2022 NFL Draft Prospect Outlook Thread!!

Tyler Linderbaum is on the top of the teams list. Defensive help is surely needed but this Offensive Line is just.... yikes!!

 

it is after this weeks games. 7+7+1=15 games played.

 

the reason tyler linderbaum is not at the very top of my list is because Free Agent centers are cheaper than FA tackles. the titans center ben jones is a FA. he isnt one of the top centers in the league but he is solid. last i checked PFF had him with the 11 highest grade among centers. he is i believe 33 yrs old ? he could probably be had for 8-10 milliona year . thats the kind of money the ravens paid for big AL V. ben jones is a much better center than big AL is a tackle.

a tackle on a rookie deal, especially a LT rookie is very good for the salary cap. top LT's are now in the 23 million a year range.

 

Fair enough.


That said, great centers are much more difficult to come by than great Offensive Tackles. For that matter, among the the positions along the Steelers Offensive Line, Center is essentially the teams "Left Tackle"; the most valuable position. Said player needs to be not just young but gifted as well. Tyler Linderbaum is that and more; the most complete Center to come out in a very long time.


Given how rare it is for such a talent to appear in such a difficult position, logic dictates that said player is MUST; doubly so given Pittsburgh's rich history of successful Centers. Tyler Linderbaum is arguably the safest player in the draft; tied only with Aidan Hutchinson, George Karlaftis, Jordan Davis and Kyle Hamilton. Should he be either available or within striking distance, I would be picking up that phone and make as many calls as possible to get him.



I will not concede on Kendrick Green. I will however, concede on him being the answer at Offensive Center... he simply is not. Having him at Guard though could assist but he has to get better with the basics.... he has to.

 

im not disputing anything you have said. linderbaum is head and shoulders above any of the other centers in the draft. i normally dont subscribe to the draft positional value BS. if you got a chance to get a player you know will be a solid starter for 10+ years you take him no matter where. BUT....when your needs are as many as the steelers have , linderbaum and whomever they might draft for the oline alone wont be enough. the guys we have are young and should improve , but gambling on them to play considerably better next year would be foolish IMO.
Free agency and the salary cap has to be considered in decisions including how you draft . i have looked at who will possibly be available in free agency and what it might cost to get their services. i would hope the steelers are doing the same.
im approaching it from a complete rebuild perspective (4-5 olinemen) . the fastest most economical way to get the oline where it needs to be . it just makes more sense from a salary cap perspective to pick up a serviceable center for 10 million and draft a tackle . there's a reason why LT's go fast in the draft.
the saints LT terron armstead will hit the market. he is considered a top LT. but he will also be looking for that 23 million a year deal.

i agree on green. even dan moore might develop . try green at left guard his natural position , dotson at right guard, his natural position, and moore at right tackle. moore's feet are too heavy to play LT. speed rushers were just running around him all year. hell he might even be better off at guard.

i was pimping creed humphrey at pick 24 on another board while everyone else on that forum was jerking off to najee and laughing at me...looks like i was right, Creed would have been worth that 24th pick...lol

 

Thanks. I don't see us getting a top 10 0r 12 pick. We just might beat both the Ravens and the Browns. I think we pick around 15 or 16

 

anything is possible ...
but given this teams track record i'm thinking unlikely. i predicted an 8 win season this year then revised it to 6 wins after the second game of the year. they might split these last 2 and let tomlin worshipers keep boasting about him not having a losing season.

i would never root for them to lose , but if they do lose out i wont be mad because getting a higher draft pick will help dispel the stench of this team and season more than a couple meaningless wins.

 

I've never been one for fire Tomlin but it's time for him to go. We should be able to get a really good offensive lineman with that pick. I would be happy with that. Maybe another one in free agency.

 

Who needs a good center that will draft ahead of the Steelers? We aren't picking much above 15 or so

 

Agree to disagree.



Given his size and frame, the fact he is out as long as he is makes him all the more appeasing to me. Add the fact that there is no interior tech he cannot play and you have one he'll of a specimen.

 

carolina center matt paradis is a free agent on the wrong side of 30 and hasnt played all that well this year according to his PFF grade.
denver needs a center. theirs has given up 5 sacks this year and 6 penalties.

updated

 

What do you think about Ben Jones? He's going to be a free agent next year. Plays for Tennessee.

 

well if you scroll up i addressed ben jones in the 3rd post of this page.
im relatively certain no center has ever been picked in the top 10. maybe not even top 15. but centers are starting to get bigger contracts. so the trend might change.
we have a better chance of getting a serviceable stop gap center in free agency than we do of getting a tackle

 

well you're certainly more knowledgeable about this stuff than I am. Thanks for responding

 

no problem amigo.

 

I agree about the boom , or bust, but let's see how He responds in the Playoffs. Big time players make big time plays in big time games.

 

Again,


Agree to disagree.

 

Davis's weight is my concern with him. if he is more than 340 lb at the combine i wouldnt draft him.

 

I enjoy reading the guys here that know a lot about the draft. I don't follow it to closely so it's nice to have some guys that know the prospects. So in March we need to sign a free agent center correct? Then in the draft you spend that first pick on a tackle. I'm hoping this is feasible for the Steelers to do. If we get Alualu and Tuitt back that takes care of the D line for at least a year right? So next pick is linebacker?

 

well there is no guarantee there will still be a first round worthy tackle on the board when we pick. if thats the case, then if linderbaum is there thats who i'd go with. also there are no guarantees in free agency. for example ben jones might like it in Tennessee and Tennessee might want him back. we seen this happen with alualu this year. he was going to sign with Jacksonville then decided to stay with the steelers.
the titans dont have a ton of cap space next year unless they make some roster moves and restructuring so i like the odds of jones being available. of course that doesnt mean the steelers would pursue him or other teams might be willing to pay more.
also my strategy and the steelers strategy are two different things. if they weren't creed humphry would be a steeler and we wouldnt be talking about centers ...
i would have taken creed at 24 because i thought for sure the packer or chiefs were gonna take him at the end of the 1st. ...so the fact that he was still there at 55 and the steelers DIDNT take him made my blood boil...lol

 

I watched Davis tonight. He sure didn't seem all that special to me. I may have missed some of his plays but he seemed slow. Not sure I'd take a round one flyer on him at all

 

i've had a change of heart myself after going back and watching the alabama and florida games. the guy has zero stamina and when he gets tired gives zero effort. dude needs a few hours a day on the track. there's a whole lot less of him beyond his highlight tape. i'm looking at travis jones from conneticut in the 3rd or arkansas john ridgeway in the 4th.