Though many in the national media are playing up the idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers targeting a wide receiver in the first round, one analyst thinks that’s a smokescreen. And ultimately, the Steelers’ pick at No. 20 will be meat and potatoes, building up the offensive line instead.
In his pre-draft review for every team, Breer believes adding a tackle or center will be Pittsburgh’s pick.
“It’d be no surprise to see another tackle thrown into that mix here. Another thing worth mentioning: the Steelers got a great return taking a center in a spot such as this 14 years ago in Maurkice Pouncey, so Duke’s Graham Barton could be a nice fit, too. And, yes, I know a lot of folks have the team taking a receiver. I just know the Steelers have always found receivers later in the draft (their last first-round receiver was Santonio Holmes in 2006), and this draft class is deep with Day 2 and even Day 3 prospects at the position.”
Like many, Breer floats Duke’s Graham Barton as the Steelers’ choice. Among offensive linemen, Barton has been the most popular pick by most draftniks. He is the consensus pick in Mock Draft Database’s aggregate calculator. Pittsburgh’s done extensive research on the center class, bringing in the top three of Barton, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson, and West Virginia’s Zach Frazier for pre-draft visits (Frazier was considered a local one).
Over the last weeks, multiple analysts have mocked or mused about the team targeting LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. A height/weight/speed freak, his big plays and tracking are enticing. But to Breer’s point, the Steelers’ receiver sweet spot comes in the second or third rounds and most of the receivers they’ve checked out this cycle fall into that range.
Receiver can’t and shouldn’t be excluded from the realm of possibilities but perhaps it’d be Texas’ A.D. Mitchell, whom the team has shown more interest in. Crucially, neither Mike Tomlin nor Omar Khan attended the LSU Pro Day and Thomas didn’t come in for a pre-draft visit, suggesting he won’t be the pick. The question is who it will be, returning to the offseason-long discussion of tackle versus center.
