The Pittsburgh Steelers previously went through a rollercoaster campaign in the 2020 season as they failed to make a deep playoff run despite having a 12-4 regular-season record. After seeing a disappointing outcome, head coach Mike Tomlin and his men will certainly have to bounce back in time for Ben Roethlisberger's potential farewell tour in 2021.
Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster may be expected to have a comeback season after encountering his own struggles on the field back in 2020. In fact, his contribution on offense will certainly have a great impact on the team's ability to put up points across the board. However, out of all the players on the Steelers roster, perhaps their biggest X-Factor for next season would be offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor.
The Western Michigan product previously inherited the starting role at right tackle after his fellow lineman in Zach Banner suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury in Week 2 of their 2020 campaign. Okorafor didn't really explode right from the get-go since he wasn't playing at his original position on the field. However, he was still able to hold his ground and take steps in the right direction with his insertion in the starting lineup last season.
After appearing in 16 games in 2020, Okorafor has certainly gained valuable experiences that will help him in his continuous progression moving forward. Unknown to many, he is already about to enter his fourth professional season but is only playing at the age of 24 years old. His youth will definitely play a part in allowing him to be a vital contributor to the Steelers' offensive line in 2021.
With the looming return of Banner in 2021, Okorafor will now move to the left tackle position for the Steelers next season. His experience of playing at the said spot earned him multiple awards including a First-Team All-American selection in 2017 back in his collegiate days. With his familiarity of playing at left tackle, Okorafor is expected to have a smooth transition and complement Banner well within the offensive line next season.
In addition, the Nigerian talent is also about to enter a contract season before he becomes a free agent following his 2021 campaign. He will definitely have to step up and produce on the field in order to prove that he is indeed deserving of being named as a starter in the NFL, be it in Pittsburgh or in another city.
Ultimately, Okorafor's performances in the trenches will also have a huge effect on the play of Roethlisberger. His blocking will definitely have an impact on the QB's capability to smoothly operate in the pocket and be in a position to throw good passes to his offensive weapons. The lineman will also help open lanes for rookie running back Najee Harris who is expected to be a key cog within the Steelers' offense next season.
Tomlin and his squad may have gone through a tough 2020 campaign but they are still poised to be one of the top teams in the entire AFC for 2021. After being given a starting role last season, Chukwuma Okorafor has surely improved and will continue to play a part in the level of success that the Steelers will attain moving forward. Hopefully, it will be enough to land him his next contract and more importantly, to allow the team to make a deeper playoff run and contend for the title next season.
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