Free agency will get most of the headlines this week, and for good reason. Many will be busy covering the offseason frenzy as the open negotiating period begins on Monday. Pending free agents will be allowed to negotiate with clubs other than their current employer. There should be a lot of fun and interesting moves made by each club, including the Steelers.
Even though the first round of talent acquisition during the offseason is free agency, it spells that the draft is getting closer. Pittsburgh should be active this offseason as they try and create a better roster to improve upon a 9-8 record from 2022. Free agency could see some action from the black and gold, but it will also show some details about how they will attack the draft come the end of April.
Steelers decide to go with another Pitt product for a second year in a row
A bonkers idea is having the Steelers go with a Pitt product two years in a row when it comes to their first-round selections. Calijah Kancey is the pick here as he should be able to come in and put up respectable results on day one. One of the biggest needs for the black and gold right now is the issues in the trenches, and it is past time that this issue gets resolved.
Cam Heyward is not getting any younger and that defense is going to have a lot of issues when he starts to regress. It happens to every player, and Heyward will be no different when that time eventually comes. Adding a player like Kancey will take the pressure off of Heyward and add another significant player that the club has been lacking for a couple of years now.
One of the biggest knocks on this prospect is his size. Some have also compared him to Aaron Donald because of the smaller stature and alma mater that they share. They both play the same type of game, but it would be impossible to imagine Kancey being the same player that Donald has become since entering the NFL.
Dawand Jones has been mocked to the Steelers a lot in recent weeks. It makes a lot of sense as the mountain playing a tackle spot is a hard prospect to pass on. He has enjoyed a great pre-draft process and should be able to continue that positivity moving forward. The Steelers take Jones with their first of two second round selections in this draft.
Dan Moore Jr. is not the answer at left tackle but adding Jones to fill the starting spot on the left side could resolve some other issues. Moore can slide into left guard and battle with Kevin Dotson for the starting gig or could flip to the right side and try to dethrone Chuks Okorafor at his starting spot. Worst comes to worst, Moore would be a solid depth piece to potentially move across the offensive line with the selection of Jones.
Another surprising pick as some might not expect Jack Cambell to fall to this point in the second round. He is coming off a solid combine appearance and should be able to test well on his pro day in the coming month. The black and gold need a top linebacker on defense, and they find that here with a reliable player that possesses more athleticism than many would expect.
One of the main things when it comes to Garrett Williams will be how his medical situation currently sits. He tore his ACL in October of this past season after many thought he could be one of the top cornerback prospects in this class before his injury. He has great ability and size for the position, but that injury will need to check out before any NFL team takes him.
The Steelers take a gamble here as they are looking for some quality recruits to join the ranks of their secondary. No matter if Cam Sutton returns to the club or not, this need must be addressed further. Williams is a quality cornerback that can develop into a starting role. There are some capable guys on this roster that should be able to keep a rookie learning off the bench if they develop correctly.
One of the prospects that the Steelers are rumored to be interested in is Louisville edge rusher, Yasir Abdullah. He is a little smaller than what the black and gold look for in their outside linebackers, but he has been an effective pass rusher for his past two seasons at Louisville. Abdullah would be a tremendous upgrade at the third outside linebacker spot and would carry a smaller cap hit compared to signing an outside free agent.
Starting to round out the NFL Draft now for Pittsburgh and they decide to add to a depth position that desperately needs to be addressed. Zach Gentry will likely leave the Steelers this offseason, so they need to find a second or third string tight end to fill that spot. Davis Allen is the pick here as there is some magic when it comes to his contested catches.
He is not going to wow a lot of people with his blocking ability or separation coming out of routes, but that is not terrible for a seventh-round pick. Allen and Pat Freiermuth could be an interesting tandem for Kenny Pickett to target when the team gets in the red zone. Things get tight when you get in that area of the field and Allen could make some contested catches that result in touchdowns.
Adding a quarterback at some point in the draft seems more likely to happen than not. Mitch Trubisky will likely return as the main backup, but adding another expensive veteran to be a third string quarterback does not seem like a realistic approach. Malik Cunningham is the pick here as he broke a lot of records at Louisville that used to be held by Lamar Jackson. He is not at Jackson's level, but he is able to make a lot of plays with the ball in his hands.