4 disastrous picks Steelers must avoid at pick 17 in the 2023 NFL Draft

Steelers can't get sucked into drafting Jordan Addison at pick 17

I have little doubt that the connections between the Pittsburgh Steelers and former Pitt WR Jordan Addison might be true. The front office clearly knows this kid well during their thorough scouting of Kenny Pickett during the 2022 offseason. However, forking up the 17th pick for Addison would be a colossal mistake.

I have little doubt that Addison could be a good player in the NFL. However, when I watch him play, I just don't see enough twitch and splash that could make him anything more than a WR2 in the NFL. I think his athletic testing at the NFL Combine was further proof of this. Though there are outliers who turn out to be great players (like Antonio Brown), they are few and far between.

When it boils down to it, Addison is a 5'11'', 173-pound receiver with very short arms and a small catch radius. While he's a terrific route runner, he's not overly quick-twitched and isn't electrifying after the catch. At that size, you need to be able to walk on water in terms of your play speed, and he certainly does not.

The Steelers at least have a competent WR corps with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson for now, and they will be getting Calvin Austin and Anthony Miller back from IR. They don't need to make a desperate move for a WR in the first round. I have a second-round grade on Addison, and I believe he will be over-drafted this April in a very weak wide receiver class.