3rd round selections

Youre ignoring Kahn overhauling the scouting department.

 

Wait...a slow RB with no explosion on his college tape struggled to perform in THE NFL?

Who could've seen this coming?

 

Depending on when the run on WRs happens in this draft, the 3rd round would be where I would double dip at WR. This is supposed to be a really deep class at WR.

 

There's no reason to believe that Johnson was a reach at that point. We likely had him graded there (or better). Some pre-draft mocks even had Johnson making his way into the first round or early second. He just isn't as good as people thought he'd be. There are other backs that would have been considered a reach at the same draft slot that we could have taken that would have been a lot better.

I don't know how much better we should expect him to be. The reason why he was taken was that it was believed that he was an NFL ready runner that needed to learn blocking and receiving stuff to be a 3 down back. However, it was assumed he'd be an NFL ready 2 down runner. He is far from that. RB's are so easy to find good ones in later rounds or UDFA that I would be pretty shocked if we don't draft a day 3 back to compete with Johnson (even if we sign Gainwell to an extension). Push him hard for the roster spot and if there's no growth, just cut bait.

Its unfortunate that it looks like the last two 3rd round picks suck.... but it doesn't mean that we're deficient drafting in that round, especially since Washington was a good pick and Payton Wilson is at least a solid player. Sawyer, Black, McCormick, and Herbig were all day 3 picks that look to be good players (or at least good back up/rotational players).

 

Grab someone like Lemon or Tate in the first and then grabbing someone like Cooper Jr. from Indiana in the third would be pretty sweet. It is pretty apparent that we need guys who know how to separate. Having other targets to worry about on the back end should help Washington and Freiermuth get more run as well.

 

I haven't looked at it remotely close enough to speak on who we might take in the first round. I always lean to the OL/DL/DB positions though. But with this thread talking about 3rd round picks, and we have multiple this year, and I'm reading this is a very deep WR class, I'm willing to wait and take 2 in the 3rd. For now.

 

I hope we don't wait that long. Not unless we spend decent money on a vet #2. We can't roll into next year with DK and two 3rd round rookies as our WR room...

 

I still have faith in k Jhonson

 

He had good tape in college maybe it was due to his OL opening big holes for him.

 

It could be that he played in the Big 10. Outside of a few teams not a high # of NFL caliber athletes on IOWA's schedule. I think Johnson also accumulated a ton of rushing stats because they didn't do anything else on offense.

 

I have been saying this for weeks. I think the biggest factor with this is Rodgers doesn’t trust inexperienced players and needs guys that can ab-lib and both of these guys do not fill that need.

 

Dragging this back to to the original point...does anyone know how the Steelers 3rd round picks stack up against other NFL teams in terms of lumping guys into the categories of "starters" "back-ups" and "out of the league"?

Because if they are doing the same as everyone else...then it is what it is.

 

Again, this thread is about 3rd round picks.

 

well yeah... I said I would want us to draft one in the third as well. Just want one in the first too. Basically, I hope we don't wait until the third to draft our first WR like you suggested in the post I quoted... Idk, I think my post was relevant enough to the thread?

 

exactly this. He had plenty of runs where he wasn't touched until the secondary in college. The teams he was on at Alabama were some of the most ridiculously talented in the last few decades in college football. He dropped some weight and ran a 4.59 at his pro day (no 40 time at combine for COVID reasons I think). We basically thought we were getting Derrick Henry. We got Rashard Mendenhall instead.

 

I'm hearing/reading this is a very deep draft class for WRs. There will be a run on WRs at some point. Probably before the 3rd round, but due to us having multiple 3rd round picks, I think the 3rd is OUR sweet spot for that to happen.

Also, I do not want to take a WR in the first round. I don't care if they all leave this offseason. I do not think that is a first round priority at all. I think first round picks should be prioritized in this order...QB, if not one there or don't need one...OL/DL/LB, this is a bit more team fit specific so if not there...DB, I like a rookie DB to have over 2000 college snaps and preferably 2500-3000 to be considered in the first round. I think it will be very rare that one of these will not be there for us in the first 32 picks.

 

Roman Wilson went to the University of Michigan, where he played wide receiver for the Wolverines from 2020 to 2023, helping them win a national championship in 2023 before being drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. He was a key playmaker for Michigan, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors in his final season.

I'm sure they saw promise in him. He was no slouch at Michigan. Unfortunately he hasn't transitioned to the Pro game. Yet. He won't be the first...or the last...

But this is only his 2nd season. They might give him another year to try to figure it out.

With Warren and Gainwell entrenched making room for Johnson was slim. I'm hoping he can contribute more in 2026. Their is no guarantee that they will be able to resign Gainwell in which he is going to be in demand.

 

It would be nice if it is a good draft at WR... We need a good number of NFL caliber WR's on our team. We have exactly one that is under contract for next year.

I just don't agree, which is fine. I think WR is the biggest priority on the team. If we don't spend good money on a legit WR2 in FA, then we are almost forced to draft one in the first round. When we can't run the ball and are forced to throw, we did absolutely nothing. Thielen and MVS helped a bit, but when we're basically putting two guys that got cut from their teams in-season on the field as WR2 and WR3... it means that our WR room is a dire situation.

I wouldn't mind a DT or ILB... even a S. But I think we would have to have spent money at WR to afford ourselves that luxury. We just can't rely on 113 receptions by Warren and Gainwell year in and year out. They had more receptions than Washigton/Muth/Smith combined... We had 132 receptions by WR's all year (less than 8 a game) and DK accounted for 4 a game when he was playing (which is over half the catches per game by WR's). Our WR room is terrible. Absolutely atrocious. If we expect to improve, we simply cannot sit there and throw DK out there with a couple of mid round rookies and call it good.

As for specific third round targets, Cooper Jr at Indiana and Eric Singleton Jr. are probably my favorites right now. Singleton gives me Diontae Johnson vibes. I think he could be pretty good.

 

I do agree WR is the biggest priority this offseason. I just don't agree with spending a first round pick on one. That's really the only difference.

 

You answered your own question. He wasn't ready because his pass blocking simply wasn't good enough. This was a known knock against him coming out of college. Add in the blunder on the kick off, which he shouldn't have been doing anyway, and you see his carries got almost to zero. I have no idea what to expect from him in the future but I'm inclined to believe that it's way too early to label him a bust.

 

They sure are.

 

Yeah, I have heard some crazy thoughts on trading Roman Wilson to the Chargers, because of Jim Harbaugh.

 

Good point