The Steelers need to take off these names as the 2022 NFL Draft gets closer to making selections.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2022 NFL Draft with limited draft capital this year and next. There have been a ton of rumors swirling about different scenarios and prospects that the club is holding onto hope of happening. Their draft board is mostly set at this point and the pro-day tours that are winding down have tipped the cap of this franchise some.
Quarterback seems like it will be the focus early on for the black and gold. The top brass of the team has been on a wide-ranging tour while they search for a new signal-caller. It takes time and a little bit of luck to land the next face of the franchise that will enter the building and try to fill the holes of Ben Roethlisberger.
There are many different options besides going after a quarterback, but this seems like the position that the club will attack early on. A trade-up or different options have been spoken about as the draft gets closer. There are some other positions of need that could be a target if a signal-caller can’t be a realistic option.
Free agency was very active for the Steel City as they went on a spending spree that took away some pressing needs on the roster. The offensive line still has a bunch of question marks, but it has plugged the major needs of the starting spots across the line. There is still time and players that could be signed in the free agency process between now and the draft.
The only starting spot that needs to be filled is the starting strong safety spot. There are other spots that need to ignore as the team doesn’t have enough picks to invest in the wealth at those positions. These prospects on this list just don’t seem like they will fit with the Steelers as this draft process has played out thus far.
Zamir White and other running backs need to come off their draft board
Zamir White and this entire running back class are nothing great when you look at past draft classes. White specifically has not put up any eye-popping numbers that capture the eyes of NFL scouts. The biggest issue with this player is that he continuously had to play in a run-by-committee attack during his time in college.
This is still a young back and the Steelers do need a backup behind Najee Harris that can give him a breather from time to time. Benny Snell Jr. just hasn’t done much since being drafted years ago and a replacement needs to be found. Running back just seems like it might have to wait longer, especially with the amount of lackluster talent coming out of the collegiate ranks.
Pittsburgh would be wise to steer clear of a running back as the position’s value continues to decline. They spent a first-round pick on Najee Harris in the draft last year and that brought some controversy with it. He proved the doubters wrong and put up a solid season, despite playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.
The need to take some snaps away from Harris is there. Drafting a running back toward the tail-end of the event could be there, but will that player really be an upgrade over Snell? Probably not.
Daniel Faalele needs to come off the Steelers draft board
Daniel Faalele is a mountain of a prospect coming out of Minnesota as a projected starting tackle in the NFL. His size and potential are what attract many scouts that have looked at this player as a day two player in the draft. He needs to work on his technique and get nimbler at the next level to improve.
His size helps him in many instances, but defenders could speed past this player at the next level. Many have thought of him as a project that could become a starting right tackle during his career. This prospect is going to be drafted based on his ceiling and not where he currently is now, which could interest the Steelers.
Faalele has not played the game for very long, only a couple of years. He started playing rugby for most of his life. This giant has decent quickness for his size, but his inexperience and transition to the speed of the NFL could be a rude awakening. Chuks Okorafor was another project tackle coming out of college and someone that this prospect reminds some of.
Getting another player like Okorafor might not be the way to go on day two of the draft. The starting spots at tackle are secure now and there are players on the roster that could be the depth options. This is a project that the black and gold should take off their draft boards.
Kenyon Green doesn’t address an immediate need for the Steelers
Kenyon Green is a prospect that has been falling down draft boards since the college season ended. As the draft process has played out, he has fallen down many boards and has fallen out of favor. Right now, it seems like a real possibility that this player falls out of the first round after many thought he could’ve been a top 15 pick at one point.
This prospect is still young and had a ton of experience playing almost every position across the offensive line during his time at Texas A&M. He is a good and athletic player that will be a good player at the next level. His lack of ability to be a tackle at the NFL level has sunk his draft stock some and put his first-round grade into question.
The Steelers have not shown a ton of interest in this player during the pro day circuit. He hasn’t don’t anything super detrimental during this draft process. The lack of interest in this player, when compared to other prospects from the team, doesn’t seem promising in this potential relationship.
If this guard would fall to the black and gold’s second-round pick, then he could be a real option. The moves and free agency seem to have dropped addressing the offensive line down the to-do list. There are still question marks across the offensive trenches, but Green will need to fall well past the first round for Pittsburgh to select him.
Bernhard Raimann isn’t worth a top pick for the Steelers
Bernhard Raimann has not been involved in the game of football for very long. He joined the sport during his college days and became a nice tackle during his time at Central Michigan. The Austrian-born product has been able to push his name into day two conversations of the draft.
He is a raw prospect that needs a lot of work and coaching at the NFL level. He had a poor week during the Senior Bowl. The Steelers have not shown much interest in this player during the draft process thus far.
That speaks volumes and the team will be smart to steer clear of this player. He needs to continue to fill out his frame as he also learns the curve of the game. This is more of a project than Faalele is at their current state, but both will be drafted on day two based on their ceilings.
He could even be taken as high as the late first round of the event, but that thought is starting to disappear as more time goes on. Raimann could always be kicked inside to play guard and that could be where he lasts in the NFL. He is a project that could pay off for whichever team selects him, it just won’t be Pittsburgh.
Desmond Ridder can’t be the Steelers first-round pick in 2022
Desmond Ridder has been the talk of the draft recently and is starting to gain steam. His name is getting more talks with many experts to enter the first round of the event, after being projected to be a day two selection till now. The Steelers are in a quarterback search in 2022 and they could pick one here.
One thing about this lanky signal-caller that everyone raves about is his winning ways. He helped build a winning culture with the Cincinnati Bearcats during his four years as their starting quarterback. He is a developmental prospect that needs time to develop behind a veteran starter.
The Steelers have shown extensive interest in Ridder and most of the quarterbacks in this draft class. He has met with the team on many different occasions, so he could be an option in the first round at pick 20. The team needs to stay away from him despite the rumblings that are happening.
He is a skinny guy with some good athletic traits that could translate to the next level. He could get injured often with his size and weight and that needs to be a concern as well. Inconsistency is the name of the game for this player as he misses some throws that need to be made in the NFL.
The Steelers have a lot of big decisions ahead of them, but they could help themselves by steering clear of the prospects. They need to invest in game-changing players in this draft.