Now that the Deshaun Watson domino has fallen, it leaves the quarterback-needy teams across the league with limited options like Jimmy Garoppolo. The Steelers were reportedly keen on the top draft options at the position prior to their signing of Mitchell Trubisky, so it remains to be seen if the need is as high on their list.
The latest two-round mock draft from CBS Sports seems to check the position off the list, at least in the first two rounds, and has them drafting massive Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis at pick #20. The list of human beings on this planet at his size is not very big, and the ones who are that move the way he does is probably a lonely one. Although the team re-signed defensive tackle Montravius Adams, this should not preclude the team from drafting a freakish talent like Davis, if he’s even available at 20.
His run-stuffing potential is in the mold of a Ted Washington or Sam Adams of the 2000 Ravens’ title team, and his ability to collapse the pocket and shove 300-pounders around with ease would fit seamlessly into the Steelers’ D. Imagine a front seven of All-Pro Cameron Heyward, Davis and hopefully, the return of Stephon Tuitt, flanked by the reigning DPOY T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, newly-signed Myles Jack and hopefully an improved Devin Bush. CBS Sports had this to say of the selection:
“Davis dropped some weight, showed up at the combine and at 6-foot-6, 341 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.78 seconds, had a 32-inch vertical, and a broad jump of 10 feet, 3 inches — and oh, by the way, he was a one-man wrecking crew in the SEC. It’s easy to say Davis is a two-down player but his obvious strength and surprising speed make a legit three-down threat who just needs to refine his pass-rush arsenal beyond the bull rush. The biggest question is if he can keep his weight down, which directly correlates to his stamina, and his ability to stay on the field.”
He fits the criteria of the usual Steelers’ first-rounders, like the Pro Day visitations/dining with Tomlin and Kevin Colbert, being a Power 5 player and being a star. Tomlin even went on record at the UGA Pro Day, saying he’s “in the Jordan Davis camp” so it’s a fit that, on paper, seems like a tremendous match.
In the second round, CBS’ two-rounder has the team selecting Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore. This went from being a position of great depth to one that’s an injury to a starter away from being a huge need. Moore lit up the NFL Combine, where he measured bigger than expected at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds with hands measuring 10.25 inches, which are even bigger than the mitts of acclaimed receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
He also blazed a 4.41 in the 40, and Steelers’ scouts were probably on-hand to check out Kenny Pickett at Heinz Field in September whenever Moore torched the Panther defense for 124 yards and a touchdown. Moore would fill a need at the position, considering the team just lost JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency. They have definitely carved out a reputation leaguewide as being the best at drafting the position, and they’ve found several stars there from the MAC Conference (Antonio Brown, Diontae Johnson). Perhaps going back to that well again would be a wise move.
