even if it doesn't always look pretty. Former Chiefs OL Kyle Long said, 'He's not a monet, but when he's right he's money.' That's been true in the preseason. With 22 snaps at LT and 15 at RT, mostly with the second team, Niang hasn't allowed a single pressure or been called for a penalty. The only reason he won't make the team is because his competition has looked just as good, if not better."
Durability has been Niang's issue dating back to his time at TCU. He wouldn't have slipped to the third round if a torn labrum in his hip didn't require surgery.
But as Goldman alluded, Niang is a solid player when healthy with ideal measurables that include proportionate height, weight, and arm length.
And Pittsburgh desperately needs help at right tackle behind "Chuks" Okorafor. He's one injury away from forcing the team to start Dylan Cook, who prior to Le'Raven Clark's poor training camp, wasn't even a lock to make the 53-man roster.
So whether it be day three of the draft, or the waiver wire in August, football is about betting on upside when you get outside of blue and red chip talents. And if Niang is in fact released, the Steelers won't find a tackle with more upside this time of year.
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Featured image via: © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
