While the Steelers got some fine players in the 2021 NFL Draft, they regretfully passed on these four players which may prove to be a mistake.
The Steelers rounded out their draft with nine new rookies and quite a few holes filled. While the team hopes to see an early impact from the players they got, there are a few cases where the team passed on a player who may have been the better fit. In no way is this about the team’s class being bad, I certainly think this group of rookies will be fine but looking at the roster as it is and how the draft ultimately played out, picks could have certainly been used differently to build a stronger team. Here are four rookies the Steelers missed out on in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Steelers passed on Elijah Molden
Heading into the draft, the Steelers had a huge need in the secondary, as two of their top cornerbacks from 2020 were now off the team. Instead of prioritizing finding a slot cornerback, the team waited until the seventh round to draft Tre Norwood and now are banking on James Pierre being good enough to hold his own as an outside corner so Cameron Sutton can play inside. All of this could have been avoided had the team drafted Elijah Molden in the third round of the draft.
One of the best pure slot-types in this class, Molden is undersized and a marginal athlete, but he can cover well out of the slot and was a physical presence in the run game. No, he isn’t Mike Hilton, but he could have been a starter inside as early as this year. Even if Pierre showed enough to play on the outside and kick Sutton on the inside, Molden could have been the fourth defensive back like how Sutton has played over the past few seasons.
Granted, the Steelers took Kendrick Green in this spot, but as will be discussed later, that may have not been a necessary pick had the team gone elsewhere in the second round. Molden could have been a plug-and-play starter this season, and at worst, the secondary would have at least had more flexibility.
Steelers passed on Spencer Brown
The Steelers’ need for a tackle in this draft was a little bit overstated. Sure, a depth piece was needed with some developmental upside, but unless the team took one in the first round, a tackle was likely stuck behind the presumed starters for this season. While Dan Moore could become a starting tackle down the road, he has some limitations overall that may cause him to be more of a swing tackle. Spencer Brown, on the other hand, is a physical freak that has all the tools to be a dominant left tackle in this league.
Brown scored a perfect athletic score, indicating that he has the athleticism to succeed at the next level. As well, he has amazing size, as he is just a smidge over 6’8. Considering the Steelers typically like their tackles tall and athletic, Brown would have been a perfect fit. He did play at a small school, but his tape was incredibly solid. He could have pushed for a starting job during his rookie year, and at worst likely could have been penciled in as a starter next season.
Again, the Steelers would have had to take Brown in the third instead of Green, but that would have been resolved had the team gone elsewhere in the second round. Brown would have been a better threat to either tackle spot this season, and even if the team went with a more experienced option, it would open the door for Brown starting as early as next season. While Moore could develop into a starter in time, the ceiling and talent with Brown would have been a better fit for the Steelers overall.
Steelers passed on Shaun Wade
I will be one hundred percent honest; when the Steelers moved up into the fifth round of the draft, I fully expected them to draft Shaun Wade. An Ohio St. player that was seen as a first-round pick heading into the season as a slot cornerback before the Buckeyes moved him more to the outside and he struggled? Sign me up. Instead, the trade-up was for Isaiahh Loudermilk, a player who was far worse value and didn’t fit a team need. I was disappointed, to say the least.
Now to be clear, Wade has plenty of issues on his own. His regression in 2020 was hard to watch, but a lot of that had to do with how he was used. He was suddenly tasked with covering outside receivers, and he was clearly mismatched there. This means he would be limited only to the slot as a pro, but as was the case with Molden, that was what the team needed. While he has some risk attached to him because of how he regressed last season, it would have been well worth taking on in the fifth round of the draft.
The fact of the matter is, the Steelers have a lot of questions surrounding this secondary right now. While all signs point to Pierre ascending to a pseudo-starter, expecting an undrafted rookie to make that jump is optimistic. Adding a more capable slot corner would have alleviated a lot of those concerns. Wade has some risk attached to him, but as a fifth-round pick, it would have been well worth the investment.
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.