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Each year since joining BTSC in 2024, Ryan Parish has put together a draft gems list. This series is not meant to predict who the Steelers will pick, but rather highlight players Ryan thinks will be viable NFL players, and should be available in Rounds 2-7. Looking for more? Check out Ryan’s picks this year at:
Outside of quarterback, and possibly receiver, there is no more glaring need in the Steelers’ starting lineup than at guard. With Isaac Seumalo’s departure in free agency, Pittsburgh will need somebody to step into the starter’s role. Whether that’s on the left or right side is flexible in my estimation. Third-year guard Mason McCormick has played on the right side as a pro, but had far more reps on the left side during his college career. The Steelers also have fourth-year swingman Spencer Anderson and added fellow swingman Brock Hoffman on a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Both of those men could theoretically compete for the starting role, but neither has been that thus far in their careers, and with their relatively small salaries and lack of team control beyond 2026, their presence on the roster shouldn’t preclude the Steelers from drafting another player to compete to start.
Should the Steelers end up missing out on or electing to pass on some of the top guard prospects expected to go in the first round and early second round, there are still several intriguing options later in the draft.
As always:
- Any player selected for this list cannot be commonly mocked as a 1st round pick
- I also avoid players who will have a profile written on BTSC. Paired with the previous rule, this year that disqualifies: Vega Ioane, Emmanuel Pregnon, Chase Bisontis, Kadyn Proctor, and Keylan Rutledge.
Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
Age: 21 (07-27-2004)
Height/weight: 6’5, 312 pounds
Arm Length: 341/4” arms, 825/8” wingspan
Should the Steelers pass on the NFL’s top-four guard prospects (Ioane, Pregnon, Bisontis, and Rutledge), Farmer is my favorite option for a potential Day 2 pick. Unlike a lot of the other options on this list, Farmer is an experienced guard as opposed to a projected convert.
Farmer checks a lot of boxes for me:
- He’s a bully ball style brawler, a road grader, generally just a butt-kicker. He’s never met a defender he doesn’t want to put in the dirt.
- He’s got great size and length.
- He’s a younger prospect than a lot of the other alternatives. A lot of these prospects are 23, 24, 25… he’ll turn 22 in July, which still leaves room for physical and mental development.
- He spent four years in the SEC (2024-25 at Kentucky, 2022-2023 at Florida), meaning he has experience (1,639 snaps) against top competition.
Farmer’s strength lies in the run game, where his leg drive truly shines. Farmer is a pile mover and shows promise as a pulling blocker. His sub-five-second 40 time (4.93) also checks off an impressive athleticism indicator for an offensive lineman. During his career, he had 300 snaps in zone concepts and 403 in gap concepts, which should fit nicely with a Mike McCarthy system that uses both, but leans 60-40 towards power concepts.
Farmer shows promise as a pass blocker, but is still developing consistency there. Like most young offensive line prospects, pad level can be an issue at times, especially at the snap, but he plays with good pad level more often than not. Quicker pass rushers can also give him trouble, and slower-developing pass rush schemes like stunts and delayed rushes can trick him. However, he has a strong anchor, active feet, and an impressive punch. He also had just one penalty called against him in 2025, showing good discipline.
NFL coaching could develop him to the point that he is viewed as one of the steals of the draft in a few years time.
Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
Age: 23 (01-23-2003)
Height/weight: 6’8, 323 pounds
Arm Length: 321/4” arms, 791/2” wingspan
Tiernan is the first — and won’t be the last — prospect on this list who was an offensive tackle in his college career, but whose length concerns project him as a player who could be a swing tackle at the NFL level, but could also turn into a starter at guard.
Considering that the Steelers have shown a fondness for larger-than-average players in recent drafts — and have done homework this year on some large tackles like Markel Bell (6’9) and Travis Burke (6’8) — the idea of the Steelers also bringing in a tall guard like Tiernan to form a towering half of the line that will be aided at times by Darnell Washington (6’7) should excite anyone wanting to see Pittsburgh maximize its size.
Tiernan is also one of the most experienced players in this draft. He became a starter during his redshirt freshman season and has 2,960 college snaps on his resume.
Tiernan is almost a stylistic opposite of the previously mentioned Farmer in that he excels more as a pass blocker at this stage of his development. That makes sense for a former tackle. Tiernan excels with his hand placement in pass pro, something he likely developed due to his length deficiencies. He moves well in space and has shown to be an asset on screen passes.
Tiernan is a decent run blocker, but he hasn’t shown the same leg drive as some of the nastier interior blockers, and has more finesse to his game than power. His height can also play against him at times as he can struggle with leverage issues while run blocking.
Kage Casey, Boise State
Age: 22 (10-10-2003)
Height/weight: 6’6, 310 pounds
Arm Length: 323/4” arms, 807/8” wingspan
A three-year starter with 2,730 snaps to his name, Casey is another tackle convert who could excel as an interior lineman at the NFL level and provide a team with swing tackle ability. Technically sound and well disciplined, Casey had just three penalties called against him across 41 college starts.
Casey doesn’t have any one defining physical trait, but he’s smooth not stiff, and possesses a feistiness and intentionality that makes it easy to appreciate his game. While I wouldn’t call his leg drive while run blocking elite, nor his mirroring ability in pass pro, he wins more often than he loses. He reminds me a lot of Mason McCormick with shorter arms. He tends to be in the right spot and executes with a finisher’s mentality, which isn’t always a given with prospects that should be available early on Day 3 like he should. At the Senior Bowl, Casey’s football IQ and preparedness were the biggest talking points about his game.
There’s a certain boringness to Casey’s play that I mean as a high compliment when talking about an offensive lineman. Behind Farmer, he’s my second-favorite option outside of the top-four guards. He’s only behind Tiernan on our list because of the range where he’s projected to be drafted (fourth or fifth round).
Brian Parker II, Duke
Age: 22 (01-06-2004)
Height/weight: 6’5, 309 pounds
Arm Length: 327/8” arms, 79” wingspan
Some are projecting Parker to get the Graham Barton treatment — a Duke tackle who converts to center — but Parker’s been doing guard drills during the draft circuit too. Parker was actually a starting center in high school, so his projection to kick inside makes a ton of sense with his shorter-than-preferred arms for a tackle. An All-American in 2025 who played 2,335 snaps in college, Parker shines in pass protection and fits best in a zone-blocking running scheme.
Parker is a plus-mover, and I’m impressed with how under control his movements are. He excels at reaching his spots as a move blocker and sealing the lane. However, his game lacks power, which won’t make him a fit for every offense. If McCarthy leans into some of the zone concepts and personnel the Steelers have acquired in recent years, I can see Parker being an ideal fit. However, if he wants to trend away from that into more power concepts, Parker’s fit becomes less ideal.
Kobe Baynes, Kansas
Age: Could not find, possibly 24
Height/weight: 6’4, 321 pounds
Arm Length: 323/4” arms, 821/2” wingspan
Digging deep to get us one more road grader-style guard for this list brought me to Kansas guard Kobe Baynes. Baynes is flying a bit under the radar in draft discussions as a late bloomer, with 1,900 career snaps. I couldn’t find his age or date of birth, but Baynes is a fifth-year senior who might be a bit older. He didn’t get an invite to the Combine, and watching his tape doesn’t make me think he’s the type of athlete who would jump out of gym or blow the doors off with his speed, but he’s still a fun watch who has adequate athleticism, with better lateral movement than you might expect.
His special trait is his length, and his aggressive demeanor. Baynes is able to move the pile and is always looking to put his defender on the ground. He has quick feet despite relatively pedestrian athletic testing (a 5.35 40-time at his pro day) and he shows a good understanding of his assignment, rarely looking lost or confused as the play develops in front of him.
Baynes is credited with allowing just 22 pressures and zero sacks during his career. He could use some more polish — he had 15 career penalties called against him — but as a late Day 3 prospect or potential undrafted free agent, he has enough intriguing traits to make him worth monitoring.
Carver Willis, Washington
Age: 23 (04-20-2002)
Height/weight: 6’5, 303 pounds
Arm Length: 321/2” arms, 79” wingspan
We’ll end this list with a utility lineman who played tackle in college but will likely be a swing lineman if he can stick in the NFL. Willis was at the Senior Bowl this year, trying everything from reps at tackle, to guard, and even practiced snapping the ball.
I’m not as high on Willis as the Twitter user below, but when watching Carver you see the potential for him in a zone scheme. Wills is a try-hard (complimentary) who never gives up on a rep, and held his own at the Senior Bowl against some of this class’ top defensive tackle prospects, such as Lee Hunter.
I got to speak to him in Mobile, and Willis says his passion for football was instilled in him by his older sister. The two played together in high school, where his sister was a guard and linebacker as an underclassman, before retiring to become the stadium announcer.
Willis lacks ideal size and power, but he’s passionate about the game and punches above his weight class. He flashes best in the run game, especially on the move, and has demonstrated an ability to seal off run lanes in the Big 10 against tough competition. How he is able to handle power rushers in pass protection will determine how long he can stick in the NFL, but as a late Day 3 prospect, I like his upside for relatively little cost. He reminds me a lot of one of my original Gems list entrants, Tanor Bortolini, who just had a breakout season with the Colts in 2025.
What do you think of these interior offensive lineman prospects? Would you like the Steelers to draft any of them? Who was your favorite? Did I leave one of your favorites out? Let us know in the comments!
