Steelers pre-free agency mock draft: Fixing the offense early

As the Steelers are set to begin free agency this week, one final mock before their roster is built looks to bolster the offense early before adding depth to the defense.

While the talk of the NFL is free agency this week, the news from the Steelers camp will likely be underwhelming. While the team has gotten out of the cap issues that they had earlier, the odds of them making a big splash is unlikely. This will be a year where the draft is far more important in rebuilding this roster. Here is a mock draft for how the team looks before free agency truly gets underway this week.

While there is hope that the Steelers attempt to bring Jesse James back into the fold, the team still needs a long-term solution at tight end. As well, finding a tight end that can throw a block or two will be huge in re-establishing this running game. While Eric Ebron can be a receiving threat, his blocking technique is lacking. Thus, enters Pat Freiermuth. He can do it all and could be the replacement to Heath Miller that this team has been lacking for so long.

While tight end isn’t the conventional top need, this team has been putting a band-aid on the position for too long. Freiermuthhas the look and style to a Steelers tight end which should keep him in play for the 24th pick. This tight end class isn’t extremely deep, so if the team wants to get a potential starter, it will likely cost them their first-round pick. Freiermuth is worth the pick, and long term he should be a capable starter.