One nightmare scenario the Steelers must avoid on draft day

Draft Day is fast approaching, and while the Steelers can massively improve the outlook of their team, there is a nightmare scenario that they must avoid.

The popular belief around the league is that the Steelers will select a quarterback in the first round of the NFL Draft to be the future face of their franchise. Which quarterbacks the team is highest on is not known yet, although many believe that the team is most heavily interested in Malik Willis, while others have linked them to Desmond Ridder or Kenny Pickett.

However, just because the team has a need at the position does not mean that they should force a pick at the position. This year is widely regarded as the weakest quarterback class in years, which only further emphasizes why the team can’t reach on the position.

They should trust their draft board and select the players who are the highest on their draft board. With that being said, the following nightmare scenario is something the Steelers absolutely must avoid on draft night.

Someone could jump in front of the Steelers

A scenario exists where the Steelers think they are getting their franchise quarterback to fall to them at 20, only to see a team, such as the Detroit Lions, trades up to get in front of the Steelers and get a quarterback. If that happens, and the Steelers get robbed of their quarterback, they must not force a pick at the quarterback position just because that’s their need.

This is not unheard of as we saw a similar situation arise in the 2016 NFL Draft for the Steelers. While it did not involve a trade, the Steelers had a desperate need for a cornerback that offseason and were linked to William Jackson throughout the draft process, only to see the Bengals rob them, and select him the pick before they were on the clock.

After missing out on Jackson, the Steelers made a panic pick and reached on the position, selecting Artie Burns out of Miami. Selecting Burns was undoubtedly a mistake for the Steelers and must be one that the team learns from.

The team can’t make the same mistake this season, and the fact that this year it lies at the quarterback position makes it even more imperative that they don’t make this same mistake. If the Steelers are high on a quarterback, they can take him, but they should not select one unless they are in love with the player.

The Steelers must pick the best player available if their quarterback is gone

If the quarterback they are in love with is not there when they pick, they cannot panic and pick another player at the position just because of the need. If their guy gets selected, the team must follow their draft board and go with one of the top players on their board.

This player doesn’t necessarily have to be the absolute top player on their board, because they must consider looking at their needs as well, but he must be one of the top handful of players on their board. The Steelers have needs at wide receiver, safety, defensive line, and offensive tackle, in addition to quarterback, so there are plenty of other positions the team could address.

Some potential targets for Pittsburgh if they decide to not pick a quarterback include: Daxton Hill, Devonte Wyatt, Jahan Dotson, Jordan Davis, and several others. However, the team should not be limited to needs. If a player like Derek Stingley Jr., were to fall to the Steelers they absolutely could consider him, even though he may not be one of the team’s top needs.

Whether or not the Steelers follow this philosophy remains to be seen, but it is one that they absolutely should follow. If they are high on one of the quarterbacks and they think he is their long-term answer then they should select him, however, they should only select their top guy, they should not reach on a player if someone robs them of their guy before they select one.