The Steelers have already expressed great interest in a handful of NFL Draft prospects early on. Here are four players who are sure to be on their radar.
If you have been following the Steelers closely over the years, it’s not too hard to get a feel for the players that Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert really like. Pittsburgh has certain football programs that they seem to be more comfortable drafting players from than others, but there are several big signs that reveal their interest in players.
If either Tomlin or Colbert is on hand for a team’s Pro Day, it becomes pretty easy to tell which players they have interested in – especially if there is a positional coach that travels with them. It’s also important to take note of Pittsburgh’s virtual visits, as those meetings are scarce and they typically draft at least a few players they meet with virtually every year. Though we still have many Pro Days and visits yet to go, here are four players that are clearly on the Steelers radar in the 2021 NFL Draft:
Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
Anthony Schwartz might be the only non-first-round candidate that Pittsburgh has taken such a deep interest in so far. Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert were watching him intently at Auburn’s Pro Day, as he blazed with a 4.26 40-yard dash. Schwartz also received a virtual meeting with the Steelers, which is even more reason to believe he could be on their radar – probably in the third or fourth round.
Schwartz has remarkable speed and it certainly shows on film. His stature, combination of deep speed, and ability to chew up yards on reverses reminds me a lot of Mike Wallace coming out of Ole Miss. With JuJu Smith-Schuster now signed, it will be interesting to see if the Steelers still have as much interest in drafting Schwartz, but he is certainly a player who will be on their radar in the mid-rounds.