Category: Football

With the NFL Draft finally upon us, some of your favorite Behind The Steel Curtain voices weigh in with their final thoughts on the draft.

With the draft now (just/less than) 24 hours away, we have gathered some of your favorite contributors — or at least the ones that still have the energy to fire off draft takes — to weigh in with some final thoughts and answer some burning questions about the NFL Draft, roundtable style.

Steelers 2024 NFL Draft Roundtable

Pittsburgh’s draft card for the first round has been turned in, what position was targeted?

Odds on DraftKings Sportsbook heavily favor the offensive line for the Steelers’ at -350 just a day out from Round 1. I agree and project it’s a tackle, with the potential options available at center in Round 2 (Zach Frazier?) more viable for Day 1 than the Day 2 options at tackle (Kingsley Suamataia?). — Kate Magdziuk

I can’t shake the feeling that it’ll be a tackle. I know center is a big need, but I think the Steelers are hoping one of the top tackles after Joe Alt — Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Troy Fautanu, Taliese Fuaga, JC Latham, Amarius Mims — fall to them. If one of those guys is on the board, that’s the pick. If not they pivot to center or quarterback. — Ryan Parish

Offensive tackle. The Steelers have got to anchor Broderick Jones on the left side and keep one of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields upright. It’s too big of a hole on the depth chart to pass up unless all of those guys Ryan mentioned above are gone. — C.H. Herms

Unless the board falls in a really unfortunate way, I’m confident that the Steelers are aiming for an offensive tackle at pick No. 20, and their pre-draft visits echoed that sentiment. In a draft where the team can likely fill needs like WR2 and center in the following rounds, starting tackle remains a position that has to be targeted early. The good news is that this could be a historically deep class at the position, meaning a quality talent should be available when Pittsburgh is on the clock. — Ryland Bickley

I am creating a new position for my answer: versatile offensive lineman. If Fautanu is there, he’s the guy. He reportedly has the versatility to play any position on the line. He moves Jones over to left tackle or takes the center job. If he is gone it will be Barton. Opposite of Fautanu in that he takes the center position or his versatility lands him at right tackle to move Jones over to left. — Tom Fox

Omar Khan says it’s his duty to find the next great Steelers center. Before last year, Pittsburgh went a generation without choosing a tackle in the first round. They won’t go back-to-back in 2024. The pick will be center or center-versatile. — Kyle Chrise

Are the Steelers staying put at 20 or should they trade up/down?

Last year the Steelers were aggressive and moved up to get their guy in Broderick Jones. This year I think the draft is deep enough at their positions of need they’ll be happy to sit tight in the first round and take what the board gives them. I think a trade back in the second round is more likely. — Ryan Parish

With the way things are cooking, it doesn’t feel like Pittsburgh has to move up to address any of their needs. Unless they’re enthralled with someone we don’t know about, I think we’ll see them stick at No. 20 and roll with the punches. — C.H. Herms

I fully expect Steelers GM Omar Khan to be wheeling and dealing throughout the weekend, but I think it’s unlikely for the Steelers to budge from pick No. 20. They have too many roster needs to spend capital moving up in the first, and moving down could result in them missing out on a first-round caliber tackle. Unless a top-10 talent starts slipping into the Steelers’ neighborhood, expect the black and gold to stay put on Day 1. — Ryland Bickley

They have too many needs/wants to burn picks moving up. If Fautanu and Barton are both gone, Khan will be nimble and move down a bit. He may move down even if Barton is available. I have a strengthening sense that they are willing to risk moving down and have Spencer Anderson either play center or play guard so Daniels can move to center. — Tom Fox

I’ll paraphrase the old Kevin Colbert saying: if the Steelers are confident that there are 20 great players in the draft, stay put. Otherwise, trade up for the player they really want. — Kyle Chrise

Will the Steelers announce they’ve traded for a receiver during the draft? If so, which one and what do you think it will cost?

If you had asked me this Tuesday, I would have said they’d be more willing to wait until after the draft. Then they cleared up $7 million in cap space by restructuring Alex Highsmith’s contract the night before the draft. Why is that? Maybe that’s just to make room for the rookie contracts, but I’m hopeful this could mean a move for Brandon Aiyuk. He’s younger than Courtland Sutton — another receiver they’ve been linked to — and isn’t as redundant as a Sutton-Pickens pairing might be. — Ryan Parish

I don’t expect that to happen, but I would lose my mind if it was Brandon Aiyuk. The only reason there isn’t going to be a fully fleshed out explanation here is because I simply don’t think the Steelers have the requisite pick ammo to both acquire Aiyuk and solidify their other needs unless San Francisco is okay with not receiving this year’s first rounder. — C.H. Herms

The Steelers desperately need receiver help — you can’t expect any quarterback to succeed with only one starting-quality wideout on the roster. I could see the Steelers having interest in Brandon Aiyuk, but the draft capital asking price might be too rich for them given the team’s amount of draft needs. As a result, I see a veteran receiver like Courtland Sutton, who would cost a mid-round pick and a decent-sized contract, being a likely option. It’s a deep receiver class meaning a rookie isn’t out of the question, but if the Steelers can find a proven talent, that might be the smarter option. Pittsburgh shouldn’t be afraid to spend some more on the offensive side of the ball. — Ryland Bickley

I would bet my mortgage payment on a trade for a veteran starting wide receiver. It may be as late as during the fourth round. Some team may have had a star fall to them and is willing to move a guy for a future pick. Khan will work the phones like a maniac before Saturday’s picking begins. The continued interest in Aiyuk has been a smokescreen. I’m going with Sutton and No. 147 for No. 119 and the Steelers’ extra 2025 fifth, or else it will be somebody who hasn’t been mentioned in a single rumor on a team with newfound receiver talent. — Tom Fox

I can’t imagine Pittsburgh will enter camp with George Pickens and a Day 2 rookie as the starters at wide receiver. The Steelers will trade for a receiver, but they will not give up much more than a Day 3 pick or a Day 2 pick swap. Look at what the market demanded for receivers like Diontae Johnson or Jerry Jeudy. It will be similar to those. — Kyle Chrise

What is your boldest take ahead of the Steelers draft?

The Steelers won’t draft a receiver during the first two days of the draft. Whether it’s because they trade for one or because they’re confident they can find a starter later in the draft, the Steelers will attack the offensive line and secondary and put the rookie receivers on the back burner. — Ryan Parish

Granted, I’ve been telling myself this for years and it has yet to come true, but drafting a corner in the first round seems extremely viable this year. I think a lot of fans (myself included) are very comfortable with the idea of a tackle like Mims from Georgia being the guy at Pick No. 20, but o-line is a huge need for a lot of teams annually. If the board doesn’t fall in favor of taking a tackle, I think we’re going to find ourselves a stellar player to lock things down on defense opposite Joey Porter Jr. — C.H. Herms

I expect the Steelers to trade more than once over draft weekend, whether it’s up or down in the middle to late rounds and/or for a veteran player at a position of need. Omar Khan likes to be aggressive to get the players he likes, and in an offseason with a lot of team needs and a top-heavy draft class, I fully expect Pittsburgh’s front office to be hitting the phones hard over the next few days. — Ryland Bickley

Offensive tackle won’t be addressed until Day 3, if at all. After drafting center and receiver, Pittsburgh will focus its attention on defense. — Kyle Chrise

Like Ryland, I expect multiple trades. I’ll go bolder and say a Steeler gets traded away. DeMarvin Leal (Cowboys were reportedly high on him coming out of college) to move up from the sixth round to the fifth maybe. Depending on how the draft goes, Dan Moore would be another candidate. Omar Khan has been pretty consistent in getting rid of players that just don’t cut it, and Moore’s inability to play right tackle isn’t ideal for keeping as a swing tackle. Steelers don’t have a fifth-round pick. Either could be part of a package to get into the fifth. — Tom Fox

Who has been your comfort player during mock draft season — the player you can’t help but mock to the Pittsburgh Steelers? Bonus points if they’re selected after the first round.

If the Steelers don’t address the offensive line in both Rounds 1 and 2, I’ve been kind of enamoured with the idea of nabbing Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristil as a potential answer as a physical option out of the slot. — Kate Magdziuk

For me, it’s been Oregon corner Khyree Jackson in the third round. He just matches what they look for in a corner so perfectly and his age — he’ll be 25 at the start of the season — is going to drive his draft stock way down for what a player of his skill level would otherwise be. — Ryan Parish

Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson has been the one that helps me sleep at night. Outside of George Pickens, there aren’t many reliable options for the team’s new quarterbacks to throw to. Bringing in a guy like Wilson with the versatility to be deployed both from the slot and out wide would be a massive get for Pittsburgh on Day 2. — C.H. Herms

LSU defensive lineman Maason Smith has become a reoccurring character in the hours I’ve spent wasting time on draft simulators. Pittsburgh could use some youth on their defensive line, but bigger needs at offensive line, receiver, and corner outweigh it in the early rounds. Smith is a high-upside defender with a mid-round projection who could be a great pick once the Steelers have filled most of their major needs. Let him learn behind Cam Heyward for a year and the Steelers could have a defensive stud for years to come. — Ryland Bickley

I keep taking Hunter Nourzad in the fourth to double-dip on center options with either Fautanu or Barton early. James Daniels and Nate Herbig are free agents after this season. Depth at center and guard would be welcome. Nourzad provides both. — Tom Fox

If Pittsburgh decides to draft a tackle in the first round, I don’t expect the top centers to be available at pick 51. My solution at center is also Penn State’s Hunter Nourzad. WE ARE!!! — Kyle Chrise

What’s one pick you want to see the Steelers avoid? This can be a player or a position you don’t want them taking at a specific pick.

I’m confident we won’t see this happen, but every time I’ve seen a mock draft giving Pittsburgh LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr., I’ve turned into the Simpsons’ meme of Grampa Simpson yelling at the cloud. First, the Steelers simply don’t draft receivers in the first round. And even if they did, it wouldn’t be for a player I’ve dubbed “Spicy DJ Chark.” Thomas runs almost exclusively posts and go routes, and would be a redundancy with George Pickens already on the roster. I would much rather see them address the offensive line or secondary. — Ryan Parish

I’d like to see the Steelers pass on Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson at Pick No. 20. As nice as it would be to have the top-ranked center in this class, the quality of the offensive tackles likely to be on the board in Round 2 is lesser than the talent at center, with the consensus being that the top of the tackle class is a very good one but that it wears out rather quickly. More importantly with Powers-Johnson — there’s been a downtrend in his overall perception since the draft, with reports from Dane Brugler that JPJ has suffered multiple concussions across just 17 career starts as a possible source of his falling draft stock. — Kate Magdziuk

Same vibes as Kate: please do not take a center at No. 20. I’ve already written extensively about the history of first-round centers, and it’s just not a viable move from a value standpoint whatsoever. General manager Omar Khan is a smart dude, and outside of a doomsday scenario, I think he’ll avoid taking JPJ in the first, but I’ll flip my lid if that ends up being the call on opening night. — C.H. Herms

I see the upside, but WKU wide receiver Malachi Corley doesn’t make a ton of sense as a Day 2 pick for the Steelers despite being a wildly popular name in mock drafts. The Steelers need a boundary WR2 who can contribute early on — Corley is a below average route-runner with inconsistent hands who will start his NFL career in the slot. He could definitely excel somewhere, but Pittsburgh is not a great fit for the rookie wideout. — Ryland Bickley

No wide receiver in the first round, please. Build that offensive line! — Tom Fox

Do not pick a cornerback! The Diontae Johnson trade must not have been in vain! — Kyle Chrise

Clemson CB Nate Wiggins — His playing weight last season was around 185. He’s just too slender and struggles with tackling because of that. He reminds me of Emmanuel Forbes, who was drafted last year by the Commanders in Round 1. Forbes had a really poor rookie campaign.If you’re that slender you have to be exceptional at everything else. And he gets beat on deep routes far too often. His instincts need to improve. He had a high ceiling, but he’s not worth the 20th pick. — Mike Nicastro

If the Steelers have to trade up for a prospect in the first round, who should it be?

Two names stand out to me: Washington’s Rome Odunze and Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga. Both would be impact players immediately for the Steelers on offense. Moving up for Odunze would likely cost a fortune, so I’ll go with Fuaga. He’s the best right tackle in this class with a great balance of power/nastiness and technique — a lot of prospects this year are mainly one or the other. Fuaga’s arm length is less than ideal, but he’s too smooth on his feet for it to be a major issue. An O-line with Broderick Jones and Fuaga could transform the Steelers’ offense. — Ryland Bickley

Ugh! I don’t like this question. Is “nobody” allowed as my answer? I would be okay if they used something from next year to make a small move up for Fautanu. I would much rather see a trade-down with the lack of depth, especially at cornerback and inside linebacker, plus all of the holes. — Tom Fox

The Rams and Bengals could also have offensive line on their minds with the picks directly before Pittsburgh. If the Steelers really like Graham Barton as much as they seem to be letting on, they may be forced to trade up to at least pick 17. — Kyle Chrise

I don’t think it happens, but if they absolutely HAD to? How would we feel about trading with Seattle at 16 to leapfrog Jacksonville for a cornerback if Quinyon Mitchell or Terrion Arnold are still on the board? — Ryan Parish

We heard in March it was highly unlikely the Steelers would exercise the fifth-year option on Justin Fields‘ rookie contract. With the option deadline coming in just more than a week, Pittsburgh indeed appears to have no plans of committing to guaranteed Fields money in 2025.

The Steelers are expected to decline an option that would pay Fields $25.7MM fully guaranteed next year, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. Teams have until May 2 to exercise or decline options; this has loomed as one of the more predictable option calls for a bit now.

Fields’ value around the league turned out to be far lower than many expected, as the Bears ended up settling for a conditional sixth-round pick for a player who has proven electric as a runner but inconsistent as a passer through three seasons. Still, the Steelers made it clear upon acquiring Fields, 25, they expect him to begin the season as a backup to Russell Wilson. Mike Tomlin has since pried the door open for competition, but as of now, the trade acquisition is on track to go from three-year Chicago starter to Pittsburgh backup.

Both Wilson and Fields, when the option is officially declined, will be going into contract years in 2024. The former signed for the veteran minimum, barely cutting into the record-setting dead money sum the Broncos face. Fields is under contract for $1.62MM this season. Because Fields never made a Pro Bowl but qualified as a full-time player under the option formula, his option number checked in on Tier 3 of the four-tiered structure that came about when the 2020 CBA ushered in fully guaranteed options.

While the Steelers have both Wilson and Fields in contract years, a March report suggested the team is considering keeping both players beyond 2024. This would be a highly unlikely scenario to pull off, given the starting histories each player brings. Neither would stand to be interested in being an assured backup in 2025. This makes a potential 2024 trade worth monitoring; the Steelers have Kyle Allen in place as their third-stringer presently.

With the team not planning to adjust a negotiating policy that mandates no in-season contract talks, Wilson and Fields will be set to play out their current deals. The Steelers are interested in revisiting Wilson’s pact, for now at least, in 2025. It will be interesting to see how Fields factors into this equation, seeing as he is 10 years younger than Wilson, who will turn 36 this season.

We know that the Steelers have been identified as a team that could be likely to trade for a veteran wide receiver this offseason, but what about teams looking for wide receivers in the first round? A lot of focus has been placed on teams looking to draft quarterbacks, per usual, but Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post provided us with the names of a few teams targeting pass-catchers on Day 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. La Canfora identifies the Cardinals, Bears, Colts, Bills, 49ers, and Chiefs as the likely suspects.

Some of these, we’ve heard plenty about already. At No. 4 overall, the Cardinals sit in the line of picks that are all expected to be quarterbacks, according to most mock drafts, meaning they are expected to trade down from the position. Many see them trading back to No. 6, allowing the Giants to select Daniel Jones‘ potential replacement. This would leave them in line to draft the class’s top receiver prospect, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. This could provide Arizona with a new top receiver after the departure of Marquise Brown to Kansas City.

This would require the Chargers to pass on wide receiver, a huge position of need after watching both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams depart this offseason. While it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Los Angeles select Harrison, new general manager Joe Hortiz (from Baltimore) has shown an affinity for Notre Dame prospects like Ronnie Stanley and Kyle Hamilton. Combine that with the addition of new offensive coordinator Greg Roman, and connections to Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt make all the sense in the world. Roman’s run-heavy offensive mentality makes tackle a bigger priority than receiver.

Wide receiver has been seen as less of a priority for the Bears after they acquired Allen in a trade from the Chargers. Still, drafting a top receiver prospect like LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze could give projected new quarterback Caleb Williams a strong trio of targets with Allen and DJ Moore. Chicago could pair the draft’s QB1 with a potential WR1 as ESPN’s Matt Miller tells us that there are some teams in the NFL who see Nabers and Odunze as better prospects than Harrison. The three receivers are closer than people may think on most draft boards and their order of preference could come down to scheme and fit.

In Indianapolis, the Colts would love to bring in a first-round receiver for second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Josh Downs and Alec Pierce were decent options behind Michael Pittman Jr., but having a true weapon across the field could really help both Richardson and Pittman. If Harrison, Nabers, and Odunze find their way off the board by the time the Colts select at No. 15, LSU’s Brian Thomas Jr. could fall into their lap, though Odunze could still be available if nobody takes a flyer on him as the best player available regardless of position.

At the back end of the first round, wide receiver has become a big need for the Bills after they watched Gabriel Davis depart in free agency and traded away Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Khalil Shakir now leads the position room, and though the top four receivers aren’t expected to be available by the 28th pick, pairing Shakir with Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, FSU’s Keon Coleman, or Florida’s Ricky Pearsall could be productive.

As for the 49ers and Chiefs in the last two picks of the draft, San Francisco is a bit of surprise inclusion after recently paying Deebo Samuel and still currently denying that Brandon Aiyuk is available via trade. Still, if Aiyuk is potentially on the way out, taking flyer on Mitchell, Coleman, or Pearsall could work out.

As for Kansas City, they’ve tried their fair share of veteran free agent additions for Patrick Mahomes, and will do so again with the addition of Brown this offseason, as well as some draft picks in the second round or later. We’ve seen the Chiefs have success with smaller wide receivers with speed, so bringing in Georgia’s Ladd McConkey, Michigan’s Roman Wilson, or Texas’ Xavier Worthy could make a lot of sense.

Whoever doesn’t hear their name called on the first night of the draft shouldn’t have to wait too long. Dane Brugler of The Athletic’s latest mock draft showed the Panthers selecting McConkey with their first pick of the draft, which will be the first pick of the second round. If McConkey is already off the board, Wilson and Worthy offer similar skill sets.

It’s a deep class for wide receivers this year. Top prospects like Harrison, Nabers, Odunze, and Thomas are considered no-brainers as first-round picks. An early run on those four could see many of the pass-catchers behind them find their way into the first round, as well. Even so there are nearly 20 wideouts with a projected third-round grade or better. Not only is this a wide receiver class with lots of talent up top, but talent throughout will benefit teams who need receivers but will have to target other positions of need first.

Despite adding big names at quarterback like Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, the Steelers’ passing attack this year will still depend on their wide receiving corps. After trading away Diontae Johnson and watching Allen Robinson depart in free agency, Pittsburgh has been on a search for another veteran receiver to pair with budding star George Pickens, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

It’s not like the Steelers haven’t addressed the position since Johnson and Robinson’s departures. The team has added experienced receivers like Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, but despite strong sophomore campaigns from both players, neither has shown the ability to be a consistent, reliable supporting wide receiver. Perhaps Pittsburgh plans to return Cordarrelle Patterson to his wide receiver roots, but more likely, the team will continue looking to add an experienced veteran.

We’ve seen the Steelers kick the tires on plenty of such free agents so far this offseason. They brought in division-rival Tyler Boyd, who played at nearby Pitt in college, but are reportedly out of the running after making a disappointing offer. The team also brought in former Chargers veteran Mike Williams, who could’ve worked well alongside Pickens after spending years as WR2 behind Keenan Allen, but Williams ultimately landed with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.

Now, Dulac reports that we can add Brandon Aiyuk to that list of veteran wideouts that have piqued the Steelers’ interest. Aiyuk is not a free agent, so this isn’t a situation in which Pittsburgh can host the 49ers receiver and evaluate him in person. Also, despite the two sides being far apart in extension negotiations, Aiyuk has not delivered a trade request to the 49ers. In fact, San Francisco is reportedly actively rebuffing trade inquiries from outside parties.

As much as the Steelers would like to lure Aiyuk to Pittsburgh, there’s only so much they can do without the 49ers deciding to relent and participate. Until then, Pittsburgh will have to continue taking swings elsewhere. Boyd remains available. As do free agents Hunter Renfrow, Odell Beckham Jr., Michael Gallup, and Michael Thomas. Several veteran names are sitting in free agency. The Steelers just need to determine if any are the right fit for their new-look offense.