The Steelers aren't being all that forthcoming when it comes to naming a starter at right tackle for the 2020 season.
But they're bullish on who will be the left guard replacing Ramon Foster.
In fact, offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett said Friday the team could wait right up until the week of the season opener Sept. 14 at MetLife Stadium against the Giants to make that official designation of who the starter will be at right tackle. They won't have to make any such designation at left guard.
The Steelers might have given us a glimpse of whether they favor third-year offensive tackle Chuks Okorafor or four-year veteran Zach Banner at the position when they played the Rams last year at Heinz Field.
With Foster out at left guard for that game with an injury, the Steelers decided to move right tackle Matt Feiler inside to guard despite starting B.J. Finney there the previous week against the Colts. They started Okorafor at right tackle.
"We were going into that game week and we were playing the Rams and they have one of the best interior linemen in the league in Aaron Donald," Sarrett said Friday at the Steelers returned to practice at Heinz Field after a day off from training camp. "I thought to myself, my job is to put the best five out there. That week, that was the best five. I'll commend (Feiler). He had a bunch of situations where he was one-on-one against the guy and he performed well."
If the Steelers did the same thing this year, their best five might include both Okorafor and Banner. There are some who feel Okorafor and Banner might be having the best camp of any offensive tackle, including left tackle Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva, who turns 32 in September, is heading into the final season of his current contract.
The Steelers weren't unhappy with the play of Okorafor, a 2018 third-round draft pick, either. He had been inactive for every game that season up to that point while he continued to recover from an offseason surgery for a torn labrum.
With Okorafor sitting, Banner, a former fourth-round pick of the Colts, had been lining up at tight end in six offensive lineman sets for the Steelers.
But on that day against the Rams, Sarrett made the decision that Okorafor was one of the team's best five offensive linemen.
With Foster now retired -- and writing a weekly column for DK Pittsburgh Sports -- and Finney a member of the Seahawks after leaving in free agency, the Steelers had a hole at left guard in the offseason.
Veteran Stefen Wisniewski was signed as a free agent from the Chiefs, while the Steelers used a fourth-round draft pick on guard Kevin Dotson, as well.
The plan to open training camp, however, was to have Feiler, essentially the team's starting right tackle the past two seasons, move back inside to guard, with Okorafor and Banner battling for the right tackle spot. His teammates don't call Feiler "Anchor" for no reason.
"I had seen Anchor play guard last year," Sarrett said. "I'd seen Chuks play tackle. I'd seen Banner play tackle. We went into this with the idea that we're going to have to evaluate fast. We're going to start there and make our evaluation from there. Both of those guys outside have done a great job. (Feiler) has done a great job moving. He did a great job playing tackle last year. He didn't bat an eye when we asked him to move inside. He's ready to go. We appreciate that."
It's not the most natural of moves for Feiler, who played offensive tackle exclusively at Bloomsburg. But he first made an impact with the Steelers after signing on their practice squad in 2015 after a stint with the Texans as a player capable of playing tackle, guard and even center.
"I've always played tackle in high school and college, so I've probably felt most comfortable at tackle," Feiler said. "The more reps I've gotten at guard in the NFL in practice and in games, I don't really have a preference. It's kind of getting used to one over the other."
Last season, Feiler spent a lot of time in training camp lining up at guard despite being the team's returning starter at right tackle. Any time Foster or right guard David DeCastro sat out a practice, Feiler was moved inside to replace them.
This year, he's been there exclusively. But Okorafor and Banner have rotated at right tackle, switching off on working with the first-team offense daily. However, when Villanueva sat out practice Tuesday, Banner's day to be at right tackle, Okorafor shifted over to play left tackle.
The Steelers have to make a decision there sooner rather than later. But neither player is making this easy.
"The evaluation has to be fast, but I'm not going to be in a hurry about it," Sarrett said. "I'm going to let them compete all the way up to then, even in the week of practice. I'm not going to make that decision right now or be forced into it. I know I've still got time with it. There's no reason to rush. We'll just let them continue to compete at a high level and let it work itself out."
In the meantime, Feiler has settled in at guard. And he believes he won't have to move back out to tackle at some point.
"I have full confidence in Chuks or Banner," Feiler said. "They're going to hold down the right tackle spot."
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