PHOENIX -- The NFL owner’s meetings are wrapped up. The first wave of free agency is in the books. The NFL Draft is about a month away, and although there will be a few moves before then, the Steelers' roster is mostly set leading up to the draft.
So, as it stands here at the end of March, who are the draft prospects, if available, the Steelers should run to the podium to turn in their card?
The list might not be quite as long as you might think. In turn, that could lead to a trade down from the 17th selection as the most logical move, if possible, when the Steelers are actually on the clock for the first time.
To make this less clunky, let’s just eliminate all quarterbacks from the equation. C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young have zero chance of getting to 17. Maybe Anthony Richardson or more likely, Will Levis can fall that far, but that too seems unlikely. At running back, Bijan Robinson is only player in this discussion, but the Steelers wouldn’t pull the trigger on Robinson in Round 1.
There are not any other offensive prospects to exclude from this conversation, but on defense, Will Anderson has zero shot of making it to 17, and despite his off the field issues, Jalen Carter isn’t getting out of the Top 10 either. Tyree Wilson is another defensive lineman that will be long gone when the Steelers pick. And, sorry to say it folks, but the chances of cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon making it that far are slim to none…and slim just left the building.
That being said, that still leaves an awful lot of prospects for the Steelers to choose from, of course. Here are the no-brainers that they should take no matter what if they are available with the 17th pick:
Paris Johnson Jr. and Broderick Jones: The case for Jones and Johnson are very similar. They are both high-upside left tackles that could develop into perennial Pro Bowl players at a very critical position.
Is either an elite prospect? No, not quite. Johnson has only been a left tackle for one college season and Jones has some technique work to do and could stand to get a little stronger. Johnson has incredibly long arms but needs work with his hand usage. Jones only has a year and a half of playing time and doesn’t quite have Johnson’s length, but has a thick build and is already a very accomplished run blocker-particularly in space and on the move.
You don’t pass on these type of guys though if you are the Steelers, and drafting either Johnson or Jones would make their offensive line transformation complete.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: A wide receiver? With the Steelers first draft pick? Come on, Williamson!
You want an offense that is extremely difficult to play against? Draft Smith-Njigba. You want to see Kenny Pickett’s comfort level and production skyrocket in his second season and beyond? Draft Smith-Njigba.
This is a 100-catch-per-season type of player that dominates the slot who I believe can also excel on the perimeter, something he wouldn’t be asked to do all that much of with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens already holding down those responsibilities. Smith-Njigba is far and away the best wide receiver in this weak draft class because he is a master craftsman route runner with simply rare body control and change of direction skills.
If he’s there, draft Smith-Njigba.
But what about ... Peter Skoronski: While Skoronski is a great player, but because of his short arms and lack of ideal height, he might not be a tackle. And, with the current construction of the Steelers offensive line, that is a deal breaker. The Steelers have guards. They have four quality guards. If they are to draft offensive line at 17, it must be a pure offensive tackle. That isn’t Skoronski.
Darnell Wright: Wright is a fine talent that is very likely to go in the first round, possibly even before the Steelers are on the clock. The distinction between left tackles as light-footed dancing bears that excel in pass protection vs. right tackles being heavy-footed maulers is quickly going by the wayside in the NFL, as many of the very best pass-rushers (including T.J. Watt) come from the quarterback’s right side.
However, some offensive tackles are just much more comfortable and effective on one side rather than the other. That is the case for Wright, who was spectacular this past season on the right side after having his struggles on the left the previous season for Tennessee. Would the Steelers be comfortable drafting Wright at 17 and then moving Chukwuma Okorafor to the left side? Okorafor has done it before, but he has been a stabilizing force on the right side. Why mess with what is working?
All of the Tight Ends: One of the tight ends at 32 or later? I am in, even with the resigning of Zach Gentry.
Earlier this week, I broke this situation down in my podcast. But at 17? No can do. Dalton Kincaid, at 246 pounds, is much closer to Smith-Njigba as a receiving weapon than he is Gentry, and Kincaid would be a splendid addition to the Steelers passing game -- as would many members of this tight end class. As noted earlier this month, this tight end group is incredibly deep and is the best position group overall in this entire draft. There is a lot of tight end supply, so therefore, taking one at 17 isn’t the most prudent of moves.
Jordan Addison: Much of what was said about Smith-Njigba applies to Addison as well. However, I just see Smith-Njigba as the superior prospect. Addison doesn’t have great size, but he is an easy mover and has explosive traits.
Obviously, he has a fantastic relationship with Pickett and there is something to be said for that. Wide receiver is down the list of the Steelers' needs though and, at best, Addison projects to a No. 2 wide out in the league.
Nolan Smith: Smith could have gone in either category, in all honesty. He is really close to a run to the podium guy. Everyone is looking for the next Micah Parsons that can play off the ball and rush off the edge.
Is Smith the next Parsons? No, he isn’t as big or as physical. Plus, Parsons is one of the best three defensive players on the planet. But, Smith is damn good. He is a fastball off the edge with great bend and incredibly athletic testing numbers that you can plainly see on film. He also might be an excellent off-ball linebacker prospect, but that is a bit of a projection. Asking rookies, even ones as talented and with a great football IQ like Smith, to play multiple positions in the NFL is asking a lot.
Who is to say if he can take care of both current issues for the Steelers? I wouldn’t mind finding out though. At a minimum, he would be an exceptional third edge player behind Watt and Alex Highsmith, who the Steelers are sure to extend soon.
Is that worth the 17th pick though? Perhaps.
Brian Bresee: I am a big Bresee fan -- not everyone in the draft community seems to be. And, in a defensive tackle class that is lacking top end talent besides Carter, Bresee at 17 could work out quite well. And, he actually could be Cam Heyward’s successor. He has a similar style of play as Heyward and is considered a strong leader with excellent toughness and character. But, he might still be available later in the first round.
Lukas Van Ness: Van Ness is a big-time disruptor. He is a bull in a China shop. Van Ness has better bend and better traits than Bud Dupree, but right now, that is the type of player he is.
But, at 6-5 and 272 pounds, would the Steelers see him more as Aaron Smith in time as he adds weight? That would make sense. But, while scheme fits in today’s NFL, and particularly the Steelers' defensive scheme, are less important than ever, Van Ness isn’t a clean fit. But, his upside is undeniable, and he would contribute right away in some capacity.
Joey Porter Jr.: Porter isn’t a “run to the podium” guy?!?!?! What???
Porter would be a fine pick at 17. He has outstanding size with the length and body you look for at cornerback, a great play demeanor, and has things you just cannot teach. He is a powerful press-man cornerback and that is the most difficult type of corner to find.
Although he was a three-year starter at Penn State, Porter has just one interception during that time. But, he did do a fantastic job of forcing incompletions. The Steelers are above the league average in their usage of man coverage, but last year the league employed that tactic just 25.1% of the time. The year before, the NFL as a whole played man 27.5% of the defensive snaps and that rate was 31.1% league wide in 2020.
The NFL is playing less and less man coverage as well as blitzing less. Porter isn’t nearly at his best moving backwards in his backpedal and is very much a work in progress as a zone coverage player at this point. That can be taught, but those concerns are enough not to sprint, but maybe casually walk to the podium. If Porter isn’t picked in the top 16 selections, don’t view it as a gift from the gods.
Deonte Banks: Banks has more scheme versatility right now than Porter and really showed well at the Combine. Most likely, Banks is going in the first round, as cornerbacks with his traits simply don’t last during the draft process.
He also does his best work in press man coverage, which is a good thing and rarer than zone coverage corners. But, his footwork as a press corner needs work. Banks is very agile and smooth for a taller corner and an excellent tackler, but he too has just one career interception and his recognition skills are questionable.
Brian Branch: Branch is a tremendous football player that has often been compared to Minkah Fitzpatrick coming out of Alabama. He is both the best slot cornerback and best safety in this class. But, his athletic testing was subpar and what is the value of a slot cornerback/safety that isn’t a supreme athlete?
Branch would make any defense better and he would be very valuable to the Steelers, but they might be able to get him noticeably later in the first frame rather than at 17.
So, is it as simple as running to the podium for Johnson, Jones or Smith-Njigba? Or, if one of those three isn’t available, then trying to trade down a handful of spots? Yes. It is that simple. But, trading down requires two to tango and if the Steelers don’t have a suitable tango partner, the 17th overall selection is not the ideal spot for them at the moment.
