The Steelers normally use their picks wisely, but they need to steer clear of these potential first-round busts.
The 2022 NFL Draft is just a couple of weeks away before the Steelers start selecting. Night one has many big-name college football players join the NFL. It is always a fun night with many different outcomes as clubs look to draft the next great player.
The draft brings along busts and that can be a worrisome thought for some fans. The black and gold are not impervious to taking a bust in round one as their recent history does show. Both Jarvis Jones and Artie Burns were first-round busts in recent years and Devin Bush seems to be on his way too.
This franchise needs to be smart with their picks as they have a limited amount. 2022 has Pittsburgh selecting seven times in total, barring a trade. Those picks include the first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and twice in the seventh round.
It is an uncommon time as the team looks to become relevant and stay out of the bottom of the standings once the season comes along. They still need to evaluate their wide receivers, offensive line, defensive line, secondary, and quarterback position. They need to make the most out of their selections come the last week of April.
Over drafting normally leads to taking a prospect that could be a bust. The focus needs to be on making this roster better and not just one position. Stick to the guidelines that have worked well for this franchise since Kevin Colbert and company have been involved.
Treylon Burks could be a first-round bust
Treylon Burks is someone that has gotten a lot of attention, especially early on in the draft process. He is a big playmaking receiver that many have compared to Deebo Samuel when he was coming out of South Carolina. He is a big-bodied guy that moves like a running back after he catches the football.
He was able to make himself a dynamic weapon on the Arkansas Razorbacks’ offense. He lined up all over the field and caused mismatches against some tough competition in the SEC. He doesn’t fit the bill for what the Steelers look for when evaluating draft talent for a first-round option.
Burks is a young and athletic weapon that can give an offense option, which many talent evaluators will covet. The biggest issue with this player is his lack of breakaway speed and that could limit him in the NFL at some points. He could be a good option in the right spot, but he only has one year of solid production in college.
The Steelers just don’t seem like a fit for this player as they look to address other options in the first round of the draft. This is a big-bodied receiver, but he doesn’t fit the bill when it comes to speed. His lack of consistent production and other concerns about his abilities should keep the team from selecting him early on.
Bernhard Raimann is not worth the gamble for the Steelers in round one
Bernhard Raimann is an offensive tackle that has limited experience in the game of football. He is getting a lot of interest in the draft because of his size and ceiling that many look for. He has not played top-level competition and even though his best days of football seem in front of him, he has not shown enough for the Steelers to draft him.
A first-round pick should be a player that you are confident in helping your team for at least the next five to ten years. Taking a gamble on another project at tackle is not worth the attempt on behalf of Pittsburgh. They have many other pressing needs that must be focused on more in the first round.
Raimann has been in many first-round mock drafts, but his name seems to be slipping some. Recently, those same mock drafts have him dropping to day two of the event, which makes more sense for this player. The team has not expressed a lot of interest in him early on, so gambling on him might be out of the cards.
He is a project, but this team needs an upgrade over one of their starters to take one early. Dan Moore Jr. and Chuks Okorafor seem to be slotted into the starting spots as they return from last season. There is no need to take one on the first night, especially a prospect like Raimann that could backfire immediately.
Kaiir Elam is getting first-round buzz, but hopefully not towards Pittsburgh
Kaiir Elam is a player that lost some draft buzz between now and the beginning of the 2021 season. He has started since his freshman year at Florida and had his best season at that point. He has regressed some instead of putting his foot on the gas. He is still a good cornerback prospect and that will get him selected in the late portions of the first round.
He is a sound corner with good athletic abilities but has some concerns that come along with him. He can bite on moves by receivers and that can get him lost in coverage at times. He also struggles to help in the run game as well. Missing tackles in run support isn’t something uncommon for him.
Elam does come from a football family, and he also checks some other boxes that the Steelers look for in their first-round selections. He would fit their scheme as well, but he will not be there when the player being picked by Pittsburgh would make sense. He isn’t worth the gamble, especially with his decline in numbers and his lack of skill in different aspects of his game.
Drafting this player is not getting one that is going to become a shutdown player on day one. He needs to work on run support and staying disciplined in coverage. Elam could become the next Artie Burns if he doesn’t get the right coaching and can’t develop at the next level.
Sam Howell isn’t worth the gamble in the first round for the Steelers
Sam Howell has been getting some attention to the Steelers throughout the college season and during the draft process. The team has not shied away from the fact that they are doing their homework on this quarterback class. They want to draft a signal-caller early in the event, primarily in the first round at some point.
It is going to be tricky as the club needs to decide if they want to trade up, stay where they are at 20, or trade back on night one. They could even wait and hope one of the top quarterbacks in this class falls to their second-round selection. That last scenario is unlikely to happen, and Pittsburgh will probably need to overdraft a player.
Over drafting will cause some issues, especially with a lesser quality class in 2022. Howell is no exception to this lesser status when compared to past signal-callers entering the league. This North Carolina product has some nice traits, but he also has some very questionable ones as well.
He is basically a bigger and probably more skilled version of Baker Mayfield when he can be fully developed. He will need time to grow, and his youth will allow him that adjustment period. This quarterback just hasn’t gotten better statistically during his time in college, blame it on his team if you want, but it’s not like he would be inserted into the deadliest offensive attack in the NFL either.
Derek Stingley Jr. is injured too much for the franchise to gamble on
Derek Stingley Jr. is someone that has seen his draft stock start to tip in the downward direction. He has been one of the best cornerbacks in college football when healthy, but that has not been very often for him. His major issue during his collegiate career and heading into the draft is the question of his health.
He is coming off a Lisfranc injury and put up a nice workout during his pro day at LSU. He seems ready to go on day one for whichever team drafts him. We know the Steelers were on hand to watch his pro day and they could use some extra talent in the cornerback room.
The injury concerns are very difficult to look past as he only played a full season during his freshman year. That means he has been injured at certain points over the last two seasons, so the curiosity of him lasting a full season, plus the playoffs in the NFL is very real. This reason could make him slip on night one of the draft and it could make him a possibility at 20.
There are just too many concerns with this player that is not worth investing your first-round choice. He is a very talented player when healthy, but he won’t do your team any good if he is in sweats on the sideline either. There are too many question marks about that and his lack of playing time because of those injury problems as well.
The Steelers need to focus on getting better in this draft, so they need to be smart. Focusing on players with limited red flags and great upside need to be the pick on night one.