Steelers Need to Find Talent in Middle Rounds
By Justin Roem
The Steelers need help on defense. It’s not just one position or one player. They need to succeed in the middle part of this year’s draft to improve.
In the Mike Tomlin era, the Steelers have made 13 selections in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. Of those thirteen picks, only one player remains on the Steelers’ roster. That player was the first player taken in the fifth round by the Steelers during Tomlin’s tenure, William Gay.
In that time span, players like Pernell McPhee, Arthur Jones, Kam Chancellor, Carl Nicks, Brandon Carr, and Richard Sherman have been selected in the fifth round. The value is there.
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It looks like the Steelers have something special in last year’s fourth round pick, Martavis Bryant. Bryant brought a dimension to the offense that had been missing since the departure of speedster Mike Wallace.
The jury is still out on Shamarko Thomas and Landry Jones, both fourth round picks in 2012. Thomas fights injuries and the depth chart while Jones sits behind Bruce Gradkowski–often in street clothes.
Cortez Allen is the only other player on the team that was picked in the fourth round. This year will determine his future with the team. Some fans think that last year should have determined it.
Some league players drafted in the fourth round since Tomlin has been with the Steelers include Julius Thomas, Jordan Cameron, Alterraun Verner, Dennis Pitta, Everson Griffen, K.J. Wright and Alex Okafor.
Obviously, picking in the middle and late rounds is not an easy job to have. However, if you want to win championships, you need to be acquiring talent from everywhere: free agency, early rounds, middle rounds, late rounds, trade, etc.
The Steelers have gotten some very good and even great players outside of the first three rounds of the draft. Think of Vince Williams, Kelvin Beachum, and Antonio Brown. Players like Jonathan Dwyer and Stevenson Sylvester also played significant roles when they were with the Steelers.
Considering the amount of talent they need to add, the Steelers need to have a solid draft top to bottom. It goes without saying that they must add ready contributors in the early rounds, but finding depth in the middle and late rounds makes the difference.
The second and third day of this year’s draft will be as crucial as the first.