Everyone is pointing to the same few players for the Steelers in the first round, but here are four dark-horse candidates to be their top pick in the NFL Draft.
The last two months have been the same old stories for the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to the NFL Draft. Experts are continually mocking offensive tackles, running backs, and centers to Pittsburgh with their 24th overall pick, and occasionally a quarterback is sprinkled in. However, history tells us that this may not be the case.
Counting the pick they used to acquire Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Steelers have spent their first-round draft choice on a defensive player in eight consecutive seasons – four of which were used on an inside or outside linebacker. While it certainly seems likely that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert will attempt to address one of their glaring offensive needs early, here are four dark-horse candidates who could be the Steelers pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft:
Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
This year, it’s really hard to predict where the edge defenders will be drafted, and there isn’t a consensus number one player like there has been the last few years. Jaelan Phillips would have been a sure-fire top-10 pick if not for the concerning concussion issues that caused him to quit football once already. Therefore, Georgia’s Azeez Ojulari might be the best edge defender in the class.
At 6’3” and just 240 pounds, Ojulari might not be for everyone, but he is a perfect fit for the Steelers as the bendy, speed rusher across from T.J. Watt. Alex Highsmith had a great rookie season, but the talent of Ojulari at a premium position that Pittsburgh covets could cause them to go this direction in the first round if he’s still on the board.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (or J.O.K. as we call him), might be stuck in between positions, but he’s a flat-out football player. At 6’1” and 215 pounds, Owusu-Koramoah almost has an identical body type to strong safety, Terrell Edmunds; however, he was a linebacker for Notre Dame. The Steelers need a player who can start opposite of Devin Bush, but to be honest, J.O.K. doesn’t really fit the bill.
Fortunately, he’s a man of many talents and an ideal defensive playmaker for today’s NFL. He could be used as a safety in the box, a linebacker in nickel formations, and the team’s dime backer. Because there is so much nickel and dime coverage in today’s NFL, J.O.K. could find himself playing upwards of 50 percent of snaps in Pittsburgh as a rookie.
By his second season, the Notre Dame product could slide right into the starting strong safety role, and he has drawn favorable comparisons to Chargers safety, Derwin James. J.O.K. is lightning fast with terrific coverage skills and the ability to lock down tight ends. He also plays like his hair is on fire and is not afraid to come downhill and tackle – a trait the Steelers clearly love. If he fell to pick 24, he would be an absolute steal at this point in the draft. Apart from his weight, Owusu-Koramoah checks all of the boxes Pittsburgh typically looks for at the linebacker position; but he’s too versatile to pigeonhole him to just one spot on defense.
Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
I know that taking Pat Freiermuth in the first round seems a little bit rich, but he could certainly earn live up to his draft status if the Steelers used the 24th overall pick on him. Unlike most of the top tight end prospects to come out in recent years, Freiermuth is extremely well-balanced in terms of his blocking and pass-catching ability.
While Eric Ebron is still under contract for another season, Vance McDonald is recently retired, and Pittsburgh has a massive void at the tight end position. Freiermuth is a traditional ‘Y’ tight end who can line up next to the tackle and take defenders head-on. He has a few technical issues, but nobody is questioning his strength or physicality.
Freiermuth has been a nightmare over the middle of the field and he routinely boxes out smaller linebackers and safeties over the middle with his 6’5”, 258-pound frame. He isn’t an explosive athlete, but don’t underestimate how valuable a good run blocker and a reliable set of hands over the middle of the field are to a football team. On the Steelers, Freiermuth would be the first tight end of the last decade that really could have a chance to follow in Heath Miller’s footsteps.
Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
If Micah Parsons falls this far in the draft, there might be a reason for it as character issues are a concern. Still, it’s not hard to see why the Steelers should be interested in the big, athletic linebacker out of Penn State.
Parsons would be an absolutely perfect fit next to Devin Bush as the ‘Buck’ linebacker in Pittsburgh’s defense. He thrives going downhill and making plays behind the line of scrimmage, but unlike Vince Williams, Parsons has very good coverage skills to go with his 6’3”, 240-pound frame.
Picking a linebacker this high would clearly be a luxury for the Steelers, and Parsons doesn’t come without some baggage. However, he has the talent to bump Pittsburgh’s defense up to a whole new level, and he would be hard to pass on.
The Steelers have some big needs that must be addressed this April, but these four players could tempt them to go in a different direction early. Perhaps they bite on one of them if at pick 24 this year.