The Steelers were able to secure Vance McDonald in a pick-swap trade with the 49ers in 2017. Here’s where he ranks in the top 32 among NFL tight ends.
The Steelers pulled off the deal of the decade when they were able to land tight end, Vance McDonald in a pick-swap trade with the San Francisco 49ers. As part of the deal, the Steelers gave up a 2018 4th round pick in exchange for McDonald and a 2018 5th round pick.
The injury prone tight end signed a 5-year, $32.5M contract with the 49ers in 2016, and McDonald received $16M in guarantees. Ultimately, San Francisco wanted out of his contract, and they were willing to basically give him away to the Steelers at the cost of taking on his salary.
It eventually worked out for the 49ers in the long run, as they landed George Kittle in the 5th round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
During his time in Pittsburgh, Vance McDonald has been worth every penny for the Steelers. He is a physical run blocker, and a savvy receiver who is a bear to bring down after the catch.
I recently ranked my top 32 NFL tight ends entering the 2019 season. Vance McDonald came in pretty high on my list:
| Tier 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travis Kelce | KC |
| 2 | George Kittle | SF |
| 3 | Zach Ertz | PHI |
| Tier 2 | ||
| 4 | O.J. Howard | TB |
| 5 | Evan Engram | NYG |
| 6 | Jared Cook | OAK |
| 7 | Vance McDonald | PIT |
| 8 | David Njoku | CLE |
| 9 | Greg Olsen | CAR |
| 10 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN |
| 11 | Eric Ebron | IND |
| 12 | Gerald Everett | LA |
| 13 | Mark Andrews | BAL |
| 14 | Trey Burton | CHI |
| 15 | Jordan Reed | WAS |
| 16 | Chris Herndon | NYJ |
| 17 | Dallas Goedert | PHI |
| 18 | Jack Doyle | IND |
| 19 | Jimmy Graham | GB |
| 20 | Benjamin Watson | NO |
| Tier 3 | ||
| 21 | Maxx Williams | |
| 22 | Nick Boyle | BAL |
| 23 | Blake Jarwin | DAL |
| 24 | Austin Hooper | ATL |
| 25 | Jesse James | PIT |
| 26 | Jeff Heuerman | DEN |
| 27 | Mike Gesicki | MIA |
| 28 | C.J. Uzomah | CIN |
| 29 | Nick Vannett | SEA |
| 30 | Geoff Swaim | DAL |
| 31 | Cameron Brate | TB |
| 32 | Vernon Davis | WAS |
I’m not the type of person who will try to convince you that the Steelers have the best players at every position. I tell it like I see it. But when it comes to Vance McDonald, the Steelers really have themselves a good tight end.
I have McDonald slated as the 7th overall tight end entering the 2019 season, and for good reason. The 267 pound tight end out of Rice is no longer splitting snaps with Jesse James. Though he received just over 50 percent of the total offensive snaps a season ago, McDonald will have a much bigger role this year.
Vance excels as both a blocker and a pass catcher. While most tight ends today can do one or the other at a high level, McDonald can do both.
The biggest issue with McDonald has never been about his game. Though he is known for dropping some easy passes now and then, his biggest concern lies with his health.
Vance has only played in at least 15 games once since his rookie year in 2013. Prior to last season, he had never started more than 11 games in a year due to injuries.
With Vance McDonald, the talent is all there. He will have a chance to prove his worth as one of the best and most well-rounded tight ends in the league this season. The key will be staying healthy.