3 reasons Steelers could neglect offense in the first round of the NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Everyone is expecting the Steelers to bolster their offense with their first pick in the draft, but here’s why that may not happen.
I haven’t seen a mock draft yet from any major outlet that has projected a defensive player to the Steelers in the first round. Pittsburgh finished the 2020 season ranked 3rd in yards allowed and 5th in points allowed, according to Team Rankings, and they have some incredible cornerstone, All-Pro players on that side of the ball.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the offense. It was only a few years back that this group was one of the most lethal offenses in the NFL. However, that clearly isn’t the case anymore. While Pittsburgh has a group of talented young receivers, the rest of their offense needs work as their quarterback, running backs, and offensive linemen graded out among some of the worst players in the league at their positions this year, according to Pro Football Focus.
Despite all of this, there is still plenty of reason (and historical evidence) to believe that the Steelers could ignore addressing offense with the 24th overall pick this year. Though fans know Pittsburgh’s biggest needs are on the offensive side of the ball, here’s why they may not go that direction this April:
Offense in round one goes against the trend
As much as Steelers fans are pushing for the team to draft offense this April (particularly offensive line), it may not matter. Despite Pittsburgh having some greater needs on this side of the ball in the past, They have now selected a defensive player with their first-round pick in 8 straight years (if you count the Minkah Fitzpatrick trade as their selection).
This year, however, there seems to be more cause than ever to go offense in round one. There could be three new starters on the offensive line, and we have no idea what is going on with Ben Roethlisberger at this point. In addition, running back and tight end are both positions in need of a major overhaul. However, the Steelers are losing Bud Dupree this offseason and they could be without as many as three of their top four cornerbacks in 2021. Taking offense is a huge need, but it still goes against Pittsburgh’s first-round trend.