Each year that Kevin Colbert has been the Steelers' general manager -- or director of football operations, his previous title -- the Steelers come up with a list of players they would take at their pick in the first round.
If they have the 15th selection, that list is 15 picks long. If they have the 20th selection -- as they do this season -- the list goes 20 players deep.
The thinking is that the team will have a list of 20 players that it would be more than happy to take with the 20th pick in the draft. That way, it's not surprised by what happens in the draft ahead of its selection.
Position and need play a factor in that list, and often there have been positions that weren't included on the list. For example, when Ben Roethlisberger was in the prime of his career, quarterbacks didn't make the Steelers' list.
This year, the only positions that would not make the list would be running back and tight end, which is fine because there aren't players at either of those positions who rank in the top 20 picks of this draft.
But there are some other positions that are a little lower on the list than many analysts have them. The inside linebacker position, for example, is talented and deep, making the need to take a player early at that position little less pressing.
Without any further ado, here is my list of 20 players, as we sit here, just under three weeks out from the draft, which will be held April 28 through 30, that should be on the Steelers' list.
Lolley's Top 20
1. Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
2. Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
3. Aidan Hutchinson, Edge, Michigan
4. Travon Walker, Edge, Georgia
5. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Edge, Oregon
6. Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
7. Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
8. Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
9. Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
10. Jermaine Johnson, Edge, Florida State
11. Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
12. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
13. Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
14. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
15. Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
16. Drake London, WR, USC
17. Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
18. Daxton Hill, S, Michigan
19. Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
20. Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
Just missing the cut were wide receivers Chris Olave of Ohio State, Jahan Dotson of Penn State and Treylon Burks of Arkansas, safety Lewis Cine of Georgia and linebacker Quay Walker of Georgia. The same goes for Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, who probably won't be available, anyway.
Some might be surprised that Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean isn't on the list, but at 5-11, 229 pounds, Dean is a bit undersized, and the Steelers have already gone down that road. Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt also doesn't make my list because he would be slightly undersized at 6-foot-3, 304 pounds, overaged -- he's already turned 24 -- and has some off-field issues.
Malik Willis also is the only quarterback on the list. And he isn't the top target. If, in my opinion, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams or Trent McDuffie are available, they should be the pick.
If both Willis and defensive tackle Jordan Davis are available, Willis should be the pick because he plays a more premium position and Davis might only be a 20-snap per game player.
That obviously doesn't mean the Steelers would pass on Davis if he's the highest-rated player on their board. It just means there's a good chance there will be other players ahead of him.
The real line of delineation in this draft seems to be around the 10th pick. The chances of any of the top-10 players on this list being available to the Steelers is slim. But they still have to be on there just in case -- even though edge rusher isn't a pressing need.
And the list obviously can change over the next few weeks depending on what the team does or does not do in free agency.
