Draft Need Evaluation - Offense

Okay guys. Blast away. I'm curious to see your thoughts.

QB - This all comes down to Ben IMO. If he retires, this whole position goes to pot. I personally prefer NOT to bring back Jones and would rather see what Mettenberger has, but I am going to guess we bring Jones back and still do a 3rd day draft pick. (Round 4-7 Draft Pick)

RB - This is a question of D. Williams and K. Williams to me. If D. Williams gets resigned and K. Williams gets his life straight, I think we can go the UDFA route and have enough depth at this position. In all honesty, I think we would have more with those 2 than we had this year. I don't think we NEED to draft anyone at RB, but we might just to protect ourselves. (NONE)

WR - Again I think this position comes down to 1 guy....M. Bryant. If he truly has his life right, then we don't need anyone. Coates will return to pre-finger break form and will be a good #3. Rogers, Ayers, and Hamilton can all be #4-#6 and that doesn't even include DHB who will probably be back. If Bryant is not right, this immediately becomes a position of need. (NONE)

TE - Unlike the 2 position above, as much as I think the position comes down to L. Green and his health, I don't think we can expect him to stay healthy. I wan't an upgrade at this position. My guess is this is a first or second round need. We need an impact guy and drafting where we will be, I think it is possible that the BPA at our draft spot will in fact be a TE. Getting a threat here with the return or MB at WR and Coates return to form and it will impact this O greatly. If you draft a guy and Green can play it doesn't hurt you as you can run from 2 TE sets. (ROUND 1-2)

Oline - I actually am very comfortable with what we have and don't think we need to draft anyone. Our starters have come together and I think our depth is solid. Finney, Hubbard, Harris, and Hawkins is really solid depth. (NONE)

Now, this whole list makes some assumptions, but TE is the only position I think we have to really protect ourselves at currently with WR being next. RB and QB are positions that I feel pretty comfortable with. To me, I think we have enough weapons to have a top 5 offense if everyone comes back next year and this draft is about finishing the rebuild of the D.

 

i think james and grimble work hard in the offseason and if green can come around we will be fine at this position. there are a couple of udfa type guys at TE that could come in and compete. this position is pretty deep in this draft even past the 7 rounds. so much depends on losing coaches to retirement. mann, daniels, mitchell are all considering retirement.

 

QB - No need in 2017. Huge need in 2018. Just so happens to be in line with the talent available.

RB - I heard Tomlin wants DWill back, that was news to me (just saw that today). So really we would be drafting for a backup. I say no need, but I'll wait to see if DWill re-signs for a year. If not, I could see a mid to late round guy being taken.

WR - No need. Bryant kills it next year.

TE - Need. I have no faith in L. Green staying healthy. He should retire for his own sake and family.

OL - Need/preference. I wouldn't mind seeing another Center brought in who can swing to Guard if needed. I like Finney but time to get younger from Cody Wallace. Developmental guy is fine.

 

To me the issue is depth. James is okay as a #2 but I don't want him as the starter. If Green doesn't stay healthy, I'm not comfortable. If you bring in an impact rookie, you only need to play him if he earns it, assuming Green stays healthy. If he doesn't then you have a potential impact player.

 

Offensive needs?


Center. Do not care who it is. Just want someone good enough should anything happen to Pouncey.



Tight End. My personal wild card round 1 pick. Should all options be left off the table and if, somehow, OJ Howard is on the board, snatch him. LaDarius Green seems to be on his last legs. Otherwise, draft another "Green" in Bucky Hodges.



Quarterback waits. Pittsburgh has always shown a knack for drafting the players they need at the right time. 2017 is not the right time.



Running back deserves a look. However, draft later conisdering Karlos Williams ia still an option if he can keep it together.



Everything else? I am fine with it moving onto next season.


Defense?.... Well Tarheel... I would assume you have a defensive edition coming soon? If so, I will give you my thoughts then.

 

Agree with everything you said except Hodges. I just don't see the natural hands catcher. I haven't watched a ton, I'll admit, so maybe I'll change my mind. But if you are drafted for catching the ball, you damn well better do it with your hands. Hodges hand size 8 something (can't find it) and Engrams is 10. This explains my all encompassing hate for Sammie Coates and why I think he never is more than an afterthought.

 

hayden plinke utep really good blocker and has some hands and speed. late steal?

 

If you scout it right you can find a decent #2 RB in later rounds.

I don't trust any of our WR outside AB. Eli Rodgers seems to have decent hands, runs good enough routes to get open, but he seems to lack real speed.

I don't trust Bryant, just look at his interviews ... It looks like he is blaming everyone, but himself.

I'd love a great TE too, but he needs to be able to block. Big Redzone target, but not a glorified WR.

 

QB - None...Let L Jones go....Sign a VET (I like EJ Manuel) Ben, Vet, Mettenberger UDFA CAMP ARM

RB - None...Bell, D Will, Karlos Williams, Toussaint

TE - None to late day 3...Green, James, Grimble, Late rounder who can block

WR - 1 in rounds 3-7 Unless someone special drops...you take a guy that might compete like Ayers and Eli have done...I would grab Ricky Seals Jones just because he is nothing like the guys we already have...start causing physical mismatches...help that redzone O

Oline - 1 in rounds 3-7 Not a huge need, but always a need. I would take a flyer on Julie'n Davenport from Bucknell around round 4 play him as a blocking TE early



HACK

 

Interesting. To me, if you just want someone who can block just re-sign David Johnson. To me this is larger than that. The only reason to draft a TE is to draft someone who can replace Green should he not physically be able to play. You can see how Green being in the lineup changed things. We need to mitigate the potential of his not returning.

 

I see Green not only coming back..but playing well. Grimble is already baby Green. ..Johnson is an option at 4th TE. James falls in the middle somewhere. I like to have all the tools in my tool box. To me we already have 2 "Green" type guys...if its going to be my 3rd or 4th TE I want him to be different than those above him...or I won't even think to give him a hat unless of injury.

If you take a TOP TE. That means 2 of either him, Green, or James is almost always on the bench.

But all that is with the idea of Green playing..and I fully expect him to...which is why I see TE as a lesser need

HACK

 

There are numerous guys like Grimble in the NFL, athletic guys who haven't quite put it all together ... In the end I don't think his hands are going to get any better.

I'm all for keeping Grimble just one more year to see if anything happens though, i'm more interested to see there is a guy who might be a future starter TE so we can cut ties with Ladarius.

 

I have seen some mocks with us taking oj howard te out of Alabama. I would
Love it but I want defense. I wouldn't even draft offense.

He would be a huge steal though. Whoever gets him is getting a freak

 

Hey if Green plays then I see no reason to draft a TE, but I just don't think that can happen. When it comes to Grimble, if he was Green lite, he would have been playing more during the playoffs and last few weeks.

 

Sorry Hack I respect your opinion but what has you thinking Green will be able to make it back? I see the odds less in his favor than for. I honestly think he was damaged goods coming in and we didn't do enough of a evaluation before we signed him....I still say the hit he took wasn't that bad and he was in protocol for nearly a month.....I hope your right and I'm wrong but I have serious doubts and agree with those saying we could use a more dynamic TE than what we have to actually count on.....

 

I guess I just have a little more faith in the powers that be when it comes to FA signings....have they made bad ones...yeah...but not normally when its the "higher" priced ones. I think Green never truly got into "football" shape. I think a camp under him will do him wonders.

HACK

 

i think those cracked ribs had something to do with it. i think grimble has some talent we could use. i'm giving him another year to show it.

 

QB- draft peterman in round 4
RB- need a viable backup since bell hurt in playoffs is almost a yearly event
WR- think steelers are set here. AB, Bryant, Rogers is solid. Coates/Ayers/DHB/Hamilton is fine for the last 2 spots.
TE- I dont see a needto draft early. James and Grimble are solid if Green cant play.
OL- I think a mid round tackle would be nice just for depth purposes. For center and guard theres Finney.

 

I want them to go defense in the first 3 rounds like they did last year. This draft is deep at RB, they can find one in the 4th rd.

 

They have Ryan Harris under contract for another year and 2nd year OT Jerald Hawkins as a very promising depth/prospect. Then add in Chris Hubbard, who doubled as an extra TE but really proving himself at RT. Finney is the only legit G/C backup with Cody Wallace being shown the door (I presume and hope). I would draft for an interior lineman backup this year instead of a tackle prospect but that's me.

 

James Connors Pitt, say good bye Toussant

 

they also like mihalik as a tackle so hawkins may see time as a tackle/guard type player. i think FT sticks with K williams as our new rb backups.

 

Our Ben window is closing fast...so I want to build our team right now to take down the team that clearly stands in our way. I don't see us having the time to build and fill the holes needed on D to beat them. I know we still need to field a competent D but there are too many pieces missing and I don't think our current and immediate future draft positions will enable us to do that. I do not feel that any of the OLBs we could potentially land at 30 will have a big enough impact. DBs yes....I wouldn't mind Sidney Jones at that spot. Our O I think is ,or should I say should be our strength but a couple missing pieces really hampered our potential(Green,Bryant and even Wheaton). I thnk our best chance is to bludgeon teams with offense,but it has to be a consistent offense( you listening Ben?). We still have ??? with a couple of those guys and would probably be our downfall again if one or both of them are the non factors they were this year. This is my reasoning why I would love to see Howard or Njoku fall to us because both of them would give us some of what Green and Bryant provide and some insurance on O for both. We can't make it so easy for teams to double AB and shut down our passing game.I'm still holding a candle for Mccaffrey as well because of his versatility and STs prowess. I think O is the way to go at 30 but it do like SJ too and any other secondary players ranked higher that may fall.....DL or OLB to n the second...

 

we have bell and bryant. howard isn't anywhere near the down field threat that green is. where would mccaffery play? howard isn't a guy to put us over the top. we need a pass rusher opposite dupree. adoree jackson would be a guy i'd go after instead of jones.

 

OLB/ILB/CB....those are our priorities IMO. Maybe not that order though.