The Steelers 2020 NFL Draft is officially in the books. Here are my initial draft grades for each Pittsburgh selection this April.
Another year, another draft with mixed opinions. Though the Pittsburgh Steelers were without their first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, fans have taken comfort in the fact that their pick was put to great use with the trade acquisition of All-Pro safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The Steelers addressed many of the needs we expected them to this year, but there were still some surprises thrown into the mix. There may not be many draft analysts raving about the value of the prospects Pittsburgh was able to land, but their draft could prove to be a solid haul.
Though it’s still years too early in the process to properly evaluate each of their picks, here’s my initial draft grades for each Steelers selection int the 2020 NFL Draft:
WR Chase Claypool (2nd round): C+
Chase Claypool is a very good athlete with incredible size for the wide receiver position, but this pick almost seemed like it was made out of necessity. After a swift run on wide receivers early in the second round, Pittsburgh elected to go with Claypool.
The Steelers needed depth at a receiver, but their top three have proved to be pretty good football players. Claypool will have a chance to make a big impact as early as his rookie season, but he’s a player who likely rose a little too high because of his testing numbers.
EDGE Alex Highsmith (3rd round): B-
I don’t mind the Alex Highsmith pick at all. I’m a fan of talking small-school stars later in the draft, and Pittsburgh’s compensatory third-round selection was essentially a fourth-round pick. Highsmith tested just above average as an athlete, but he plays much faster than his timed numbers.
For the Steelers, he should compete with Ola Adeniyi as the primary backup at edge defender and has starting upside if the competition jump doesn’t prove to be too much for him. Overall, I like his combination of bend and pass rush moves.
RB Anthony McFarland (4th round): B
Anthony McFarland was a solid value pick for the Steelers at this point in the draft. Though he’s only 5’8” and 208 pounds, McFarland ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and that speed shows up often on film.
McFarland averaged nearly 8.0 years per carry as a freshman and 6.7 yards per carry over 245 college touches. The Maryland running back brings something to the table that Pittsburgh’s backfield didn’t have prior to this: speed. He can take any given play to the house. Though we could have made the case for Pittsburgh addressing more pressing positions of need, McFarland could prove to be a valuable asset to an offense lacking speed.
OG Kevin Dotson (4th round): C
I don’t dislike Kevin Dotson, and there is no question the Steelers needed to address the offensive line at some point in this draft. However, Dotson wasn’t my best player available, and I think a player like Tyler Biadasz would have been a better option for the interior offensive line.
Dotson offers some intrigue though. He’s a big, physical football player with a violent play style. I’m never opposed to taking small-school players with solid upside late in the draft, and Dotson fits the bill. He will be a backup interior offensive lineman to begin his career, but he has upside if a starter if he continues to learn and grow as a player.
S Antoine Brooks Jr. (6th round): B-
I wasn’t crazy about this pick for the Steelers. Antoine Brooks is more of a box safety than a roaming player on the backend. Brooks tested as a below-average athlete and does most of his damage near the line of scrimmage, but he still possesses some value.
At 220 pounds, Brooks is in the 91st percentile for weight at the position, but his size will allow him to play more of a safety/linebacker hybrid role in the NFL. Either way, Pittsburgh is razor-thin at the position, and Brooks will stand a decent shot at making the team in 2020.
DT Carlos Davis (7th round): B
The Steelers could have elected to address the nose tackle much sooner in the draft. Instead, they went with Nebraska defensive tackle Carlos Davis in round seven. Davis is a big man at 6’2” and 313 pounds, and his 4.82 40-yard dash is among the 96th percentile for interior defenders.
Still, there are a lot of flaws in his game, and many protected him to be a priority free agent. Davis plays too straight up and down and isn’t always quick off the ball. He earned 4.0 sacks in 2019, but he’s never had more than 4.5 tackles for a loss in any season. Still, I’m fine with the Steelers betting on the athletic upside of Davis, and he may be able to push someone like Dan McCullers for a final roster spot.
It’s far too early to give an accurate grade on the Steelers 2020 draft selections, but collectively, they look a bit underwhelming on paper. However, we will give them a few years to prove their worth and revisit their grades on a later date.