3 potential surprises that would alter the Steelers draft strategy

3. A last-minute free agent signing

Of all the three potential surprises on this list, signing a free agent before the draft is the most likely one to occur. However, while I do believe the Steelers will ultimately make some free agent signings before the season, I don’t believe this happens until after the draft. Both the Steelers and the free agents likely want to go through the draft and see how things shape up before reopening negotiations.

If the Steelers were to make a free agent signing prior to the draft, then the team may no longer have any interest in drafting a player at the position that they sign someone at. Instead, the team would focus more on its other needs as the need at that position would not be as dire.

The positions that make the most sense for the Steelers to address in free agency before the draft are wide receiver and running back, however, they could make a move at a different position as well.

At wide receiver, the Steelers need to add a slot wide receiver before next season, and while they could do that in the draft, players such as Jarvis Landry and Cole Beasley could be enticing options for the Steelers as they are still available on free agency.

Meanwhile, at running back the Steelers have a desperate need for depth behind Najee Harris at the position. However, at running back the Steelers are better off waiting until late in the offseason to sign a veteran with experience.

As for the wide receiver position, the Steelers should see how the draft goes, and if they don’t wind up with a wide receiver, should look into drafting one. But, it’s impossible to ignore the possibility that they could sign one, as it would definitely change the team’s strategy on draft day.

While these three potential surprises are unlikely to happen before the NFL Draft, and in Johnson’s case, unlikely to happen at all, they are definitely possibilities. These are three conversations that the team should be prepared for how to operate on draft day if they were to arise beforehand.