3 small school prospects that could be steals for the Steelers after 2020
I would be absolutely shocked to see JuJu, Washington, Johnson, and Claypool all with the Steelers next season.
Washington will be in the final year of his contract, while JuJu may not even be in Pittsburgh in 2021. I think that Pittsburgh will do what they can to resign JuJu, even if they swallow the losses of Bud Dupree, James Conner, and Vance Macdonald. With that being said, they have too much talent in James Washington to waste on the bench. I still think that trading James Washington or even Diontae Johnson might be worth it to Pittsburgh.
If they decide to trade one that would mean that they have found a guy they think they can get, who will be able to offer depth, and probably some level of decent production late in the draft, or after the draft. A guy they could target would be Bryce Nunnelly. He is an FCS wide receiver for Chattanooga. I don’t know exactly where he will land in the draft, or if he will go undrafted. The biggest question mark with him is speed. He is 6’2 so he has decent height. However, at 190 pounds he seems to have somewhat of a smaller frame. Make no mistake, being fast isn’t the only mark of being a legitimate athlete.
He is the type of wide receiver that looks better because he is playing with a quarterback who can’t quite put it where it is supposed to go. His body control and his ability to track the ball is already at a very high level, even by NFL standards. I don’t think that he would out-muscle guys consistently, or burn defensive backs. However, he is already a good route runner and his hands are definitely at a pro-level. He could come in and give decent production from the slot immediately while providing depth with very solid hands should injuries become an issue.
He has been an academic All-American and gets rave reviews for his work ethic and team-oriented demeanor. He isn’t a flashy person, and he never causes distractions. His coaches and players see him as a leader, by way of example. He comes in, works diligently, and pushes everyone around him without ever having to say a word. He has the perfect demeanor for an NFL level wide receiver and these are intangibles that you can’t teach. There would be no personality issue, or shift in moral when adding a player like this to your squad and we have seen first-hand how disruptive skill players can be to a locker room.