Options to run better
Mock draft shows roundabout ways to grind it out
When Art Rooney II previously expressed disappointment in the Steelers running game after the 2009 season, it was a not-so-subtle message to the coaching staff to improve an important part of the offense that had plummeted toward the bottom of the league’s rankings. And the Steelers did improve the following season when they finished 11th in the league in rushing en route to the AFC championship and an appearance in the Super Bowl.
How the Steelers went about that improvement is important to note in the weeks after Rooney issued another directive to improve a running game that finished the 2019 season 30th in the NFL.
The Steelers can go in a number of different directions to make that happen. They can draft a running back. It’s a need with the oftinjured James Conner entering the final year of his rookie contract. They could draft a receiver, another weapon for Ben Roethlisberger that can help back off opposing defenses that gave little respect to Steelers receivers in 2019.
Or they could opt to invest their top pick in an offensive lineman, something they haven’t done in eight years.
But let’s go back to 2010 for a moment to see if there are any clues in how general manager Kevin Colbert approached the draft after hearing from Rooney. He drafted center Maurkice Pouncey in the first round with the 18th overall pick. He would go on to draft another offensive lineman, Chris Scott, in the fifth round, and a running back, Jonathan Dwyer, in the sixth round. He also drafted receivers Emmanuel Sanders (third round) and Antonio Brown (sixth round).
Keep that in mind as the Steelers begin preparations for the 2020 draft. The Steelers don’t have a first-round pick after trading it away in September to acquire safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Miami Dolphins. That move, in essence, was their 2020 first-round pick. They obtained an All-Pro with three more years of team control in exchange for draft picks.
As a result, the Steelers won’t have as many selections in this year’s draft. They should have six picks — a second, a third-round compensatory (which has yet to be announced), two fourths, a sixth and seventh.
The early returns on the 2020 draft suggest it’s a good year to be drafting for offense. This is regarded as one of the best years in recent memory for receivers. It’s also a good year for offensive tackles and running backs, although the decisions of Alabama’s Najee Harris and Clemson’s Travis Etienne to return to school weakened the running back class. They would have been two of the top five backs in this draft if they declared early.
That likely means the cream of the running back crop will be off the board by the time the Steelers select at No. 49 in the middle of the second round. If that happens, the Steelers likely would have to choose among a lineman, tight end or receiver with their first pick.
The Steelers won’t get a lineman as talented as Pouncey in the middle of the second round, but they can begin to rebuild an aging unit that is in desperate need of some youth.
Without further adieu, here is the first edition of our 2020 Steelers mock draft:
• 2. OT Isaiah Wilson, Georgia (6-7, 340): Wilson is the “other” tackle from the Georgia Bulldogs. Andrew Thomas is a left tackle and is projected as a first-round pick. Wilson is a right tackle, which would force the Steelers to juggle their starting five. But that’s OK. Wilson is a big mauler in the running game, and his monstrous frame makes him difficult to get around in pass protection. He’s also young, coming out as a redshirt sophomore. The Steelers love to get young players and develop them. If Wilson is ready as a rookie, the Steelers can plug him in as the right tackle and move Matt Feiler to left guard. Feiler, the starter at right tackle for most of the past two seasons, has experience at guard and could be more effective as an interior lineman. Yes, the Steelers already have depth at tackle with Zach Banner and Chuks Okorafor waiting in the wings, but Wilson might be too good of a prospect to pass up if he is still on the board. In a draft with more depth at tackle than guard, the Steelers should take the best lineman available. It would create a shortterm logjam at tackle, but Banner and Okorafor can provide depth for another season. Then, in 2021, they can battle for the left tackle job that could come open with Alejandro Villanueva’s contract expiring after next season.
• 3. WR Lynn Bowden, Kentucky (6-1, 198): It has been 25 years since the Steelers selected Kordell Stewart in the draft. It has been 18 years since they picked Antwaan Randle El. Both were former college quarterbacks that provided position flexibility. The Steelers can add another “Slash” by picking Bowden, who played quarterback and receiver in the Southeastern Conference. Bowden was dynamic when he had the ball in his hands this past season. He rushed for 1,468 yards, caught 30 passes for 348 yards and threw for 403 yards after an injury to Kentucky’s starting quarterback pressed Bowden into action behind center. He also averaged 22 yards per punt return in his college career, with two of them returned for touchdowns.
• 4a. OL Logan Stenberg, Kentucky (6-6, 317): If B.J. Finney leaves as an unrestricted free agent, the Steelers are going to have to replenish their depth along the interior of their offensive line that was weakened when Patrick Morris was released and picked up by the Broncos late last season. Stenberg was a three-year starter for the Wildcats and earned a reputation as a nasty run-blocker. Finney played an important role for the Steelers in the past three seasons. Adding depth on the interior of the line would be a smart move for Colbert.
• 4b. DL Raequan Williams, Michigan State (6-4, 298): With Javon Hargrave likely moving on in free agency, the Steelers have to find a suitable nose tackle for their base defense. Tyson Alualu and Daniel McCullers could vie for that role, but Alualu also is the top backup at defensive end. Williams would add versatility as well with the potential of becoming a starter at nose.
• 6. S Jordan Fuller, Ohio State (6-2, 205): The Steelers are set with Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds as their starting safeties, but they don’t have a lot of depth at the position. Kameron Kelly was the top reserve safety last season until the Steelers cut him after a late-season arrest. Marcus Allen, a fifth-round pick in 2018, spent most of last season on the practice squad, so Fuller can compete against him and Jordan Dangerfield for the reserve safety spots. Fuller, who had five career interceptions in college, is an athletic defensive back who can develop and provide an immediate impact on special teams.
• 7. TE Joey Magnifico, Memphis (6-4, 240): The Steelers have some big decisions to make at tight end. Vance McDonald likely returns as the starter despite his $7.1 million cap hit. Do they bring back Nick Vannett, who is an unrestricted free agent, as the top backup? Or do they sign one in free agency? The tight end crop in the draft is top-heavy and there are more pass-catchers than complete tight ends that offer value as blockers. For that reason, the Steelers are likely to address the position in free agency. This is a depth pick to push Zach Gentry, last year’s fifth-round pick. Magnifico is a better receiver than a blocker, but he has the frame to add more weight and strength. He had 71 career catches and 12 touchdowns for the Tigers. He can compete with Gentry for the third tight end spot, or develop on the practice squad if he’s not ready for a spot on the active roster.