Drafting positions of importance for Steelers

How would you rate the Steelers positions of importance or needs going into the draft?

Based on the quality of players in the draft at their perspective positions which positions do you stress putting more of an emphasis on in the early rounds?

To me the are of needs are:

1. Center/WR
2. WR/Center
3. Slot CB
4. RT
5. DT
6. ILB
7. Outside CB
8. Safety
9. FB
10. 3rd WR

Round 1 - WR/Center

Round 2 - WR/Center (Probably need to trade up)

Round 3 - Slot CB

Round 4 - RT/DT

Round 6 - RT/DT


* As much as I would love one of the OT’s or CB’s in round one unfortunately we have too deep of a need at Center and WR this year. I think you have to fill the WR and Center needs in the first two rounds. We can go for a developmental OT late in the draft and bring in Bechton on a one year deal. To me that is much safer than drafting an OT in the first round and risk missing out on one of the Centers and WR’s.

My hopeful draft:

1. Graham Barton C
2. Ricky Pearsall WR (Move Up) (traded are second 3rd and swapped for a 5th to move up in the second)
3. Andre Phillips CB
4. Matt Goncalves RT
5. Logan Lee DT
6. Take a flyer on a developmental ILB
7. FA - go get the Tackle Prospect from England (Rugby Player) and some intriguing Cb prospects.

Sign Bechton for RT competition. Sign Tyler Boyd for inside Slot.

Worst case hopefully you get three starters in Barton, Pearsall and Phillips.

Best case you get those three starters and one of the Rt prospects sticks wether it is Bechton, Goncalves or the guy from England or one of our depth pieces at OT steps up. Logan Lee puts on 15 lbs and matures into a strong rotational piece by years end.

Going into 2025 you bring back Cam on a cheap vet minimum and he continues to lead and groom the younger players while being a rotational piece. You draft a stud DT in rd 1 a promising TE in Rd 2 and fill out the rest of the depth at CB, S, ILB and WR through the draft. Najee is sensible and signs a lucrative but team friendly deal to stay in Pittsburgh for the next four years. Wilson had a strong 2024 and resigns for 3 years at $30 Mil per year. We lose Friermuth because there just isn’t enough to go around.

Wishful thinking 100%.

 

I love how we're going to get everyone on the cheap (Cam, Najee, Wilson) because, apparently, we're the Steelers and players should be happy for the bare minimum.
Cam's not coming back at "vet minimum". To even suggest it is a slap in the face to what he's accomplished here.
Najee's not going to take a "team friendly" contract. He's going to do what's best for Najee, and I for one don't blame him. He should be on his fifth year option next year anyhow.
And if Wilson make it through the year as a starter, makes the playoffs and wins one or two games, I doubt a three year $90 million contract is going to work.
As it stands, we have $96 million in cap space next year, so it's way too early to talk about not being able to afford 'Muth.

 

Valid points. But Cam is reaching a point where he will be a rotational player. Cam is pretty entrenched in the community here and if the Steelers have success this year I highly doubt it will be about the money for Cam. He will not want to uproot his family just to go elsewhere and play a few more years. I think winning will be more important to him than anything at that point. If Wilson has success here I see him having a similar outlook. He has already experienced the ugly side of things in Denver. I highly doubt he will need or desire to be paid in the top echelon. I think it will be about comfort and fit for him with a focus on finishing out his legacy. Najee could defiantly walk but RB’s aren’t getting as much as they used too and with the offense being built for Najee I think he will be sensible enough to see that going elsewhere may not be the best thing for his career. I am also assuming Muth not having that great of a year with Russ at the helm as Wilson doesn’t use the TE alot. In addition Mtuh’s strong suit is not blocking so honestly he may desire to move onto a different system with a different QB.

 

Drafting based upon needs like this gave us the horrendous drafts between 2017 & 2022. Gotta take the BPA, based on needs. Matt Conclaves would take time to develop and if they wait until the 3rd or 4th to upgrade T, then they've waited far too long. If they're not going after a plug and play T, I'd just rather toss out Dan Moore another year and use that capital to address other holes.

But for the inverse, WRs grow on trees and the Steelers have proved time and again that they can find starting WRs in the midrounds. Someone pointed out that half of the Top 20 WRs in the league were drafted in the 3rd round of later, thus proving my point further.

As for C, we'll probably get one in the 2nd Rd, if they don't get Barton in the first.

 

WR’s do not grow on trees. I would love a tackle but you also have to look at your roster. We have a serviceable OT in Dan Moore. Is he perfect, certainly not but we have nobody outside of George Pickens at WR. I think the good WR’s will be picked over by the time our pick in round three comes around. Teams emphasize WR’s heavily in the draft and it is risky to wait long on one.

 

If Your Qb is good....they kinda do. How many 1st round picks was used on Wrs for Ben, Brady, Brees, and A. Rodgers as an example.....Yes ....yes You will find some, but for most of their careers???
Yes a guy like Lamar Jackson's team must spend 1st round picks year in, and year out, and will probably always have to

 

Valid point I would add system in their too. But my thinking on this is GP isn’t that great at creating separation so we truly do need somebody that can run the whole route tree and get open. WR’s with those kind of skill sets aren’t easy to come by. I don’t think your gonna find those kind of guys in the mid rounds or later. Unless you get lucky and land a Puka type, but that is rare.

 

OC is the most important position on the OL and we must get one of the top OCs in round 1 or 2. The other pick must be EITHER an RT or CB. IF a big run transpires, then a pivot to a DT or WR. Given this team will be running 55 to 60% of the time and will use two TEs often, WR is slightly less important than OC/RT/DB. That said, any two of those four in round 1 and 2 will be, hopefully, filling a need.

As for OC, not sur I want Barton. He is supposedly good at several positions. I don't want to see us force a guy that is better at RT or RG into OC. Get the guy that is already a full-time OC and has shown they can snap the ball, hold their own against the best DTs in college and ready to start inthe pros. My fear is Barton will be a career swing-man type (those are valuable) that is never really good as a sole starter. Maybe I am wrong and some are really beating the drum on his talent/abilities, but for OC we need a proven OC, not another Green moved to OC to fail spectacularly.

That said, I do trust Khan and Weidl already, so long as they don't ask for Mike Tomlin's opinion, they'll draft well.

 

I think you need to read up on Barton and watch his highlights a little. He has the potential to be an All Pro Center. He is a phenomenal athlete, very physical, cerebral and a leader. If we take a Center in round 1 he is definitely the guy I want.

 

Best player available.

 

He has already stated he will NOT take a pay cut. He is set to make 22,406.250. This might be his last season unless they can come to an extension without a another major raise in pay. Coming off a major groin injury as well as being 35 when camp starts.

 

I would agree that Cam Heyward is likely to not accept a 'pay cut.
He's 34 and will be 35 and hits the cap @ $22+mil this season. It is most likely his last year, so your options are limited.

Harris has a 5th year option coming up and I think a lot depends on how he performs this season.
A lot of folks her are incorrect in their valuing his talents but I do think the Steelers are not doing so.
Harris should flourish in Smith's system. I think that's where the Steelers will judge him on.

That said, they can create cap space easy enough.

 

you are correct.

this is Cam's last year.

Najee gets a one 5th yr option for 2025. then, "C-ya!"

Wilson remains to be seen. Win 11-13 games and a playoff game he will be here a few years.

No Playoff or no win and we move on to Fields in 2025.

if it ALL FALLS apart this year, good bye Tomlin.

I hope Rooney is smart enough to hold his wallet.......

 

Yes he isn’t taking a pay cut this year. This is the last year of his contract. If he wants to continue to play it will be a different contract. What I am saying is at his age I doubt another team is going to pay him much next year if he decides to continue to play unless he performs really well this year. I still doubt he will make what he has been accustomed too just because of his age and coming off an injury. With that being said if he wants to continue to play and can add value in the rotation then I can see him coming back for one or two more years on a team friendly contract. If he doesn’t like the money then he will play elsewhere. No way the Steelers are gong to spend alot on him next year even though we have a massive amount of cap space next year. The defense needs to get younger not older. If the team shows strong potential to advance in the playoffs Cam may be intrigued to come back soon a team friendly deal. The risk is on the Steelers or any team due to his age and recent injury history.

 

I never said take a pay cut this year. I am talking about if we extend him. I doubt he would want to play for anyone else. The only reason Cam would come back is if he thinks we can go deep in the playoffs. The only reason we bring him back is on a team friendly deal and if we think he can still produce and be part of the rotation. No matter how you slice it Cam is already going to take a lesser role from a snap count standpoint. They already said they need to reduce his snaps just due to his age. Either way next year we will have to invest in the defensive line wether it is FA or the Draft or probably both. Good thing is we will have plenty of cap space to do so even if we bring back Russ.

 

Yes, always!

 

no

I seem to review this every season and it is worth the review now.

it is BPA within area of TEAM NEED.

If the BPA (the Mel Kiper BPA - LOL!) is a WR but you are loaded at WR and in DIRE NEED of a S or CB or DL, then you take the best of these 3 on the board, NOT the WR. you take the CB, S or DL - what you NEED.

there is no such thing as BPA - that is a Mel Kiper made up draft list. Each team has THEIR OWN BPA based on what they NEED.

 

Drafting for need isn't the safest play; no matter the position. Drafting the Best Player Available is a much more preferrable strategy. Ideally one acquires both in the first pick but more often than not, the NFL Draft doesn't work that way. For that matter, here is some nightmare fuel to digest.


Mims, Barton, Fuaga and Latham are all gone by pick 20. Doesn't seem possible it can happen but there are teams like Las Vegas, Cincinnati, New Orleans or even the Los Angeles Rams who would be very inclined to nab any of these players. This isn't even accounting for the latest news of Troy Fautanu's knee concerns in addition to his age being 24 currently. Given how Fautanu could fall in the draft, he could be a potential option at 20. At that point?!... me personally, I am opting for the @S.T.D route and nabbing DeJean if available; Wiggins otherwise.

 

All implied.
If at 36 he wants to play, no doubt his role changes. You cannot depend on a 36-year-old DT as every down. (Though there have been)
I'm not sure what the cap space is yet, need to see the final roster and possible extensions to get a half-way decent guess.

 

It maybe debatable who is the Best Player in the draft but Harrison is among the best.
So if he is on the board, and your turn to pick is up, and you can choose an OT @20 that is a stretch... you'd better trade down or take the BPA - Harrison.

 

Of course everything is for next year is conjecture at this point. But it is logical conjecture that is all you can go off of at this point. Heck this whole forum is conjecture from each and everyone of us.

 

I don't recall mentioning anything to do with Mel Kiper.

The best player available on a teams board and the best player available, at a position of need, on that same team's board may not be the same player.

At the 20th pick, I would feel more comfortable taking this best player based on our board. If we have a position of need, then trade up (within reason) and go get the best player for that position of need.

just my opinion

 

it would present a conundrum for us. It would take any 'trade for a WR off the table', and yes, WR is a CORE area of need for us, so if he is there, grab him. We can get OL and C with 2nd and 3rd picks (and IF we got Harrison, leverage a 3rd round pick and jump up if possible for 2 picks in the 2nd).

My point is , if a RB or OLB is BPA when we pick, we are not picking them. We would TRY to trade back with someone that REALLY wants that player - or we would take the position we have need of.

it is not BPA just to be BPA.

If we came out of this draft w 5 players, so be it.

the go the UDFA route - has worked for many teams for many years. Ravens are masters of it......and we have succeeded as well, at times.




EDIT - just reviewed the Mock Draft Board - no way ON THIS PLANET that Harrison is there at 20, so this is all vain speculation, moot point.


BPA within CORE area of needs - that is all how it works. We won't take a RB is he is BPA, as an example. Unless we are drafting him to TRADE him or TRADE HARRIS

 

i hear you - i just hear BPA all of the time this time of year - it is highly subjective. BPA is in the eye of the beholder - so, if you mean BPA according our OUR NEEDS, then yes, of course - we agree.

 

Harrison is just an example. But the bold is correct.
Ideally, you would love to just pick BPA's.
But that's not real world.

I subscribe to getting impact players in the first three rounds and worst case just only the first pick. I need a guy that adds something.

In the war rooms, they have that board and they know the best (what they think are) at every spot with their needs highlighted.
And they supposedly, if they do their job, have sleepers...
So, I am hoping the Steelers come prepared like the Chiefs or 49ers.