Sitting at No. 20 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in an interesting spot.
They aren’t high enough on the board to get a crack at some of the top receivers in the draft class, and they are in a spot where a run on the top offensive tackles could occur, putting them in a bit of a precarious position when it comes time for them to draft.
Though they will have some strong options on the board if they stay put at No. 20, they could be a wild card for a pair of draft prospects on the offensive side of the football.
Pro Football Focus’ Lauren Gray listed the Steelers as a first-round “wild card” for Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall and BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia.
Pearsall certainly makes sense, especially as he continues to generate quite a bit of buzz leading up to the draft.
The Steelers have shown plenty of interest in Pearsall, from a meeting at the Senior Bowl to having an informal meeting at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with him to hosting him in Pittsburgh on an official pre-draft visit. It helps that the Steelers have a major need at receiver after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers earlier in the offseason and not fully addressing the position since, signing depth pieces in Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins.
“Pittsburgh traded Diontae Johnson (78.3) to Carolina, making George Pickens (74.1) the team’s clear number-one receiver. Quez Watkins (59.2), Calvin Austin III (56.6) and Van Jefferson (50.0) are the top receivers on the depth chart behind Pickens, and they combined for 550 receiving yards last season. Pearsall would give Pittsburgh a nice slot player to pair with Pickens’ deep-play ability,” Gray writes.
The Florida product put together a huge 2023 season, hauling in 65 passes for 965 yards and four touchdowns, building off a strong 2022 season in which he led the SEC in yards per reception at 20.0. Prior to his time at Florida, Pearsall spent his first three seasons at Arizona State.
In a college career spanning five seasons, Pearsall hauled in 159 receptions for 2,420 yards, and 14 touchdowns. He added 21 rushing attempts for 253 yards and five touchdowns.
Pearsall put together a terrific showing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, clocking a 4.41 40-yard dash while adding a 10’9″ broad jump and a 42-inch vertical.
As for Suamataia, the Steelers have a need at the tackle position, and if a run were to occur on offensive tackles with names like Alabama’s JC Latham, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Washington’s Troy Fautanu, and Georgia’s Amarius Mims potentially being off the board at No. 20, the Steelers could turn their attention to the big BYU product.
“A receiver is tempting for Pittsburgh, but the Steelers need help along their offensive line, as well. Depth is bare behind Broderick Jones (57.2) and Dan Moore Jr. (54.3), and the offensive line ranked 31st in pass-blocking grade in 2023. Suamataia could fit in nicely,” Gray writes. “With the receiver class projected to be deep well into Day 2, Pittsburgh might be tempted to attack the position later if Suamataia is available.”
The tackle class is absolutely loaded in this draft. The high-end players are there, as is the depth. But that depth tends to fizzle out a bit outside of the top 10 overall. Therefore, if a run occurs before the Steelers make their first pick, they could be tempted to grab one of the top guys remaining. That would be Suamataia in this scenario.
The 6046, 326-pound tackle is quite an intriguing piece. He has 34 1/4-inch arms and will be a 21-year-old rookie. He enters the NFL with more than 1,300 career snaps in college at both left and right tackle. Suamataia is a former five-star recruit as well and transferred to BYU from Oregon ahead of the 2022 season.
Among the other tackles in the class, Suamataia hasn’t generated as much attention as he probably should, especially due to his tape and the bloodlines, being the cousin of Detroit Lions standout tackle Penei Sewell.
In a scouting report of Suamataia for Steelers Depot, Efram Geller had great things to say about his length and movement skills overall:
“If coaches can help him better understand spacing, he’ll be a powerful run blocker who is able to deliver pancakes on the move. He fits best in a gap run or passing scheme. NFL teams in the second round can draft him with a clear path to success. It’s an extremely talented offensive line class with plenty of depth on Day 2, which may cause Suamataia to slide. He’ll need time to develop into a starter. Don’t expect quality reps as a rookie, but he can quickly develop into a decent staple on an offensive line.”
The Steelers haven’t exactly had much contact with Suamataia in the pre-draft process, which could likely rule out their interest in him. But never say never.
