The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently 2-5 so far this season and if the NFL Draft took place today, they would pick seventh.
Hopefully, the Steelers will pick up steam (and some wins) down the stretch with TJ Watt back in the fold soon, but it’s certainly not too early to look ahead to some of next year’s exciting draft prospects.
The most interesting matchup in the week nine slate just so happens to occur in the Penn State-Ohio State rivalry clash between offensive tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu and edge rusher Zach Harrison.
Fashanu’s Background
It’s hard to believe that the now 6’6, 310-pound offensive tackle didn’t actually pick up football until he was a sophomore in high school. A former four-star recruit, Fashanu redshirted his freshman season back in 2020 and made just one start for the Nittany Lions offense in 2021 which came in the Outback Bowl against Arkansas. With starting left tackle and current NFL player, Rasheed Walker, out with an injury, Fashanu stepped in and flashed immense potential immediately.
Fashanu’s Skill Set
With just one career start under his belt, the buzz surrounding Fashanu in the summer flew largely under the radar. He quickly proved that the Arkansas game wasn’t a fluke, carrying that momentum into 2022, his first as a starter. Thanks to his NFL prototypical size and supreme movement skills, Fashanu has already established himself as one of the best pass protectors in the nation and has allowed zero sacks and just six hurries over the first seven games of the season according to Pro Football Focus.
The Penn State prodigy has the ability to cause even the best pass rushers problems, with the foot speed to quickly explode out of his stance into smooth pass sets and the ability to transition quickly to his anchor upon contact. He has virtually no problem stalling out long arms or bull rushes even in the event that he’s out-leveraged. He’ll flash independent hand usage and can throw off the timing with powerful inside punches with more than enough length to boot.
Arguably his greatest strength is his core strength, which shows up in both the run and passing game as he effortlessly generates power. While not as refined as a run blocker, Fashanu has shown flashes of greatness, capable of displacing defenders on double teams and cutting off defensive linemen on the backside of zone run plays. The craziest part of this is that Fashanu is just 19 years old (he’ll turn 20 in December), already playing at an extremely high level in a power five conference.
In a tackle class that doesn’t have an obvious OT1, Fashanu’s tape, combined physical profile and athleticism gives him a good chance to be a first-round pick and potentially the first tackle off the board come April. I would imagine that this is music to Pittsburgh’s ears as they have been looking for a franchise left tackle with high-end tools for quite a while. In a division where you’re forced to block superhumans like Myles Garrett, someone with this type of ceiling becomes invaluable.
Harrison’s Background
And on the flip side of this battle, we have another exceptionally talented prospect in Ohio State’s Zach Harrison. Harrison is the latest in a long line of Buckeye defenders who are seemingly made in a lab, standing 6’6 and weighing in at 270 pounds. Harrison’s journey to Columbus was well documented as he was the number one overall defensive lineman in his class and a unanimous five-star recruit by every site. Harrison contributed as a role player as a freshman and sophomore before being named a starter over the past two seasons.
Harrison’s Skill Set
The senior standout has really picked up steam in recent weeks, particularly after wreaking havoc against Iowa last weekend. In only nine pass-rushing snaps, Harrison racked up a whopping five pressures on the quarterback and was able to cause a fumble via strip-sack to give his offense the football back in Hawkeye territory. Harrison’s immaculate blend of speed and power is truly something to behold upon observation.
Harrison’s first step off the ball is lightning quick and he is often the first one out of his stance. With the ability to consistently threaten the outside shoulder of offensive tackles, Harrison sees blockers forced to overset as a result of that ridiculous get-off. He’s capable of winning the short corner and running the hoop en route to the quarterback off the edge. He’s reportedly been clocked running a 4.47 40-yard dash according to the school.
When you combine that explosiveness with his impressive power and plus length, you begin to understand the flashes of disruptiveness. Thanks to his nearly 36-inch arms, he’s able to reach tackle’s chests and create penetration by driving them backward upon contact. Harrison has shown the ability to convert speed to power and win by running straight through the midline of opposing blockers. Harrison does appear to have a pass rush plan on most reps and can execute a couple moves well while being a gifted enough athlete to pivot based on the offensive tackles approach.
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Because of his versatile skill set, Ohio State has rushed him from different alignments over the course of his career which is also noteworthy. There are flashes of pop behind his hands and plays with a red-hot engine any time he’s on the field. Capable of setting the edge, Harrison comes equipped with a pretty vast tackle radius and will also hustle to run plays down from behind.
Outlook
It’s no secret that the Steelers need to invest significant draft capital up front and Fashanu could be the pillar of the offensive line for the future. While edge isn’t necessarily the biggest need on defense, it’s important to remember that Alex Highsmith will be headed into the final year of his deal and the Steelers have really struggled to generate any sort of pressure without TJ Watt on the field.
Any time you get to see a matchup with two big-time prospects with NFL Draft buzz, it’s must-see TV. While neither player was getting much first-round hype heading into the season, both players have firmly placed themselves in that conversation thanks to their impressive play so far this season. I’m a firm believer in betting on traits during the evaluation process and believe both of these players have tantalizing tools to work with at the next level.
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