A Catch 20: The Steelers Big Draft Predicament

Story by Yinzer Crazy Contributor Adam Lovelace. Follow him on Twitter @98_lovelace

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a predicament at the 20th overall pick in this year's draft. Despite their struggles throughout the year, the Steelers played well enough to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, that means they played themselves out of a top 10 pick, which means they are a long way away from a transformational talent. A transformational talent they desperately need at the quarterback position. 

This week Kevin Colbert gave the closest thing to an endorsement for Mason Rudolph from anyone in the organization. He said that Mason would be the starter should the season start today. I may need to double check my calendar, but the season does not start today. Colbert seems to be giving the most neutral endorsement he could. There is no full-fledged commitment in his statement, and there shouldn’t be quite frankly.

Mason the red-nosed quarterback is 5-4-1 as a starter for the Steelers and his most memorable games included him getting erased by Earl Thomas, and nearly being decapitated by Myles Garrett. He also tied with the Lions. So…yea. All due respect to Mason but he is not a franchise quarterback, and that’s okay. And unless Dwayne Haskins is the best kept secret in Pittsburgh, the Steelers need to make something happen with their first-round pick, because the quarterback won’t be there at 20.

The easy answer is to follow the model of Les Snead and the LA Rams; “F them picks”. In a perfect world the Steelers would mortgage their future for Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers so they could bring the seventh Lombardi home. Despite Aaron Rodgers talent I could live without his drama. Either way, giving away the future for one these quarterbacks would seemingly solve all the Steelers problems. 

However, they have a few more needs than quarterback. With the addition of Brian Flores, I see the linebackers in Pittsburgh making an immediate and noticeable improvement from last year. However, the Steelers have some questions to answer at the cornerback position. Ahkello Witherspoon is still a free agent and Joe Haden is getting old. Even if the Steelers keep both corners, they should draft another. The only issue is, they are so bad at it.

The Steelers struggle drafting defensive backs. We all remember Artie Burns. Despite the talent at corner in this year’s draft, they will probably most be all gone. I would rather use the cap space the Steelers have available to re-sign Minkah, and a veteran corner than see a rookie develop. 

To recap, probably not a quarterback at 20, and probably not a corner. Offensive line? Hold on to your terrible towels, but I don’t see it. Trevor Penning impressed at the Senior Bowl, but we must take those performances worth a grain of salt. Furthermore, the Steelers already drafted a left tackle in Dan Moore Jr. who started for the Steelers. As did Kendrick Greene. So as attractive as Penning is at tackle or a center like Tyler Linderbaum may be at 20, that’s probably not going to happen. The only feasible position would be right guard, considering Trai Turner’s age.

While the offensive line played poorly last year, four of the 5 were brand new starters, with Kevin Dotson being injured all season. Redrafting center and tackle are not the most productive route for Pittsburgh. On top of which the offensive line was clearly poorly coached last year. They have the talent; they just need the right coaching and another year to mesh. 

So, at 20 the Steelers can’t draft a QB, shouldn’t draft a corner, and wont draft an offensive line. The obvious answer must be Jordan Davis, right? Meh. I'll be honest I don’t see the value in a defensive tackle in the first round. Alualu should return and Loudermilk will improve coming into his second year, plus Montravius Adams was a gem from the practice squad. I also have reservations about Jordan Davis as a prospect. Yes, he eats double teams, but he isn’t as dominant as I would like. He also is not an elite pass rusher. His size is undeniable, and I think he will be productive in the NFL, but he is not worth a first-round pick.

So now that I have eliminated pretty much all the hopes and dreams for any Steelers fan, what is the answer? Move. Move up, move down. Just move. If you love Pickett or Willis, you must be willing to move up in the draft to get them, and it must be at least ten spots. 

That lies far outside the Steelers traditional method of operation. In fact, the last time the Steelers moved up in the draft was when they elected Devin Bush. The jury is still out on whether that was a worthwhile move. Yet, that should not deter the Steelers. If they believe Pickett and Willis can be ready to win in the first two years, then they cannot sit at 20.

Will that happen? Probably not. My personal belief is that the Steelers will sit at 20, and more than likely draft Trai Turner’s replacement, maybe even a middle linebacker should they have let Joe Schobert walk. As for the answer at QB, it more than likely between Haskins, Wentz, or Jimmy G.