Several Steelers prospects go well above pick 49 in recent NFL mock draft

The Steelers don’t have a first-round pick in 2020, but are still hoping to land a talented player at pick 49. Here’s why some hopefuls may be out of reach.

The Pittsburgh Steelers may not own a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a player that can help their cause with the 49th overall pick. Le’Veon Bell, Stephon Tuitt, Sean Davis, and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all recent examples of second-round picks who have been able to step in at a young age and help this team win football games.

While it’s encouraging to note some of the success the Steelers have had in the second-round under Mike Tomlin, what’s not encouraging is seeing so many Pittsburgh hopefuls elevate their draft status well above pick 49.

This is exactly what has happened in Lance Zierlein’s first mock of the 2020 NFL Draft on NFL.com. Many of the players that Steelers fans have had their eye on as potential second-round picks have recently flown up draft boards, and ultimately made their way to the middle of the first-round in Zierlein’s mock draft.

Zierlein has linebacker Zack Baun going to Atlanta with the 16th pick, running back D’Andre Swift heading to Miami with the 18th pick (Pittsburgh’s original first-round pick that was traded away for Fitzpatrick), and running back Jonathan Taylor going to the Chiefs projected at pick 31. All of these names I have seen linked to the Steelers in one way or another.

When drafting at 49, there is no question the Steelers are going to have to deal with missing out on top-level talent. They must be able to trust their scouting department and their front office to strike gold like they did in 2013 with Le’Veon Bell or 2017 with JuJu Smith-Schuster.

The good news is that some many players and positions haven’t yet been crossed off on Zierlein’s first mock. The Steelers could really use an interior offensive lineman, and his mock has just one going in the first round as of now (Cesar Ruiz to the Patriots). Barring the free agency period, Pittsburgh is almost sure to grab a tight end in this year’s draft, and Zierlein has none being taken in the first round. It’s possible that the Steelers could get their pick on these positions.

Obviously, the later a team picks in the draft, the higher chance there is of busting on a player, and the lower chance you have of finding superstar talent. There will be plenty of worthy draft prospects available when pick 49 rolls around, but some of our recent draft hopefuls may not be among them.