Worst-case scenarios for every Steelers pick in 2021 draft

Round 7:

Despite his size and Jesse James type ability, Tony Poljan is not the type of tight end prospect the team needs right now. He could develop into a red zone threat given his size, but his lack of athleticism means he will never be a true starting tight end. As for his blocking, he needs quite a bit of work. Frankly, his best-case scenario is a worse blocking version of James, which fits the mold of a number three tight end.

Instead, the team should really try to land Pat Freiermuth early as he has legitimate starter potential as an overall tight end. If they miss out on him, taking a pure blocker instead makes sense. At least they could potentially develop into a solid number two and serve a role early in the season. Poljan isn’t what the team needs, so waiting and taking him would be a disappointment.

To end out the worst draft, taking an undefined player such as Demetric Felton would be a horrible waste. He played a pseudo running back/receiver role at UCLA and is seemingly setting himself up to be a receiver at the NFL level. He had some serious hype, until his mediocre testing came in, making the NFL question if he has the ability to play on any roster.

It would be one thing if Felton was a good athlete and could at least serve a bit role on offense. That doesn’t seem likely at this point. He is too small to hold up as a pure receiver, meaning his long-term role is in question. While only a seventh-round pick, taking Felton would be a waste as the odds of him making the roster would be slim given his ability.

While it is unlikely that the Steelers have as bad of a draft as this, don’t be surprised if some of their picks are surprises. The team has a tendency to draft people despite their perceived value. That said, if any of these picks come into fruition, it would truly be the worst-case scenario for the Steelers.