The Steelers have a ton of needs and the draft will be their major focus to address those issues with some of these perfect fits.
The 2022 NFL draft will come with some significant progress that needs to be made for the Steelers to get back into contention status. Many didn’t consider them contenders last season but they still made the playoffs. They go into 2022 with a lot of unknowns at many positions and they will have to find answers throughout the offseason.
Normally, this franchise likes to add players through the draft but they will have some extra cap space to spend. Free agency will have to be a big part of adding players to this club. The draft will be a huge part as usual but they will not have enough picks to address every need.
The Steelers normally look for certain traits in their prospects entering this event. Those traits include younger age, experience at the position, a football family background, and other things. They have normal criteria and that helps them focus on different players.
Honorable mentions
Darrian Beavers, LB, Cincinnati
Darrian Beavers was one of the cornerstones of the Cincinnati Bearcats defense ever since he transferred from Connecticut. He exploded onto the scene after he was finally able to get a chance on the field. Consistency has been the name of the game for this man in the middle.
He was able to be a consistent tackler and show some ability to get after the passer on blitzes. Beavers was even a finalist for the Dick Butkus Award, which is given to the best collegiate linebacker. The Steelers have met with this player and he will be someone to keep a close eye on day two of the draft.
Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina
Sam Howell is another quarterback that many will be watching when it comes time for the Steelers to pick on night one. He had two amazing seasons before this past year. 2021 was not kind to him as his stats fell off some and many are not as impressed with him as they were entering this past season.
The black and gold have shown a ton of interest in him during his final college year and that will lead many to speculate their interest. He has a good arm and mobility that the team will be looking for in Ben Roethlisberger’s successor. He needs to be more consistent going forward but a solid week at the Senior Bowl helped his draft stock. He is currently projected to be a late first-round selection.