Welcome back to your weekly Pittsburgh Steelers mailbag. As always, we’re here for the next hour to answer whatever is on your mind.
To your questions!
Brian Tollini: What does your ideal slot WR look like this for this team? I don’t want this to be a lazy comparison, but to me, Xavier Worthy appears more similar to Calvin Austin than Tank Dell or Tyreek Hill. I’d personally like a little more size/above average hands at the position. Would you entertain the thought of offering a 3rd rounder to Tennessee for Treylon Burks?
Alex: Well for starters, a true slot receiver isn’t used a ton on this team. At least it hasn’t historically under Arthur Smith. Twin WR sets, maybe, but his 11 personnel rate is low. And after trading Diontae Johnson and being down to just one WR, I don’t know for sure if they’ll add two starters that have to be on the field a ton. We’re sorta seeing that shift towards using their tight ends and using less 11. I’m not sure where that exact balance or line will be but that’s how it’s been.
But I think he wants someone with size who can block. Pittsburgh valued run blocking from their slot receiver last year. It’s why Allen Robinson played so much despite being nothing more than an underneath zone beater. And why Calvin Austin struggled to see the field. So I think they’d go for more size/third down target than a speedster, especially when they have an Austin (though I’m not as high on him as many others are and wouldn’t have an issue taking someone with a similar but better skillset).
I wouldn’t trade for Burks. Didn’t like him coming out of Arkansas and definitely don’t like him now. Just go draft someone. It’s a really good class.
Mark O’Connor: Hi Alex, do you think the steelers would be interested in a shifty but smaller receiver in the draft to replace Diontae? The separation McConkey gets seems pretty outstanding. Or is another big bodied A Mitchell/ B Thomas/ Franklin type more likely in Arthur Smith’s system?
Alex: Tea leaves suggest they’re looking more for a big guy. Wanting to visit with Mike Williams, the pre-draft visits with guys like Xavier Leggett and Ricky Pearsall. Corley being a bulk/break tackle guy even though he isn’t especially tall. Not seeing a ton of signs they want to replace Johnson’s skillset with someone similar.
David Rudin:
Hey Alex,
Great job covering this wild free agency! Assuming Steelers don’t sign a big name receiver, and stand pat on their current 5 picks in the first 4 rounds, how would you prioritize those picks, ie: I would go:
Wide Receiver, Center, Defensive Tackle, Cornerback, Offensive Tackle. Of course this all depends upon what other teams do etc… I’m just trying to get a feel for where you think the Steelers need to focus in on vs. where they can get by on a later round pick for one of these positions.
ColoradoDave
Alex: Hey David, thanks!
Center and receiver are pretty close to tied. It really comes down to the board at that point, like you’re saying. But there are still a lot of holes. They have no slot corner. D-line is still thin behind the starters. And I really want to move Broderick Jones over to left tackle. They can’t solve all that in the draft.
I really don’t look at it as a ranking 1 vs 2 vs 3, etc. I put thinks in buckets of “immediate need” vs “future need” vs “want.” And whatever is in immediate need gets looked at first and then you evaluate the board for the best/highest graded player from those positions. And take that guy. That way, you get value and address a need, which is how Pittsburgh operates in the first round.
I’d put receiver, center, and slot corner in that “immediate need” bucket. Slot corner is slightly less valuable because he’s not on the field each down, which leaves me with receiver and center.
BananasFoster: I dont even know where to start. I still think Omar gets another receiver. But can we give up picks? We need at least two OL- C and a RT. I generally like the Aiyuk idea but I dont like the thought of giving up #20 or one of our 3rd round picks. Where do you stand?
Alex: Stand on the Aiyuk deal? I’m in favor of it. I don’t think it would require a first rounder, either. L’Jarius Sneed is probably only going to go for a second round and something else. I’d do No. 51 + something else (maybe No. 98 and get back a fifth, No. 176) for Aiyuk.
This is a great receiver class but what are you hoping they become? The next Aiyuk, probably. You’re paying now, I get that, but the Steelers have the room. They’re not paying a lot of people on offense. And you still have a first round pick to address offensive line. There’s always a downside and cost but you really start putting together an impressive offense if you can check all those boxes. And Aiyuk is still young. It’s not like he’s 29 and you’re worried about decline.
Pghomer: Hey Alex awesome work as usual on the site throughout FA…thanks to all y’all for the great content.
If Mims ,Fuaga,JPJ,Barton and Thomas jr are all available @20 who ya got???
If it’s me I gotta have Mims or Fuaga…. Center in the 2nd and maybe double dip at WR later.
Alex: I don’t think I’ve settled on a name yet. Barton is interesting. I might lean there but I got some more homework to do. But I think he can go back to center and start Day One.
Peter-Petersen: Hey Alex, what’s your opinion on drafting a LT and moving him to the right? I obviously know it’s less than ideal, but since the B Jones experiment went at least decent, the Steelers might not be opposed to it. Let’s say Fashanu drops to 20 or one of Paul/Suamataia falls to 51 do you think the Steelers would consider those guys and would you yourself be entirely opposed?
Alex: It depends on the guy but I really wouldn’t be in favor of it. You’re then just doing what you’re trying to stop doing with Jones. There’s a lot of talented RTs in this class, far more than usual, where I think you can find a guy who at least has some background there. Maybe he played RT earlier in his career and then flipped. But I wouldn’t want a pure LT and then try to flip him and project that out.
