Will the Steelers finally spend a top draft pick on offense?

Will this be the year the Pittsburgh Steelers actually use their top pick in the NFL Draft on a prospect from the offensive side of the ball?

During the 13 years in which Mike Tomlin has been the team’s head coach, the Pittsburgh Steelers have used their top pick in the NFL Draft on a defensive prospect 10 times. In fact, the Steelers haven’t selected an offensive player with their first pick in the draft since 2012.

David DeCastro, Maurkice Pouncey, and Rashard Mendenhall are the only three guys from the offensive side of the ball to be drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round since Tomlin became the team’s head coach in 2007.

However, could this be something that changes for the Steelers this year? Could Pittsburgh actually add an offensive prospect to their roster with their top pick in the draft later this month?

The Steelers certainly have the needs on offense for this to happen. Whether it’s a new running back, quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, or offensive lineman, Pittsburgh should have a lot of options when it comes time to make their first selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

This year, the Steelers’ first chance to make a pick in the draft won’t come until the second round thanks to their trade with the Miami Dolphins last season that resulted in them landing Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Pittsburgh has met with a number of offensive prospects during the last few months who could be worth using a second-round pick on like former Florida State running back Cam Akers, former Boise State offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, former Utah running back Zack Moss, and former LSU center Lloyd Cushenberry.

With the Steelers not having a selection until the second round this year though, it’s really just going to depend on how the board ends up falling.

Pittsburgh also has plenty of needs on the defensive side of the ball and they’re not going to reach for a guy in the second round just because he’s an offensive prospect.

So is there a chance the Steelers could use their top pick on an offensive player this year? Yes, of course. But their limited amount of selections is going to prevent them from being able to take a chance on someone like they might have in previous drafts.