O-Line

Teams rarely pick Cs in the first round of the draft because you essentially can't give a C a 1st year option. The 1st year option for OL is all one group. So if you option a C, you have to pay him as a very good LT. Which is crazy.

And in this scenario, the Rats wouldn't just be picking a C in the 1st. They'd be picking one at 14!

It's hard to draft a C at the end of the first because the positional value is so low. I highly doubt they'd get one in the middle of the 1st.

I don't know what the C class looks like this year. But I think it's unlikely there would be more than one off the board by the time they pick in the 2nd (45). This is usually around where good / very good Cs get picked. For reference, Humphrey was picked at 63. We picked Frazier at 51.

 

I don't want us to draft any of these positions early.

I wouldn't necessarily hate a TE pick. Would require us to trade PF. Flip for some draft capital this year (or next?).

We clearly can't take a C early. Only one on the field at a time and we hopefully will have Frazier for a long, long time.

RB wouldn't be terrible I guess...but I wouldn't like it. Probably not best value for us because (1) we're already paying 2x RBs on moderate 2nd contracts and (2) drafting a RB in the 1st isn't great value since the position keeps getting devalued...so it's hard for RB to be BPA when you consider positional value IMO.

 

I'd take DL too.

Maybe even ILB...although that's not really a high value position.

If there's a high impact S, we could use that.

We're in the classic Steelers position of not having a glaring need. Which I like because hopefully it means we don't reach...although I really worry that Rooney won't be able to resist drafting a QB in the 1st when the draft is in the Burgh.

 

Looking at visits, draft trends of MM, current personnel needs, and high value prospects, I expect the first round draft pick to be OL. If those value picks are gone by 21, I look for a DL or DB pick.


This draft is about building the team. The foundation. IMO

 

I keep seeing Vega drop to #21 and one of the reasons people are giving, is that you can't use a 5th year option on a Center or Guard, because you have to pay them like they are a starting LT.

If you knocked it out of the Park, and picked a Guard that had appeared in 2 Pro Bowls by his 5th year, his option price for 2026 would be $25.7 million. Making the player immediately the highest paid Guard in the league. Centers also carry the same value as the Ravens found out with Linderbaum.


That being said, I agree that the Steelers have to get in front of Baltimore for Vega in the Draft. Vega is a Win-Win for the Ravens as it helps their O-Line, and hurts the Steelers O-Line at the same time.

 

The Ravens have never drafted a center or guard in the top half of the 1st round before, let's hope that trend continues.

 

Want best available O-Lineman first pick if rated highly.

Hope we can snag an undervalued receiver like we have done before in 3rd or 4th round.

Or we could go crazy trading picks to set up higher round picks 2027.

Go crazy Khan!!! LOL.