While the Steelers need to rebuild their offense, their needs mixed with the talent available lead to certain positions being targeted by round.
The Steelers offense needs an influx of talent, and the draft will almost certainly feature quite a few key offensive pieces being added to the roster. That said, the depth in the draft changes by position, and the team will need to maximize their picks by targeting positions in certain rounds.
Each position has its deep and shallow spots, so it will be up to the team to target positions in appropriate rounds. Here is each round the Steelers should target each offensive position.
Quarterback
Seventh Round
While many Steelers fans are clamoring for a first-round quarterback, the odds of them adding one at pick 24 is unlikely. Ben Roethlisberger is back for what seems to be his last season, and the team has Super Bowl aspirations. Adding a quarterback in the first does little to further that goal this season, and the odds of a top quarterback falling that far seems unlikely. Instead, the team should wait it out and try to add an option at the end of the draft.
While a seventh-round quarterback doesn’t scream future franchise option, the fact of the matter is this team needs to focus on winning in Roethlisberger’s last season. The rebuild will have to wait, but that shouldn’t stop the team from investing in the position. There are plenty of late-round options, such as Feleipe Franks, Sam Ehlinger, and K.J. Costello that could develop into decent backups. No, adding a quarterback late in the draft won’t provide a future franchise option, but it could lead to a developed backup that can help mentor the next franchise quarterback in the future.