We are about two weeks away from the NFL draft as clubs try and get everything settled before the clock starts to tick. Every team will hope to get their prized prospect, but that does not happen for most that enter the event. The top prospects will go to some of the worst teams from the 2022 campaign as they pick early in the night.
The Steelers have a lot of picks in the top three rounds of the upcoming draft. They will try to plug their existing holes across the roster before the event expires. It is going to be interesting to watch how the different days unfold, with night one holding a lot of interest. Plenty of situations could play out for the black and gold, but these scenarios in this article could make the fans concerned.
Trading up for anything but a top tackle prospect is a bad idea
Moving up in the first round is not a popular idea with most of the fan base in Pittsburgh. It could make a lot of sense if the Steelers desperately want to find an answer at left tackle in this draft class. Paris Johnson Jr. will likely go in the top ten, which might be too rich for the club to trade up to.
Perhaps, moving up five spots or so to pick someone like Broderick Jones or Peter Skoronski would be the most manageable trade-up scenario. It would still likely cost a pretty penny to move up those hypothetical draft slots if Jones or Skoronski were still available. It seems like the Steelers have more interest in Jones out of the two, but it might not be a realistic trade situation anyhow.
Taking a linebacker in round one makes no sense for Steelers
Selecting either an inside or outside linebacker makes little sense for the Steelers in round one. It could be more understandable if a top edge rusher falls to the team that was otherwise unexpected, but even then, it might be a gamble. Keeping an open mind heading into the draft is normally the best course of action, but the team has too many holes to fill at positions of need to add to either linebacker position that early.
Inside linebacker is not a talented class overall as none of the top prospects are making much noise to be picked on night one. Names like Jack Campbell, Trenton Simpson, and Daiyan Henley would make a lot of sense on day two of the draft rather than reaching on day one. The moves made in free agency should stop the immediate need to address this position in the first round.
Outside linebacker could make some more sense being taken with the first pick rather than the inside spot. Some names that could be under consideration are Lukas Van Ness, Myles Murphy, and Nolan Smith. Drafting a player this early must be someone you get contributions from on day one. None of these players are going to command any major playing time over the current starters. You only take someone this early to take over for Alex Highsmith if you let him leave via free agency.
Adding a wide receiver with one of the top picks is gaining steam
One position that many want to neglect early in the draft is receiver. Most hope that the Steelers will choose to not take a player at the position within the first couple of rounds of the upcoming draft. The organization has a prior history that should account for worry if fans do not want Pittsburgh to take an offensive weapon within the top four picks.
Normally, the black and gold prefer to pick a wide receiver on the second day of the draft between rounds two and three. The Steelers could certainly be tempted to do that again this year, especially if a top talent drops from night one of the draft. If someone like Jordan Addison, Zay Flowers, or Josh Downs are available on day two at any point, they could be coming to the steel city.
Even though there is a depth problem currently on the roster of the Steelers, this is not a top-priority issue. Getting someone reliable and proven in the slot role would be a wise decision, but that could wait until later in the draft. Perhaps signing a veteran like Jarvis Landry would be the best course of action. He has a ton of slot experience and could become a leader for that young group.
Neglecting the trenches is something the Steelers cannot afford to do
Not adding to the trenches through the draft seems like a long shot, but the black and gold have done it plenty of times before. Every fan of the Steelers has been asking for offensive line help over the past several seasons. Those wishes never prospered and that led to one of the worst offensive lines in franchise history.
New management and front office personnel are in charge of this group, and it seems like a new day is on the horizon. The offensive line has gotten plenty of upgrades through free agency, but the tackles have still been neglected. The draft poses a huge opportunity to upgrade at one of the tackle spots early in the process. Players like Broderick Jones, Dawand Jones, and Anton Harrison could make a ton of sense for the first two rounds.
You cannot sleep on the need over on the defensive side of the trenches either. Re-signing Larry Ogunjobi was a huge accomplishment, but there are plenty of issues for this front group besides that. They need a nose tackle that can also play a pivotal depth role behind the two starters. Some names that Pittsburgh should keep a close eye on are Keeanu Benton, Mazi Smith, Siaki Ika, and Gervon Dexter.