Steelers Draft: Taking a running back in round one is not wise
By Tommy Jaggi
Steelers would be passing on more important positions
Perhaps the biggest reason why I think it would be unwise for the Steelers to take a running back in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is that they would be passing on much more important positions. For teams that have very few holes and are in a position to make a legitimate Super Bowl run, I don’t have a problem with them taking a talented running back in the back half of the first round. The Steelers are not one of those teams.
Pittsburgh has more needs to fill than draft choices this year, to be honest, and spending the 24th overall pick on one of the most devalued positions in the NFL would be questionable at best. Quarterback, offensive tackle, edge defender, and cornerback are considered by many to be the most important positions in all of football, and the Steelers have a pretty sizable need at each one of them.
If Pittsburgh were to pass on players they could potentially build a team around at far more important positions, that would be a colossal mistake. A great running back can make a big difference, but it is one of the easiest positions to find, draft, and replace just about every year.
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Selecting a running back is certainly going to be an option on Pittsburgh’s radar, and it’s important to find an improvement over what they currently have. However, today’s NFL has shown us more than ever that running backs are a dime a dozen and that the Steelers would be making a mistake by taking one with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft.