Here’s ZN…
The issue right now, IMO, is not acquiring players. It's the number of injuries. In 4 games they started 3 centers and 5 guards (plus lost another guard in Bruss before the season). And if you back to the superbowl OL, just 5 games ago, they have used 6 guards in that span, due to free agency (Corbett obviously) and injuries.
You can't play well when you're on your 3rd center and 5th guard in 4 games. That's too much damage. Your whole line gets thrown off, not to mention you're down to guys like Evans (who, notice, was the bottom rung guy at guard). If injuries like that happen to any team, they're screwed. Nobody is deep enough to start 3 centers and 5 guards in 4 games.
When OL injuries get past a certain point, they are in trouble. You can handle a couple of replacements during a season (especially if they're not at the same time) but nobody handles that many replacements. Or if there ever has been an example, it's extremely rare.
But! Edwards is coming back, as is Allen, and that leaves Jackson as the only injury replacement starter. So far, near as I can see, Jackson is playing well when he has a stable OL around him.
So soon it will be the starting OL, with Jackson replacing Shelton. That's better than the entire interior OL being replacements.
Having said that, this is not an argument against drafting OL--and in high rounds--in 2023. In fact I kind of expect them to do that.
