Best three-round scenario for Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft
By Tommy Jaggi
Round 3: Quinn Meinerz, C, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Prior to the Senior Bowl, I wouldn’t have thought that I would be pulling for a Division III football player from Wisconsin-Whitewater to fall to the Steelers in the third round. However, this could be the best scenario we could hope for if the draft were to shape up this way. Quinn Meinerz was thoroughly impressive during Senior Bowl week in Mobile, and there will be teams with a second-round grade on him this April.
Obviously, center is still a big position of need for a team that recently lost Maurkice Pouncey and has done little in the way of replacing him. B.J. Finney is a serviceable veteran, but he’s not a player the team should rely on to be a starter in 2021. He and J.C. Hassenauer might make up the worst group of centers currently in the NFL.
Despite being a small-school player, Meinerz would be a day-one upgrade over what Pittsburgh currently has, and he showed that he could more than handle his own against the best senior defensive lineman in the nation. If the Steelers were to go with Christian Darrisaw and Tommy Tremble in the first two rounds, I can’t think of a better way to round out the third than with a player like Quinn Meinerz; however, he’s not guaranteed to be there at this point.
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This three-round scenario seems incredibly unlikely, but it’s not impossible. The Steelers showed extensive interest in both Tremble and Meinerz, and they would likely consider Darrisaw if he slid in the draft. I know that these picks would have them ignoring defense early, but their offense (especially their blocking) would get a huge boost in the 2021 season.