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

While I initially wanted to draft a running back earlier for the Steelers, the value at this position seems to be the end of the third round and the beginning of the fourth. While Rhamondre Stevenson is currently slated to be picked in this area, there is a real chance he shocks teams early on with solid production. He has great size and athleticism and could be counted on as a bell cow if he develops properly.

The biggest question mark with Stevenson was his sparse usage at Oklahoma. The team used a variety of backs though, which led to mediocre stats for Stevenson. The Steelers could add him to a group rotation early and see if he can latch on as a bell-cow back later on. Even better, Stevenson can catch the ball out of the backfield, meaning he could truly play every down.

It seems very likely that the Steelers will be without JuJu Smith-Schuster next season meaning the team will have to find a new slot option. Dazz Newsome is more of a shifty slot receiver, but his skill set should complement this group well. He was dynamic at North Carolina and his size makes him a perfect fit in the slot early on.

Newsome doesn’t have a lot of downsides to his game, but a deep receiving class will keep him down in the draft. He should be the favorite to start in the slot though, as his quick release and yards after the catch ability should make him a threat from the inside. On top of all of this, he has some return ability, meaning he could serve multiple roles early on. Assuming the Steelers hold off on taking a receiver earlier, Newsome makes a lot of sense for the team.