4 players the Steelers may regret passing on in 2021 Draft

Steelers passed on Creed Humphrey

Let me start by saying I love the potential that Pat Freiermuth has as a well-rounded starting tight end in this league. That said, with this offensive line getting decimated this offseason, having the opportunity to draft one of, if not the, best center in this draft class at 55 was a puzzling move not to make. Creed Humphrey had been a steady player throughout his college career, and his athleticism and tape indicate that he will be a plug-and-play center as early as week one.

As seen with the first two players on this list, since the Steelers passed on a center in the first and second round, they were forced to take one in the third. While Green has good developmental upside, Humphrey is the far better prospect both in the short and long term. Sure, you miss out on potentially the last legitimate starting tight end prospect, but for a team that needed a boost along the offensive line, Humphrey would have been a stellar pick.

The Steelers are set to enter this season with a lot of questions along the interior of this line. While Trai Turner is a talented player, he hasn’t played at an incredibly high level for over two seasons now as injuries have limited him. As well, there is little guarantee that Green can man the starting job by week one. Humphrey would have been an instant starter for the Steelers, and passing on him seems like a mistake the Steelers could regret.

The Steelers 2021 draft class should have some valuable players in it, but that doesn’t mean some better prospects were available to the team. While the focus now is on what this class can do, looking at the state of the team before training camp and how the draft ultimately unfolded, you can’t help but circle these players as ones the team may regret passing on.