Worst-case scenarios for every Steelers pick in 2021 draft
By Andrew Falce
Round 6:
Similar to Doyle in the fourth, Drake Jackson isn’t a horrible prospect as a center on paper. He is a bit undersized and will need a year or two to develop fully and get stronger, but Jackson could become a starter down the road in the right scheme. The issue with him that makes him a worst-case scenario is that the team needs a starting center sooner than later, so ignoring the position until the sixth would be tough to deal with.
This isn’t to say Jackson is a perfect prospect either here. His smaller statue means he will need to be schemed around, especially in the run game. He isn’t a big, mauling center that can aid the run game now. Instead, he relies more on finesse than pure power. For a team that wants to get more physical up front and run the ball better, Jackson doesn’t seem like a great fit.
The worst-case scenario is that the Steelers wait this long to draft and center and then have to start Finney. There is no issue if the team drafts a center earlier and Finney beats them out, as that was at least a competition. However, drafting a center late and banking on them providing competition to Finney will leave the team desperate at center this season.