The Pittsburgh Steelers do not currently have a starting left guard on their roster after losing Isaac Seumalo to free agency, but they appear to have their sights on one in the 2026 NFL Draft , as the Steelers hosted Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge for one of their 30 pre-draft visits on Friday.
Rutledge is a 6-foot-3 3/4, 315-pound guard that was a two-year starter at Georgia Tech after transferring from Middle Tennessee State.
He started 26 consecutive games at right guard for the Yellow Jackets over the 2024 and 2025 season. Rutledge was twice honored as a first-team All-ACC selection. In 2025, he was named a first-team All-American and won the Brian Piccolo Award, which recognizes the ACC football player who most exemplifies the characteristics of courage, teamwork and dedication.
Rutledge is known for being an elite pass protector. He allowed just one sack and only 12 total quarterback pressures over his two seasons at Georgia Tech, per Pro Football Focus . He also turned heads at the 2026 Senior Bowl for high-level pass-protection technique, as well as his fiery nature. The Steelers scouted him in Mobile, with assistant general manger Andy Weidl , who used to play offensive line, in attendance.
In pre-draft testing, Rutledge put up 27 reps on the bench press, ran a fast-for-an-offensive-lineman 5.05-second 40-yard dash and showed solid explosiveness with a 32 1/2-inch vertical and an 8-foot-8 broad jump. He scored an overall 9.44 Relative Athletic Score out of 10.
Rutledge is generally considered to be a day two pick and is currently the No. 76 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. His stock has steadily risen from No. 119 just before the Senior Bowl. Rutledge is the sixth-ranked interior offensive lineman in the class.
The Steelers allowed Seumalo to walk in free agency, and he signed a three-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals . They've made no other move in free agency to replace him, with it instead looking like incumbent backup Spencer Anderson will gain some competition from the draft class at left guard in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers Host Elite Pass Protector for Pre-Draft Visit
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