5 draft prospects Steelers may be able to select at pick 20

Steelers could draft Dean

Draft Network Rank: 19th overall

Nakobe Dean ascended into one of the nation’s top linebackers this season en route to winning the Butkus Award and National Championship while at Georgia. The Steelers, meanwhile, saw a disappointing season from both of their starting off-ball linebackers as Joe Schobert and Devin Bush struggled to play well. The team may have to look for a new linebacker this offseason, and Dean would fit the bill of what the team wants.

He was as close to a complete linebacker in college as you could hope for. He can fill run lanes and is gap sound as well as being able to stay on the field on passing downs. If anything, pass defense is his strength, as he has the coverage tools to beat running backs and some tight ends in coverage. As well, he is a good blitzer, an element the Steelers lost with their linebackers this season.

The biggest issue with Dean is his size, as he is on the smaller side for a linebacker. While some will write him off for that (especially after Bush’s struggles), keep in mind that Dean has shown better reads than Bush did in college. That said, pulling linemen will be able to use their strength to hold Dean out of plays. He will have to learn how to shed if he wants to be successful. That said, the team could finally get their Ryan Shazier replacement if they took Dean in the draft.