Only three selections will remain for the Steelers when they enter the third and final day of the draft, barring a trade. They only have a fourth-round selection and a pair of seventh round choices as well. They will do their best to find some diamonds in the rough and bring the best roster to the pre-season process possible.
Plenty of positions of need will likely still need to be addressed heading into this portion of the draft, and Pittsburgh will have to thrive on this day to compete with some of the other top teams in the game.
Adding an interior offensive lineman on day three makes a lot of sense
Showing interest in adding a center is something that the black and gold have not hidden very well heading into the draft. The Steelers would like to add a center to improve their depth at the position and across the interior of the offensive line. Mason Cole is the starter this year but taking someone in this draft would allow them to develop for a year before getting a crack at the starting job next season.
Ideally, Pittsburgh would be able to address this need on day two of the event with someone like John Michael Schmitz. He will likely go too far in front of the Steelers before they even have an opportunity to land him. They will likely have to wait until the third day of the draft before they can consider investing another pick into the offensive line.
There should be some interesting names to follow on this final day of the exciting festivities in Kansas City. Olusegun Oluwatimi is someone that should get a lot of attention as Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan were at his pro day in Michigan. Juice Scruggs also had a ton of officials from the Steelers in attendance at his pro day at Penn State, even though that traffic was mostly because of their defensive backs. Ricky Stromberg is another name to watch as his draft stock continues to be on the rise.
Bringing in some competition at safety will be another draft target
Keanu Neal was signed during the free agency portion of the offseason, but that should not lead to complete neglect of the position during the draft. There are some interesting names that could be had on day three that might become role players for the Steelers. None of these guys would likely start this season, but they could develop behind Neal before they were ready to provide significant snaps.
One player that makes a ton of sense entering the draft is Ji'Ayir Brown out of Penn State. As stated earlier in this article, a ton of personnel was present at their pro day and Brown was spotted conversing with plenty of coaches. Joey Porter Jr. might be the prize prospect from that program, but Brown would fit the bill for what this team is looking for.
Daniel Scott is another safety that the black and gold have expressed interest in during the pre-draft process. He could be a late round choice as he has shown great ability on special teams, which this club is desperate for right now. DeMarcco Hellams is another name to monitor as the Steelers sent the house to the Alabama pro day. Hellams fits the mold for what the Steelers look for in a strong safety, but his mold should make for a quality special teams player.
Linebacker could be another need that is put on the backburner for the Steelers
Another need that could potentially be a shocking neglect is middle linebacker on day two. That could lead to the fourth-round selection being a middle linebacker to come in and compete for a starting job. The signings made in free agency might create a false sense of security for the Steelers, which could lead to other needs being addressed first.
Unless one of the top three linebackers in this class falls to either their last second-round selection or third rounder, this scenario might play out. Picking a linebacker on the third day has not been kind to the black and gold in recent history but they would hope for a change with a pick here. There could be some interesting names available on day three that could interest the Steelers, especially in round four.
Dorian Williams is someone that Pittsburgh has shown interest in during the pre-draft process as the linebackers coach was present at his pro day. SirVocea Dennis had a solid week down at the Senior Bowl and could be chosen later in the draft. DeMarvion Overshown is an athletic linebacker that should be able to run and cover well at the NFL, which could interest the black and gold at this point in the draft.
Waiting until the third day of the draft to add an edge rusher is not ideal
Outside linebacker is another need that seems more likely to be drafted this year than middle linebacker, depending on how the draft board falls. Bud Dupree signed with the Atlanta Falcons so that insurance policy is out the window. There are currently some decent free agent options out there to sign, but adding through the draft might be the better choice.
Everyone knows that the Steelers lack of depth at the edge position has been a travesty for a couple of years now. They need to sure up this position and they could even add to this spot as early as the first round depending on how things shake out. Day three of this crazy weekend still seems like the best course of action as plenty of quality names should be available to fill the third outside linebacker role.
Potentially two prospects could slip into day three that could interest the Steelers in the fourth round. Zach Harrison has gotten a lot of attention regarding his connection with the club after his dinner with Tomlin and company. Byron Young had a nice career at Tennessee and there was plenty of personnel from the black and gold at his pro day. Robert Beal would be a late round pick as he was mostly a backup at Georgia and could develop into a quality role player in the NFL.
The Steelers will take a quarterback with one of their final picks in the draft
Most of the signs are pointing toward Pittsburgh taking a quarterback in the upcoming draft. They took two last year, but only one of those two remains with the team. Kenny Pickett is the guy moving forward but there are only two quarterbacks currently listed on the roster. The club could always be patient and wait to see what happens with Mason Rudolph, but a backup plan needs to be in place. If someone is not drafted at the position, this team should be a prime candidate for leftover undrafted free agents.
There has been some decent action regarding the black and gold and their interest shown in this quarterback class. Other than the top names that will go in the first round, there is not a ton of quality in this group. The Steelers do not need a perennial all-star to enter the game, but they need someone that could mold into a solid backup behind Pickett in the next year.
Jaren Hall is someone that got some attention from the organization, and he could have a higher ceiling than other names on the list. Stetson Bennett might make the most sense on this list as his age and experience at the position should create a good environment to become a reliable backup at the next level. inTune was brought in for a pre-draft visit and would be another quality third stringer that has the potential to become a decent backup in another year.