3 NFL Draft prospects Steelers should consider, but won’t
By Tommy Jaggi
The Pittsburgh Steelers can ill afford to miss on their first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Here are three players they should consider, but won’t.
Every year, there are always a few prospects that tend to reel me in. Sometimes these prospects line up with the players the Pittsburgh Steelers happen to be targeting (like T.J. Watt in 2017), while other times they don’t seem to be legitimate candidates (like Creed Humphrey in 2021).
Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert aren’t for creating smokescreens and it’s very evident which prospects they are invested in early in the draft and which players they are not.
There are a few prospects I really like who could potentially fall to Pittsburgh’s pick at 20 overall this year. Sadly, they won’t be on Tomlin’s radar at all. Here are three players the Steelers should consider in the 2022 NFL Draft, but won’t:
Steelers should consider EDGE George Karlaftis
From the beginning of the draft process, George Karlaftis is a player that I’ve really liked. Early on, it seemed like he would have no chance to fall to the 20th overall pick, but as we get closer to the NFL Draft, Karlaftis seems like he could be a real possibility.
Sadly, the Steelers have expressed almost no interest in the top edge defenders this year. With EDGE being one of the strongest positional groups this year, I think neglecting it early in the draft is a mistake.
Karlaftis is a box-checker in the best way. He’s thick, powerful, explosive, and productive (29.0 tackles for a loss and 14.0 sacks in 26 college games, via Sports Reference). On top of all of this, he just turned 21 years old in April.
With his elite blend of exposition off the snap and relentless pursuit, I think Karlaftis is a high-floor, high-ceiling prospect that could potentially be a nightmare for opposing offenses lined up across from T.J. Watt. Steelers won’t consider him, but I would this selection at pick 20.