The Pittsburgh Steelers are keeping a close eye on the Senior Bowl as one of their top picks could be participating in the All-star event.
Watch out for the Steelers as they start to display some of their intentions at this juncture of the offseason when it comes to their draft targets. It should be music to the fans’ intuitive ears as the club seems to be paying close attention to the trenches this time around as Mike Tomlin has a front-row seat.
Omar Khan is also in attendance at the Senior Bowl as he and Tomlin start their first pre-draft process together. Things could be different this time around as Kevin Colbert will not be leading the draft process like in years past. There are plenty of good talents at this event and Pittsburgh could use one of their upcoming selections on one of them.
Steelers could talk themselves into drafting a guard in the first round
Many have been impressed by O’Cyrus Torrence during the festivities down in Mobile, Alabama. The guard out of Florida has been projected as an early day two pick heading into this event, but that has seemed to elevate since the Senior Bowl began. Zion Johnson had similar things happen to him last year and that got him selected 17th overall by the LA Chargers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Oddly enough, the Steelers hold pick 17 in the first round of this draft, and history could repeat itself. Kevin Dotson has not improved to the point where the black and gold feel comfortable moving forward with him as the only option as a starter at left guard. Taking Torrence should allow this team to solidify the left guard spot on their offensive line for years to come.
Steelers could target lockdown CB Julius Brents
Cornerback is another area of concern for the Steelers as they try and find their next lockdown guy. Re-signing Cam Sutton will be the main chore to start this offseason before the draft even rolls around. Not being able to secure that position by bringing back Sutton could cause this position to soar in importance.
Investing into a cornerback at some point in the upcoming draft seems like a given at this point. Tomlin has been keeping a close eye on the defensive backs in attendance at the Senior Bowl. There have been a couple of corners that have seemingly separated themselves from the pack during the practices thus far.
Julius Brents is an interesting cornerback that could be taken by the Steelers potentially anywhere between the second and third round. He would be a solid value in the third round as this player is coming off a great season to conclude his collegiate career. Brents has been able to carry over this past season’s performance over to Mobile.
Pittsburgh could be searching for a cornerback early in this process but taking this player in the third round would just be as good. Brents has great physical attributes that will get many NFL clubs to fall in love with him. Most believe that he excels best in zone coverage, which the black and gold love to deploy a lot of times.
Steelers could target well-rounded DT Keeanu Benton
One of the most talked about prospects with a connection to the Steelers has been Keeanu Benton out of Wisconsin. Pittsburgh seems to love to go back to the Big Ten talent pool almost every time the draft rolls around. Benton told reporters that he met with the black and gold and that Tomlin said that “he’s on his radar.”
That is something that should catch the attention of many fans as that is not something a coach tells every player out there. Yes, there is a ton of interest from different teams and a ton of prospects during this portion of the offseason. This organization tends to at least give a peak at their hand with what positions they go after during the upcoming draft.
Another good performer this week down at the Senior Bowl is none other than Benton. He has been known as one of the better run stoppers in this class, but his pass rush needs to improve at the next level. If he can harness that, then this could be a tremendous value of a selection.
The worst thing you get with Benton is a player that will come in and play a traditional nose tackle role on your defense. The best-case scenario is that he develops into a three down lineman that can potentially become Pro Bowl caliber. The Steelers would love to get this guy with either their second or third pick on day two of the draft.
Steelers could target massive OT Dawand Jones
We come back to the enigma that is the offensive line of the black and gold. Many are speculating that the Steelers will try and target guard and tackle in the upcoming draft to try and solve the long issue of the trenches for this club. Investing a lot of draft capital into this group needs to finally happen and it should.
Ohio State has long been a talent group that Pittsburgh selects from, especially over the last decade. Finding a tackle to come in and at least challenge for a starting role at either tackle spot needs to be a main point of emphasis during the draft. One tackle has stood out among his peers down at the Senior Bowl and the Steelers are right there to witness it.
Dawand Jones is a towering figure that has a ton of athleticism in his game. He impressed with his measurables and carried that over with his performance on the practice field. Right now, this tackle is projected to be a day-two selection, but he could boost his stock into the first-round conversation at this rate.
One of the biggest question marks for Jones will be if a club feels like he can be a left tackle at the next level or not. He played on the right side for most of his starts at Ohio State during his collegiate career. Taking Jones in the first round could be a real scenario that plays out for the Steelers, and it could fix a tackle spot for the next decade or more.
The Steelers could be targeting some of these talented players participating in the Senior Bowl. Draft season is kicking into high gear even though the Super Bowl is still unclaimed in the immediate weeks to come.