ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. held a conference call with the media last week to discuss the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. He touched on some potential options for the Steelers in the first two rounds, particularly at receiver. Kiper mocked Brian Thomas Jr. to the Steelers in the first round in his latest mock draft, but he named a couple of guys who could fit with the team on Day 2 if they opt to go elsewhere in the first.
“There’s gonna be some second-tier receivers, when you talk about guys like Troy Franklin now from Oregon is more of a second-round draft choice, a guy who’s a vertical threat down the field. A Malachi Corley, who’s a great run after the catch, a tough kid out of Western Kentucky who will be in that mix as well. Ja’Lynn Polk, another receiver out of Washington who became the guy opposite Rome Odunze, while Jalen McMillan was a little banged up. He’s another, would be in that next tier of wide receiver,” Kiper said on the call.
Kiper added that he expects six or seven receivers to go in the first round, but with a class as deep as this one, there will still be talent to be found on Day Two, and he thinks there might be six to seven receivers taken in both the second and third rounds.
He also mentioned Duke OL Graham Barton as a name to watch for the Steelers in the first round, reiterating what he said earlier this month about Barton being a potential fit.
The Steelers had a contingent at Corley’s Pro Day that included wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and the team also hosted him for a pre-draft visit. He seems like a logical fit, but the team also had an interest in Franklin, as they met with him formally at the NFL Combine. Corley was dealing with COVID-19 and wasn’t on-site at the Combine this year.
After trading away wide receiver Diontae Johnson, the Steelers have a hole at receiver next to George Pickens. The team has signed both Quez Watkins and Van Jefferson to add some depth to the receiver room, but neither of them projects to be more than depth. The Steelers need to add at least one more impact receiver and maybe two as they build their new-look offense around Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback.
With needs at center, offensive tackle, and cornerback, the Steelers might benefit from waiting to grab a receiver in a deep class in the second. With such a deep class, the Steelers will be able to find someone who can come in and contribute immediately. With just under a month until the draft, the Steelers still have time to build out their roster, and we’ll see how their needs shift as the draft approaches. I still think that receiver will remain a need, though, and the Steelers will have no shortage of options if it is.
