4 Steelers NFL Draft targets that could be off the board before pick 49
By Tommy Jaggi
There are a few players the Steelers will have a great deal of interest in. Here’s why four of their potential targets will likely be gone before pick 49.
The NFL draft is just around the corner, and draft analysts have gathered less information on teams’ potential targets than they have in years. Though the travel bans have made it hard to predict which players an organization will target, the Steelers have given some subtle hints as to who they could be targeting.
A while back, general manager Kevin Colbert made mention of the strength of the edge rusher class. It’s also well known that Pittsburgh would like to find a player to replace the role of Javon Hargrave on defense.
Unfortunately, a handful of the players they could be targeting in the second round could be off the board by the time the 49th overall pick rolls around. Here are four players they could miss out on:
EDGE/LB Josh Uche
There is no doubt in my mind the Steelers have interest in Josh Uche. He’s a versatile, athletic linebacker who can play the edge and inside and is smooth dropping into coverage. And oh yeah, he’s from Michigan.
Uche would offer the Steelers depth at behind all three of T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, and Vince Williams. Though he may not be a full-time edge in the NFL, Uche could follow a very similar career path to former Pittsburgh linebacker, Lawrence Timmons – a defensive end who transitioned to an off-ball linebacker in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh may not be able to get a shot at him. Baltimore and New England are two teams that pick ahead of the Steelers, and Uche would make a ton of sense on their defenses. I can assure you that Uche will be on Pittsburgh’s radar, but it’s looking less likely that he will be there at 49.