An early re-drafting of the Steelers 2022 NFL draft class
By Andrew Falce
Steelers round 7
Original Pick: Chris Oladokun, QB, South Dakota St.
My Pick: Jeffrey Gunter, EDGE, Coastal Carolina
I really have struggled to get behind the selection of Chris Oladokun for the Steelers. While any seventh-round pick has long odds of amounting to anything, quarterbacks have a notoriously bad track record here. Oladokun’s realistic best-case scenario is becoming a capable backup and based on the history of quarterbacks taken this late, that even seems like a long shot.
Instead, the team could have addressed some edge depth and gotten a player that could see the field on special teams early in his career. While Jeffrey Gunter hails from a smaller school, he has the size and athleticism that this team likes in their edge defenders. He would need some refining and strength at the next level, but Gunter could have become a key reserve and a core special teams player.
I would take that over the chance of Oladokun becoming a great backup. Even if he works out, he will never be a player that is counted on. Instead, he will be a “break glass in case of emergency” backup for this team. Adding depth to a position that needed it with a player as promising as Gunter would have been the direction I went.
Must Read. 5 players the Steelers were right to move on from in 2022. light
While time will tell what the Steelers have in this rookie class, I certainly would have gone a different direction. I want to stress once again that this was meant to be a lighthearted activity, and one I’m hoping to hear back from you the reader. What did you like about mine, what didn’t you like, and what would you have done had you been in charge?