4 teams that could foil Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Draft plans in 2022
Denver Broncos: 9th overall pick
What Denver does is largely determined by two factors. Do they re-sign Teddy Bridgewater, and whom does Carolina select? Bridgewater reportedly may be seeking about $20 million-plus per year in his next contract.
Right now, not many think they pay that much for Bridgewater. So they either bring in a lower-priced free agent to challenge Drew Lock, or they draft one. If they opt for the draft, then Carolina impacts the selection. Given that many mock drafts have Kenny Pickett coming off the board to Carolina, mock drafts seem to indicate Corral could be the guy.
Right now, Corral is at 25%, Pickett 14%, Willis 3%; however, expect this to fluctuate as the draft approaches and colleges have pro days and the combine and free agency begins.
However, say the Broncos either sign another free agent or even re-sign Bridgewater by some strange fluke, then the 9th spot gets thrown wide open. If they do not opt for a quarterback, other potential options for the Broncos are Chris Olave WR 10%, DeMarvin Leal DT 7%, and Nakobe Dean LB 7%.
What this means for the Steelers:
Well, primarily, the Steelers could sign Bridgewater or another free agent, and they then either opt to Draft Charles Cross, Kenyon Green, or Tyler Linderbaum. It seems unlikely, though, that the Steelers would want to pay upwards of $20 million a season after giving T.J Watt a huge contract.
Assuming the Steelers do not sign a free agent or trade for a quarterback, they will begin eyeing Sam Howell or Carson Strong as Corral and Pickett will not be on the board as one goes here and another a few picks later unless Desmond Ridder or Malik Willis enters the equation. Willis could be an attractive prospect in that his style would remind Broncos fans of, say, John Elway.
The question, though at this point, if the Steelers begin focusing on Howell and Strong, the Steelers gamble one of them is available with their second pick and take the best player available with their first pick, or do they pull the string and draft a quarterback left on the board.