The Pittsburgh Steelers go against the grain in a recent CBS Sports three-round mock draft, but are their selections realistic?
Usually, there’s a lot of “group think” that goes on during the pre-draft process. Fans and analysts take note of all the other opinions out there and typically fall somewhere in line with what everyone else is thinking.
This “group think” is passed down in most mock drafts. For example, we are all well aware of the Steelers interests in the quarterbacks this offseason, so mocking one to them in the first round only seems to make sense when trying to make an accurate production of what they will do.
However, not everyone abides by this “group think.” Recently, CBS Sports draft analyst, Ryan Wilson, comprised a three-round NFL mock draft. In the first round, he had the Steelers going completely against the grain — selecting Arkansas wide receiver, Treylon Burks.
This certainly isn’t a player who has been mocked to Pittsburgh very often throughout the offseason, but Burks is projected to go somewhere in the back half of the first round. Here’s what Wilson said about his decision to mock Burks to the Steelers:
"Burks is a contested and high-point catch machine. Don’t be fooled by his 4.55 40 at the combine — he regularly outran defensive backs to the end zone in the SEC and that won’t change in the NFL. The scariest part of his game is that he’s not even close to his ceiling yet, and what better way to get there than in Green Bay. He reminds us of some combination of Anquan Boldin, JuJu Smith-Schuster and AJ Brown. The Steelers just lost Smith-Schuster and James Washington in free agency and they’ll need to add some WRs in the draft. Burks isn’t a bad place to start."
I believe Wilson meant to write ‘Pittsburgh’ in his description instead of Green Bay. Regardless, he thinks that Treylon Burks would be a terrific selection for the Steelers. But is it realistic?
Steelers aren’t drafting Burks
Despite Wilson’s wishes, the Pittsburgh Steelers will not be selecting Treylon Burks in the first round of the NFL Draft. How do I know this? History has basically given us a blueprint of what they intend to do.
During the pre-draft process, the Steelers were adamant about making a continuous cross-country trip to scout out the top quarterback prospects this year. The fact that they met with all five of the top candidates on numerous occasions is not just part of some elaborate smokescreen.
In the process, the top wide receiver prospects this year were neglected (with the exception of just a few). The Steelers did not have their brass on hand for Ohio State’s Pro Day which included a talented pair of wide receivers in Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. The same can be said for Penn State (Jahan Dotson) and Arkansas (Treylon Burks).
Pittsburgh’s brass was, however, on hand for Alabama’s Pro Day (WR Jameson Williams) and Georgia’s Pro Day (WR George Pickens). But this simply could be because these are the two top football programs in the nation with NFL talent across the board.
What history tells us is that the Steelers simply do not draft players in the first round that they don’t meet with prior to the NFL Draft. This is a trend that has held true for at least a decade and I don’t see Kevin Colbert breaking that for Burks.
In the second round of his mock draft, Wilson has the Steelers taking Penn State safety, Jaquan Brisker. This is much more realistic, as Pittsburgh has shown some interest in Brisker at his Pro Day. Wilson has Pittsburgh going with USC edge defender Drake Jackson in round three — a solid pick, but I’m not sure if it’s one the Steelers would consider.
At the end of the day, there are going to be varying opinions about which direction the Steelers go in the latest NFL mock drafts, but it’s important to keep in mind these historic trends when mocking a player to Pittsburgh. In all likelihood, their first selection will be a quarterback, based on their pre-draft visits.