Steelers training rookie Derwin Gray all over the line

[Steely McBeam]

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The Steelers have been a mostly stable team up front in recent years, but they needed to find some depth this offseason.

So they’re trying to get the new guys trained in as many spots as possible.

Via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, rookie tackle Derwin Gray said he’s practiced at every non-center position on the line through OTAs.

“I pretty much have played at all four positions since I have been here,” Gray said. “Left tackle, right tackle, right guard and left guard. So this week was my first week at left guard.

“It’s all football [regardless of position]. It’s all zone blocking, outside zone, pass protection, that’s all it is.”

Gray, their seventh-round pick from Maryland, started 25 games the last three seasons, all at left tackle. But the Steelers are set with starters, largely into the future.

With Matt Feiler stepping into the starting lineup at right tackle for Marcus Gilbert last year, and the Steelers extending center Maurkice Pouncey and right guard Ramon Foster, they have starting jobs accounted for the apparent future. Which means picks like 2018 third-rounder Chukwuma Okorafor and Gray and others have to cross-train.