Steelers mock draft: Factoring positions of need and offseason visits

There was a lot of buzz about the meetings between the Steelers and Patrick Jones II.

These meetings were for good reason. They can take him as good depth and competition behind Alex Highsmith. I’m a fan of waiting until at least the 4th round for a player like this.

If you want a comparison for Patrick Jones II, it is Bud Dupree. He will take a little time to develop, but he looks like him on the field. His athleticism, motor, and explosiveness are just eerily similar. He is a bit thinner, but I believe that he could put on some more muscle and turn into the same kind of periodic game-breaker Dupree had flashed in 2019 and 2020.

Pittsburgh needs another tight end

While Zach Gentry will compete for snaps, he should be competing with one of the better blocking tight ends in this draft.

He has good hands and can block. His routes are pretty clean and he doesn’t drop the ball very often. He would have a splash play here or there showing off his straight-line speed but didn’t find the field often as a receiver. I don’t think he is a star in the making, but his size and athletic build will allow him to be a good secondary tight end in the league as long as he is developed well. His willingness to block and do the dirty work is likely drawing Pittsburgh to him and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the field in black and gold.

If we don’t draft Najee Harris then we need another back.

Pittsburgh seems pretty confident in Snell, and signing Kalen Ballage offers some insurance. I think Pittsburgh is willing to take a flier on a running back from Oregon State.

The good news is at 5’10 217 pounds, he has the size Pittsburgh likes. He also has tremendous vision and a 2nd gear that allows him to outrun a lot of defensive backs. The bad news is he doesn’t have a move. Watching his film was frustrating. He wasn’t making cuts, stiff-arming anyone, and he was timid in one on one situations against defensive backs. Yet, he was constantly in the second level because he never made the wrong decision in which lane to take. It isn’t like Oregon St. had an amazing o-line and he still averaged 6.5 yards per carry without really breaking tackles.

If he comes to Pittsburgh and gets more aggressive in the open field, or develops a move to handle a tackler one on one he could be the best running back in this draft class. He is really fluid when running and almost glides on the field. Of all the running backs I have studied from this class there wasn’t a runner with the vision he has. His decision-making is on the level with Le’Veon Bell’s in 2017.

With two NFL running backs that have both had at least some success in the league this year, this is the perfect guy to take. If they can develop Jefferson just a little, he will be the franchise runner for years to come. If they can’t then it is a 5th round pick that was wasted on a running back, but that is much better than a wasted 1st round pick.