The Steelers certainly did their due diligence at the Senior Bowl, and here are four major takeaways from the team’s down in Mobile.
The Steelers are always regular visitors at the Senior Bowl, as their draft classes are usually filled with senior players past the first round. This year was no different, as the team met with a slew of top names that will be entering the draft. While there is still a long way to go before the actual draft, some common trends have already popped up for the team.
Here are four big takeaways from the Steelers at the Senior Bowl.
Steelers are targeting a deep threat
While the Steelers’ upcoming need at receiver has been well documented, there seems to be a split as to what type of pass-catcher they were going to target. With JuJu Smith-Schuster set to depart in free agency, many expected a shiftier slot type that this team tried to get out of Ray-Ray McCloud. Instead, at the Senior Bowl, the team met with Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, stereotypical Z receivers and deep threats.
To me, that signals one of two things. The first is that this team may be targeting more of a traditional slot receiver in free agency. The second, and most likely given their preference to draft receivers, is that Chase Claypool may make a move more to the slot next season. While they will certainly meet with more receivers as the draft season continues, it is interesting to note that the early focus is on winning deep and not finding a capable slot receiver.
Steelers may go linebacker early
When the Steelers traded for Joe Schobert last offseason, many assumed this linebacker group was set. Devin Bush was set to return and pick up where he left off before his injury while Schobert would provide a stable player opposite from him. That couldn’t have been closer to the truth, as both struggled heavily, and Schobert is likely to find himself a cap casualty.
The team made their desire to draft a linebacker clear by meeting with three of them at the Senior Bowl. While not a top-heavy group, there are some good-looking prospects that should be available on day two, which is where this team is supposedly targeting one based on their meetings.
The two key names are Darrian Beavers and Chad Muma. Both are bigger, more old-school style linebackers that are primarily run stoppers before coverage options. As well, both would likely have to be picked with the Steelers’ second-round pick at this point. It would be an inditement of this position as a whole, but the team may go linebacker earlier than most thought they would have to at this point.
Steelers aren’t prioritizing linemen
While most fans have been pounding the table for a new tackle, guard, or center with the Steelers’ top picks, the early signs at the Senior Bowl have not backed that notion up. They only met with two prospects, and neither are true first-round picks. For those hoping that the team would take a new tackle with their top pick, they failed to meet with any at the Senior Bowl.
The two prospects they did meet with were Zion Johnson and Lecitus Smith, both guard prospects and neither locks to go in the first round. Smith is seen as a day three guy that needs developing. Johnson is a different story, as most view him as a top-40 type of guy. The Steelers could be targeting him at pick 20, but that is earlier than most are projecting him to go. Perhaps a trade back is planned to grab him and add an extra draft pick in the process?
No tackles were talked to. While the top three in the class were underclassmen and not present, it was surprising that top guys like Daniel Faalele and Trevor Penning weren’t at least introduced to the brass in Mobile. For Penning, a small school guy, to begin with, this likely takes him off of their list at pick 20. While it will be frustrating for fans, this line may not be in store for as much change as many hope for.
Steelers are targeting quarterbacks
Count me as one surprised by this. While I expected the team to be doing their due diligence at quarterback at the Senior Bowl, little did I know they were coming there exclusively for that position. Almost every big name was met with, and the early reports are flooded with the team being in love with three different names.
Those three are Kenny Pickett, Sam Howell, and Malik Willis. Pickett and Howell are pretty obvious choices, as both fit what the team typically looks for in a quarterback. Willis is the small-school wild card that needs a lot of work but has a lot of the top traits in a dynamic quarterback. All three have to be seen squarely in play for the Steelers’ top pick in the draft.
Again, there are still months of film watching, athletic measurements, and meetings with prospects that will ultimately determine who the team is targeting. As of now though, it seems like quarterback isn’t just a possibility at pick 20, but it should be the likely move given how interested they were at the Senior Bowl. It will be a story to track, but as of now, the Steelers have to be a favorite to land a top quarterback in this draft class.
While there will still be an everchanging draft narrative as the offseason progresses, the early reports from the Senior Bowl are setting the stage for the team. Quarterbacks are the priority, a linebacker maybe the second pick and the line may be mostly ignored again. This will change as more prospects are introduced, but right now these narratives are the key ones to watch following the Senior Bowl.