Who do the Steelers draft in the first round if not a DL or QB?
The Steelers will soon have a new crop of draft picks, and this first round seems like a big one. They really haven’t hit in the first round since 2017, even if that was T.J. Watt. The 2018 and 2019 drafts produced Terrell Edmunds and Devin Bush, while they traded out in 2020. They just parted with Najee Harris and Kenny Pickett is already gone. The jury is still out on Broderick Jones, and Troy Fautanu hardly played last year.
Even more so than usual, in that case, the Steelers really need to nail their first draft pick. I think that’s one reason they’ll lean more conservative, if possible, and take a defensive lineman. A quarterback they believe in falling to 21 would be very hard to resist, of course. But if they don’t take a defensive lineman or a quarterback, who do they take?
For the purposes of this exercise, let’s say that this decision is based more on who is not available than who is. For example, this isn’t about RB Ashton Jeanty falling, but about QB Shedeur Sanders and DL Derrick Harmon being gone. The Steelers have to draft somebody, even if it won’t necessarily be about position.
In theory, you never want to draft for need. But it’s virtually impossible for any team at any point to not have a need somewhere. The Steelers’ most obvious draft needs are defensive tackle and quarterback, but they have others. Running back is an obvious one, but how many would they consider in the first round? If Jeanty isn’t there, do any of them fit?
They could take a cornerback, of course, and the Steelers brought in some first-round options before the draft. Inside linebacker and edge rusher, that’s tough to see. Another offensive lineman in the first round is also a stretch, and the odds of one of the top tight ends being available to them are…low.
Then there is wide receiver, which is an interesting one to consider. The Steelers brought in Matthew Golden before the draft, and there’s Emuka Egbuka. Mike Tomlin has a hard time saying no to a wide receiver. But they already used a second-round pick on drafting for DK Metcalf, so…
The Steelers’ 2024 season has come to its predictably inauspicious end, with yet another one-and-done postseason for HC Mike Tomlin. The offense faltered, and the defense matched it blow for blow, leading to a 21-0 first-half deficit.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. There are other major decisions to make, as well, such as what to do with George Pickens. Do you sign him to an extension, try to trade him, or let him play out his rookie contract?
The Steelers started the 2024 season 10-3, with Mike Tomlin in the Coach of the Year conversation. Wash, rinse, and repeat, and we have another late-season collapse. This may be the worst yet, a four-game losing streak presaging a one-and-done playoff “run”. Welcome to Steelers football.
