5 reasons Steelers could go EDGE with the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft

3. Talent drops off after round one

Really good edge defenders never last long in the NFL Draft, and there could be a massive drop in talent by the time Pittsburgh’s second-round pick rolls around at 55 overall. In fact, I completely expect this to happen. Tomlin and Colbert aren’t oblivious to this either and waiting to draft one could be the difference between finding a dominating player across from T.J. Watt and a decent rotational piece.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the four top names mentioned in the previous slide will be off the board at this point, and a few others are sure to follow before Pittsburgh’s second-round pick. Instead of having their pick from the cream of the crop, the Steelers could be looking at players like Pittsburgh’s Rashad Weaver, Washington’s Joe Tyron, and Tulane’s Cameron Sample as the next wave of available players at the position. Each one of these players has far more questions about their game than the top names on this least and will probably be selected a round too high.

Alex Highsmith had a terrific rookie season with the team last year, but even if he turns out to be worthy of a full-time starting position, this is an area where you can never have too much talent. Chances are if the Steelers wait until round two or later to grab their edge defender, they will only have a player who can contribute in a limited fashion as a rookie with the hopes of developing into a serviceable rotational piece down the road.