4 players the Steelers should steer clear of in round one of the NFL Draft

The Steelers have a lot of needs to address this April, but here are four players who they should avoid in round one of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

With 19 unrestricted free agents and entering a dismal salary cap situation in 2021, the Steelers are unlikely to be able to retain more than a handful of players who are set to hit the market. This, however, will be sorted out before the 2021 NFL Draft in April, and some of their decisions could influence where Pittsburgh goes with the 24th overall pick.

As of now, a majority of people still believe that Ben Roethlisberger will be returning at quarterback for one final season – despite recent comments from Art Rooney II. Though the Steelers have used their first-round pick on a defensive player 8 years in a row (counting Minkah Fitzpatrick), many believe that is sure to change in 2021.

There is plenty more film study I still need to do before the NFL Draft, but there are a handful of prospects I just don’t feel comfortable with at pick 24. Here are four players the Steelers should steer clear of in the first round:

Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

Alex Leatherwood looks the part; there’s no doubt about that. At 6’5” and 312 pounds with massive 34 3/8” arms and an eye-popping 85 3/8” wingspan, he’s everything you could hope for in a left tackle… except for the fact that he may not be a left tackle in the NFL.

I had hoped that with his power and length that Leatherwood would have owned the one-on-one drills at the Senior Bowl, but that wasn’t the case at all. The big offensive lineman showed slow and inconsistent feet and a tendency to reach and lunge at opponents instead of practicing sound technique. Leatherwood’s kick slide was worrisome and there are teams that will have him as a guard in the NFL. He could potentially be a good player if moved inside, but the Steelers might not be getting an offensive tackle with him – at least not one that can take over for Alejandro Villanueva on the left side.