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.
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
This one seems obvious, and if you have been following along with the Pro Day’s it’s not hard to see why. In addition to Pittsburgh sending the house to Clemson, the Steelers also had a meeting with running back, Travis Etienne, and their need at the position seems glaring.
While it has been rumored that James Conner’s market is small enough that he may be able to return on a cheap deal, Etienne would be a clear upgrade over any player they already have on their roster. In addition, Pittsburgh was willing to keep four running backs last year (not counting fullback, Derek Watt), and I would be shocked if Jaylen Samuels somehow stuck around for another season.
Travis Etienne has been an electrifying player all through college and he has only improved as a receiver throughout his four-year career at Clemson. His combination of speed and explosion with his ability to routinely shake arms tackles makes him my number one running back in the 2021 draft class. It’s very possible that new offensive coordinator, Matt Canada, could view it that way as well. With their most significant personnel on hand at Clemson’s Pro Day and a big need to improve the running back room, Travis Etienne is a player the Steelers haven’t tried to hide their interest in.
Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
If I would have mocked a cornerback in the top two rounds to the Steelers just a few weeks ago, you would have thought I was crazy. Now that appears to be a position we can’t rule out drafting as early as the 24th overall pick, and Georgia’s Eric Stokes is a player they have expressed interest in. A lot has changed in a short amount of time this offseason, and cornerback has suddenly become a huge priority for Pittsburgh.
The Steelers were able to retain Cameron Sutton on a two-year, $9 million deal, but the soon lost nickel cornerback Mike Hilton to the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency. Just days later, Pittsburgh made it public knowledge that they would be cutting Steven Nelson if they cannot find a trade partner for him. Nelson was the team’s starting right cornerback for the past two seasons, and his departure is one we did not predict.
This leaves Pittsburgh with incredibly thin depth at cornerback with only Joe Haden and Cameron Sutton as the two lone players with any relevant experience. Behind them, Justin Layne and James Pierre have combined for just 144 career defensive snaps. Still, the Steelers don’t have money to drop on a cornerback in free agency, so it now seems likely to address the position early in the draft, and Eric Stokes could likely be that guy. His teammate, Tyson Campbell, must also be on the Steelers radar with Tomlin, Colbert, and defensive backs coach, Teryl Austin, all at Georgia’s Pro Day getting a good look at him as well.
Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
Of Pittsburgh’s clear interests so far for upcoming draft prospects, Trevon Moehrig is the most surprising to me. With two first-round safeties already manning the back end of the defense for the Steelers in Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds, this isn’t a position I would have guessed they would be interested in drafting early. However, that now seems to be the case.
Moehrig is widely regarded as the best safety prospect in the class, and there’s no guarantee he’s even available to Pittsburgh with the 24th overall pick, so this certainly comes as a surprise. However, Pittsburgh sent at least three personnel members to TCU’s Pro Day, and the fact that they were willing to spend a visit on a first-round safety tells you just how serious they are about potentially drafting him.
While this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense at the moment, Pittsburgh values the safety position, and perhaps they would be willing to move Edmunds to more of a hybrid linebacker/dime backer role. Safety doesn’t seem to be anywhere close to the Steelers biggest need, but Moehrig is a good player who is now on the team’s radar with the 24th overall pick.
There are still more Pro Days to come and plenty more names that will be added to this list. For now, these are four players the Steelers have shown a significant amount of interest in drafting this April.