How I would approach the draft for this team

[SteelerDayTrader]

QB - I’d keep rolling with Ben as long as he wants to put up with this bs. He really is still a great QB when he has time no matter what the assembled haters have to say.

I’m not a fan of most of this years QB class except some upside projects

RB - Najee has shown me better performance lately. We still desperately need 1 or 2 more nfl caliber RBs

TE - Friermuth might approach Spaeth or J James level play but I don’t see Heath Miller. Not a bad player but far from great. I think he could be pretty good as the 2nd TE in 2 TE sets.

WR - I’m not sure the Steelers current group of WRs could be the 1st or 2nd WR on the field with most serious Lombardi contenders. And that’s not to say they couldn’t be a valued contributor but all of them look like players who need several other good players around them to succeed.

OL - I wanna believe Dotson and Moore are salvageable. They look bad. As bad as the rest of that gutless weak group

DL - Heyward probably has a few years left. The rest are ok not great at best

ILB - Maybe you can build around Schobert and Johnson. IDK ?? The nature of ILB means you need more talent than just 2 hopefuls on the 53. The others have big flaws

OLB - Watt Ingram and Highsmith aren’t horrible. Ingram probably doesn’t have much time left

DBs - Fitzpatrick isnt horrible but I would not give him a massive contract. Haden isn’t bad but probably doesn’t have much time left. The rest have a LONG way to go

Where does that leave the Steelers draft ??

The OL is horrible and you can’t make any offense go without a functioning OL. I think absolute best case scenario the Steelers are 2 players short on the OL and could very well be 5 players short

So how many good to great players are missing from the roster ?? I think it looks like this at absolute minimum

OL = 2
RB = 1
WR = 1
TE = 1
DL = 2
OLB = 1
ILB = 1
SS = 1
CB = 2

That’s 12 short of a competitive team. Argue if you want. Maybe it’s a few less. Maybe it’s a few more

The point is it’s a large number that if the Steelers have some uncharacteristic brilliant drafts this team is probably at least 2 or 3 drafts away from fielding a legit contender. And that’s if they way outperform their last several years of poor draft performance.

So. I say all that to make this point. The Steelers genuinely need to just draft BPA and forget about drafting for a specific need. They have massive needs all over the roster there is zero justification to reach to fill a position. They aren’t close. They aren’t 1 or 2 players away

[Steeler Owl]

Right now its between us and Jax for the #1'overall so I would hold off on the speculating. Early, but I think Steelers have a legit shot esp with the way BR is operating.

[SteelerDayTrader]

Right now its between us and Jax for the #1'overall so I would hold off on the speculating. Early, but I think Steelers have a legit shot esp with the way BR is operating.

I doubt that

But my point is.....it doesn’t matter....the Steelers are several drafts away from fielding a competitive team even if they massively outperform their poor draft record the last several years running

[cop1211]

1.QB
2.OT
3a.RG
3b.CB
4.NONE
5.WR
6.NONE
7A.TE
7B.OG

Free Agency I think the Steelers have some actual money to spend, so I'd pay for a starting CB, DT, and SS.

2023
1.OT
2.WR
3.CB
4.RB
5.OLB
6.ILB
7.DT

[SteelerDayTrader]

1.QB
2.OT
3a.RG
3b.CB
4.NONE
5.WR
6.NONE
7A.TE
7B.OG

Free Agency I think the Steelers have some actual money to spend, so I'd pay for a starting CB, DT, and SS.

2023
1.OT
2.WR
3.CB
4.RB
5.OLB
6.ILB
7.DT

I’m not against free agent signings per se but much like drafting the Steelers haven’t been good enough at it for me to think it’s a cure all

As far as your draft projections.......my point is the Steelers aren’t even close to being a contending team so why target one massive need over another ??

This team is far from being a contender

Realistically they might land 2 or 3 solid players per draft

And they are about 12 players short

[cop1211]

Ya gotta start somewhere, if they believe one of the QB's are a franchise player start there, if they dont believe any of the QB's in this draft or any of the QB's that would be available are franchise then dont reach, grab bpa at OT,CB, SS,DT

[955876]

This team has a history of shitting it’s pants and reaching for a position when they have a need at said position.

Devin Bush
Troy Edwards


They will sure as shit reach for a QB when Ben is gone if one is on the board.

[SteelerDayTrader]

This team has a history of shitting it’s pants and reaching for a position when they have a need at said position.

Devin Bush
Troy Edwards


They will sure as shit reach for a QB when Ben is gone if one is on the board.

They’ve reached a lot the last several years and that’s my point......reaching for need can work well ......when your only a few players away......Santonio Holmes is a good example.....

But the Steelers are 12 players away.....that’s probably 4 or 5 above Steeler avg drafts .....

Zero point in drafting for need when you missing more than half a team

[Roeth2Rudolph]

If the Stillers make the switch to Rudolph this year, we won't be in a position to take qb high next year

[stinger8]

QB - I’d keep rolling with Ben as long as he wants to put up with this bs. He really is still a great QB when he has time no matter what the assembled haters have to say.

I’m not a fan of most of this years QB class except some upside projects

RB - Najee has shown me better performance lately. We still desperately need 1 or 2 more nfl caliber RBs

TE - Friermuth might approach Spaeth or J James level play but I don’t see Heath Miller. Not a bad player but far from great. I think he could be pretty good as the 2nd TE in 2 TE sets.

WR - I’m not sure the Steelers current group of WRs could be the 1st or 2nd WR on the field with most serious Lombardi contenders. And that’s not to say they couldn’t be a valued contributor but all of them look like players who need several other good players around them to succeed.

OL - I wanna believe Dotson and Moore are salvageable. They look bad. As bad as the rest of that gutless weak group

DL - Heyward probably has a few years left. The rest are ok not great at best

ILB - Maybe you can build around Schobert and Johnson. IDK ?? The nature of ILB means you need more talent than just 2 hopefuls on the 53. The others have big flaws

OLB - Watt Ingram and Highsmith aren’t horrible. Ingram probably doesn’t have much time left

DBs - Fitzpatrick isnt horrible but I would not give him a massive contract. Haden isn’t bad but probably doesn’t have much time left. The rest have a LONG way to go

Where does that leave the Steelers draft ??

The OL is horrible and you can’t make any offense go without a functioning OL. I think absolute best case scenario the Steelers are 2 players short on the OL and could very well be 5 players short

So how many good to great players are missing from the roster ?? I think it looks like this at absolute minimum

OL = 2
RB = 1
WR = 1
TE = 1
DL = 2
OLB = 1
ILB = 1
SS = 1
CB = 2

That’s 12 short of a competitive team. Argue if you want. Maybe it’s a few less. Maybe it’s a few more

The point is it’s a large number that if the Steelers have some uncharacteristic brilliant drafts this team is probably at least 2 or 3 drafts away from fielding a legit contender. And that’s if they way outperform their last several years of poor draft performance.

So. I say all that to make this point. The Steelers genuinely need to just draft BPA and forget about drafting for a specific need. They have massive needs all over the roster there is zero justification to reach to fill a position. They aren’t close. They aren’t 1 or 2 players away

Correct me if I am wrong but did you not say the Steelers were a super bowl contender before the season. I believe you did. Now after a month you are saying they are far far away from being a championship contender.

I think based on how terribly far off you were preseason, your "analysis" and "recommendations" carry very little credibility OR you are a major league troll

I hope you are better at day trading than your prowess on football personnel evaluation

[SteelerDayTrader]

I’m always exceedingly hopeful when the team is coming out of camp

I can always conjure ways they could contend seriously

Najee becomes Franco
Friermuth becomes Miller
Green becomes Dawson
Moore becomes Starks
Bush becomes Farrior
Pierre becomes Taylor
DJ becomes Santonio

Etc etc etc

Sometimes it works.....sometimes it doesn’t

I’m never gonna be a poster who refuses to TRY to enjoy the ride like several here

[Dan Smith--BYU]

The PS have actually traded better than drafted over the past few years.

There is no path to a rapid rebuild either by tanking or not tanking because Class of '22 is unusually deficient in OL and QB.

This is actually pretty grim. The Bengals hit bottom at just the right time, and the Browns hit it so often they eventually had to be good, but such luck for the PS.

[Mick]

It’s just BPA straight up for the next couple drafts.

We have one OLB, one S, and a RB who at least might be usable. I’m not sure how many years, if any, heyward and tuitt still have left. We’ll probably extend one of the WRs as well. So that leaves…18 positions to fill?

If i’m going to micromanage the FO, i don’t like their track record drafting CBs and i don’t want to watch another season with an oline loaded with midround rookies, so i look to get at least one starting caliber CB and one oline player in FA, and cross CB off the draft list entirely.

[jebrick]

I have not seen a QB worthy of the top pick yet. Perhaps top 5 but....I guess you could take a gamble on Willis but not expect him to play for a year

Move back and they could pick up either Evan Neil (OT Alabama) or Tyler Linderbaum (OC Iowa) plus some draft capital

[Professor Half Wit]

I have not seen a QB worthy of the top pick yet. Perhaps top 5 but....I guess you could take a gamble on Willis but not expect him to play for a year

Move back and they could pick up either Evan Neil (OT Alabama) or Tyler Linderbaum (OC Iowa) plus some draft capital

After what we have seen this year?

Unless you think a QB is a franchise lock, you have got to get some STUDS for the o line. No more dumpster diving in the mid rounds. We need to build a bully o line in the draft and FA and then get the QB.

Cam getting old, Haden leaving. The D line and secondary about to need rebuilt as well.

[Steelperch]

I wouldn’t touch a QB next year. Mason Rudolph is good enough to land you a top 5-10 pick if you start him for a full season. Bringing a young QB and playing him in this offense behind this O line is a recipe for disaster. David Carr type of disaster.

This off-season I’d purge some aging vets, spend FA money on rebuilding the O line and depth on the D line. Draft BPA and worry about the QB after a mediocre to bad next season.

[SteelerDayTrader]

The point is it’s a large number that if the Steelers have some uncharacteristic brilliant drafts this team is probably at least 2 or 3 drafts away from fielding a legit contender. And that’s if they way outperform their last several years of poor draft performance.

So. I say all that to make this point. The Steelers genuinely need to just draft BPA and forget about drafting for a specific need. They have massive needs all over the roster there is zero justification to reach to fill a position. They aren’t close. They aren’t 1 or 2 players away

Of course the other side of the coin is target one unit and build out from there

I like this mock in that regard

1) Evan Neal OT Alabama
More than anything the Steelers need to draft some players that will dominate and be solid foundations for mismatch units. If the Steelers draft a QB before showing they remember how to build a team it will be yet another draft disaster. Neal would be an elite RT and might be a good LT. The Steelers need help everywhere but if all Neal does is become a great RT it will be a huge improvement.

2) Jalen Wydermyer TE Texas A&M
The Steelers have pinned a lot of hope on Najee and they have a lousy OL and a mediocre at best WR group. 2 TE sets would help Najee and Ben and make Friermuth better as well. Every defense in the NFL can play to a 1 RB 1 TE 3 WR group, particularly so if the WR group is weak like the Steelers. Less NFL teams can play defense well to a 2 TE set if you can get a Move TE in position to exploit matchups

3) Darian Kinnard OL Kentucky
A dominating RT at Kentucky that could move inside to OG. If Neal shows he can handle LT in the NFL you put Kinnard at RT. If Neal needs to stay at RT you move Kinnard to RG and have a pair of bull dozers on the right side for the next 10 + years

3c) Tyler Smith OC Tulsa
A solid LT at Tulsa but could move inside. Has good natural build and length. I would try him at OC but if he doesn’t work there he could be real solid at LG. Between Smith, Kinnard, and Neal; at worst the Steelers get big upgrades at RT RG and LG. Best case the Steelers have 2 strong LT candidates and 2 strong RT candidates along with other needed OL options. That would amplify RB QB a lot.

5c) Marquan McCall NT Kentucky
A naturally big NT who has improved at Kentucky. Heyward is one of the few players on this roster capable of making big plays and he needs better support than he has been given even if that ends up being a 2 down player at the back end of the 5th. McCall is potentially a dominate NT as a run stuffer with not horrible pass rush skills. I would much rather draft a potentially dominate NT late in the 5th than suspect players at other positions particularly for a weak team like the Steelers

7 Keaontay Ingram RB USC
Decent backup RB with 3rd down skills

7 Kolby Harvell Peel S Oklahoma State
Decent backup downhill S

[SteelerDayTrader]

I wouldn’t touch a QB next year

I agree....the Steelers would kill a young QB....and they need to show they remember how to build a team

[jebrick]

I would look at Cole Kelly late in the draft. Probably with that 5th round pick.

[SteelerDayTrader]

I would look at Cole Kelly late in the draft. Probably with that 5th round pick.

I could understand an upside QB with the late 5th or either 7th

1 2 3 and 3 really need to be solid 10yr + type players

[Roeth2Rudolph]

Rudolph can certainly more than hold the fort down.