Trades the Pittsburgh Steelers should pursue during the new league year
The tight end position
To reiterate an earlier point, the Pittsburgh Steelers need added value and depth to the tight end position. I believe this to be true even with the Steelers having a tight end group made up of players such as their latest signee in Eric Ebron, Vance McDonald, and Zach Gentry. Ebron just signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the team yesterday. Both Ebron and McDonald have injury histories: This is why the Steelers should consider trading for a particular Houston Texans tight end as their third-string on the depth chart.
Jordan Akins was drafted by the Houston Texans in 2018 in the third round. Akins played his college ball at the University of Central Florida. The Texans tight end started his career at UCF as a wide receiver, until he made the conversion to tight end. Right away, that tells you the versatility Akins brings to the table.
During the draft process, the UCF product was labeled as a seventh-round pick. Which is odd considering the 27-year-old was drafted in the third round. Jordan Akins became more involved in the Houston Texans offense in 2019. Below, you can see how much more of an impact Akins had offensively.
| Jordan Akins career stats | Targets | Rec. | TD’s | Yards | Long | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 25 | 17 | 0 | 225 | 28 | |
| 2019 | 55 | 36 | 2 | 418 | 53 |
Akins career year in 2019
Any individual can see the jump Jordan Akins made between his first, and second year in the NFL. The tight end not only showcased how reliable of a receiver he can be throughout the year, but also that he can provide that big playability. His versatility, and ability to create space between himself and defenders manifest that he can be a spark for any given offense as well. If you want an example of his play-making ability, just watch his 53-yard touchdown reception against the Los Angeles Chargers during the Houston Texans week 3 contest.
I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers could acquire Jordan Akins for a mid-round, and late-round pick. It would be well worth the price of a tight end who would immediately add value, and depth to the position. Just as in Tajae Sharpe’s case, a low-risk move Pittsburgh should consider.
Next. Steelers dream 2020 free agency period. dark
Trading for any one of the players I named above would tremendously benefit the Pittsburgh Steelers in several ways: Whether it helps the team’s salary cap situation, overall position groupings, and depth. These are the reasons I would pry these specific players from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Houston Texans organizations.