With the Steelers having a huge hole at running back, here are the four reasons they should look at Trey Sermon to fill their needs in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It is fair to say that the Steelers will have a large number of holes on this roster next offseason. When you look at the areas that they have struggled with, the talent set to be free agents, and the team’s cap issues they will have, and suddenly this offense looks like it may be in dire straits. A lot of talk has gone into drafting a running back as the team will need a new starter. While this class is filled with good running back options, the Steelers need to keep an eye on Trey Sermon after his recent performances. Assuming his injury in the Championship game isn’t serious, here are the four reasons he should be a draft target for the Steelers.
Big Ten connection
While the draft is always up the chance every year depending on the talent pool, the Steelers certainly have some trends that can be followed. For example, since the 2011 draft, the team has selected 16 players out of the Big Ten, a sign that they trust their observations from this section of college football. It makes sense, as these games are far closer to Pittsburgh than games in the Midwest or out on the West coast, making scouting these players easier.
Considering Sermon now has a season at Ohio State almost finished, he is fully eligible to fall into another Big Ten draft selection. No, the Steelers won’t completely determine who they pick based on what division they played in at college but playing in one as popular as the Big Ten has been will help. As well, with scouts’ travel potentially limited due to the pandemic, the fact that Sermon played closer to Pittsburgh helps. While a small side note, Sermon playing in the Big Ten is a major help to his Steelers draft potential.