The journey toward Super Bowl LII ended far too prematurely for the Pittsburgh Steelers, sending them into offseason mode before we were ready for it. But we are in it now, and are ready to move on, through the Combine, through free agency, through the draft, into OTAs, and beyond.
We have asked and answered a lot of questions over the years and will continue to do so, and at the moment, there seem to be a ton of questions that need answering. A surprise early exit in the postseason will do that to you though, especially when it happens in the way it did.
You can rest assured that we have the questions, and we will be monitoring developments all throughout the offseason process, all the way down to Latrobe. Pending free agents, possible veteran roster cuts, contract extensions, pre-draft visits, pro days, all of it will have its place when the time arises.
Question: Which realistic option would you prefer if the Steelers selected an offensive player in round one?
I don’t know about you, but it seems to me that the conversation surrounding the Steelers’ draft since free agency has shifted dramatically away from a nearly entirely defense-centric to a much more balanced range of possibilities.
While there have been smatterings of Mason Rudolph and Derrius Guice dot-connectors from the beginning, these dots have actually begun to make a lot more sense in recent months. Rudolph and Guice were both extensively scouted. The team had dinner with the latter while Rudolph was brought in to the facility.
These are not the only possible offensive players, of course, and I would think tight end might be a realistic target in the first round if the draft happens to break that way. Mike Gesicki and Hayden Hurst both could possibly go in the first round.
While the top two guards would likely be gone, Isaiah Wynn could be available. But in the spirit of David DeCastro’s slide, let’s just include the names of Will Hernandez and Quenton Nelson anyway, even though I fully expect both to be gone, perhaps long gone, by then.
When it comes to tackle, Mike McGlinchey is the only one that I really view as a first-round pick. Marcus Gilbert has two years left on his contract, is frequently injured, and turned 30 years old a couple of months ago. They also just lost their backup tackle, and Alejandro Villanueva will turn 30 this year too. I’m just saying, you know…
Rudolph and Guice aren’t the only quarterbacks and running backs, of course. Lamar Jackson may be available. It’s possible though improbable that Baker Mayfield could slide as well. Ronald Jones or Sony Michel might slip into the first round.
