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The 2021 offseason has not been form to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster. The Steelers made savvy strikes to maintain a few of their higher free brokers on the town, regardless of vital wage cap points, in Cam Sutton, Tyson Alualu, and Juju Smith-Schuster. Nevertheless, the departures of Bud Dupree, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Hilton, Steven Nelson, Matt Feiler, Vince Williams, and Alejandro Villanueva, have left the crew with a number of evident holes on the roster that they might want to deal with within the draft later this month.
The crew has critical short-term, and long-term, wants at each cornerback and offensive line, so they are going to possible goal these positions early within the draft.
Furthermore, they may even look so as to add depth at linebacker, edge rusher, tight finish, and security, in addition to a working again that may compete for a beginning job.
Spherical 1 (24): Asante Samuel Jr. – CB (Florida State)
The Steelers are conscious that they want assist in the secondary, as evidenced by the truth that they’ve spoken, in some capability, with many of the prime tier cornerback prospects within the 2021 draft class, together with Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech, Jaycee Horn from South Carolina, Greg Newsome from Northwestern, and Asante Samuel Jr. from Florida State.
Jaycee Horn will, sadly, in all probability go off the board properly earlier than the Steelers decide at 24 and did so on this mock. Equally, Greg Newsome additionally didn’t make it to the Steelers at 24 on this mock draft.
I might have gone with Caleb Farley right here however whereas he gives, by far, the best ceiling of any cornerback prospect within the class, and I imagine the Steelers will love his movie, it’s laborious to say whether or not they are going to nonetheless have him on their board given his harm historical past and the latest information that he would wish a second again process regardless of not taking part in within the 2020 school season.
With all that stated, I in the end have the Steelers drafting Asante Samuel Jr. within the first spherical right here. Whereas he doesn’t match the elite athletic profile that the Steelers search for in first-round picks, they’ve proven curiosity in Samuel and there’s a good likelihood that he’ll find yourself being one of many greater graded prospects left on their board, and their highest-graded cornerback after they decide at 24. He additionally will in all probability not make it again to them within the 2nd spherical in the event that they go on him right here and the expertise drop off at nook on this class is fairly steep.
A few of the issues that stood out to me whereas I used to be watching Samuel:
- Samuel is extraordinarily sensible and instinctive. He reads routes and the quarterback’s eyes properly, and his IQ in zone protection jumps off the display.
- He’s a calculated ball hawk. When he is aware of the place the ball goes, he’s fast to interrupt on a route and make a go breakup or interception.
- He’s a excessive pedigree prospect, which the Steelers love.
- Whereas he doesn’t have elite athleticism, he’s fast and “twitchy,” that means he can simply change his route and speed up.
- Samuel could be very skilled in man protection, however he has the IQ to reach NFL zone protection schemes as properly.
- He recovers shortly when he will get beat on a route.
- He’s an aggressive, bodily tackler for his measurement.
- At 5’10”, 185 kilos, he’s undersized for the place.
I like Asante Samuel Jr. as a prospect and am assured that he’ll succeed within the NFL. Nevertheless, whereas I imagine Samuel has high-end cornerback two potential, I don’t assume he’ll ever be a primary nook. In in the present day’s NFL although, it’s essential have a deep secondary to succeed on protection, and the cornerback-two place is way more precious than it was.
Spherical 2 (55): Liam Eichenberg – OT (Notre Dame)
The Steelers will most definitely benefit from the depth of this offensive line class in some unspecified time in the future, and if a participant like Eichenberg falls to them within the 2nd spherical, Steelers followers ought to be ecstatic. I’ve my reservations that he’ll fall this far, however he did on this mock, so I drafted him.
Eichenberg is healthier as a run-blocking sort out to date in his improvement. His go safety is a bit inconsistent and he generally is a legal responsibility at instances, particularly in opposition to pace rushers.
That doesn’t imply he’ll all the time be a legal responsibility in that division, nonetheless. He has the athleticism and quickness for it, he could want extra teaching earlier than a crew totally trusts him to go shield, particularly if he performs left sort out.
His greatest reps proper now, for my part, got here when Notre Dame allowed him to get vertical within the working recreation and get to the second degree.
Total, Eichenberg is a reasonably polished prospect that ought to be capable of contribute within the NFL straight away, and if he develops to his potential he might flip into one of many league’s higher tackles.
Spherical 3 (87): Chazz Surratt – LB (UNC)
Chazz Surratt is extra of a venture participant than the primary two picks on this mock. Recruited as a quarterback out of highschool, Surratt didn’t play linebacker at UNC till his junior season in 2019.
He has high-end athleticism that will translate to extra of a depth participant behind Devin Bush than a alternative for Vince Williams. What he lacks in measurement, at 229 kilos, he makes up for in pace, although he’s robust for his measurement. He isn’t a legal responsibility in opposition to the run, however he initiatives to have extra success in protection and chase to the sidelines kind of linebacker than a between-the-tackles participant.
Ideally, Surratt would play in a rotation with Devin Bush, Robert Spillane, and firm, early on in 2021 whereas the Steelers coach him as much as tackle a bigger position in the direction of the tip of the season and going ahead.
Spherical 4 (128): Trey Hill – C (Georgia)
With Maurkice Pouncey’s retirement, the Steelers have a big want at heart now and they’re going to possible deal with the place within the draft to at the least add competitors for B.J. Finney for the beginning job. That participant might very properly be Trey Hill, provided that the Steelers have reportedly spoken with him.
Trey Hill primarily performed heart at Georgia, however he additionally has the pliability to backup guard and heart ought to he not win the beginning job over Finney in 2021.
He doesn’t have the athleticism that the Steelers are used to from a participant like Pouncey, however he’s robust and aggressive as a run-blocking lineman.
Spherical 4 (140): James Wiggins – S (Cincinnati)
Wiggins is an athletic, bodily defender that the Steelers can draft within the center rounds and develop right into a contributor. He possible would have gone greater within the draft if not for his harm historical past.
Regardless of signing Miles Killebrew this offseason, the Steelers might nonetheless improve their depth at security for sub-packages, and in case Minkah Fitzpatrick or Terrell Edmunds go right down to harm this season.
Spherical 6 (216): Cade Johnson – WR (South Dakota State)
Broad receiver is arguably the deepest place group on the Steelers’ roster in 2021, however the depth chart might considerably skinny out in 2022 if each Juju Smith-Schuster and James Washington go away in free company. The Steelers additionally nonetheless have no idea precisely what they’ve in Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.
Cade Johnson is a shifty huge receiver and punt returner that the Steelers can deliver into coaching camp to see if he can earn a spot on the roster as a sixth huge receiver. Ideally, he would “redshirt” his rookie season whereas he acclimates to NFL-level competitors, since he performed within the FCS in school, and presumably grow to be a large receiver three or 4 in 2022.
Johnson is an efficient route runner, had robust manufacturing within the FCS, and carried out properly on the Senior Bowl. I like his route working and talent to separate, and imagine he might develop right into a contributor for an NFL roster.
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