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The 2022 NFL Draft is just a few short days away, which means it’s getting closer to the official start of the regular season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That being said, the Steelers hold the 20th pick in the first round and what direction they will go in, is still left in question. This has been an unorthodox off-season as far as Pittsburgh’s standards are concerned. They decided to be more active in the free agency market than they have in the past, addressing both the offensive and defensive slides of the ball as the team transitions into a new culture after future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired after 18 seasons.
There are many people within Steeler Nation who would expect the team to address the quarterback position with that 20th overall pick. Pittsburgh themselves have been attached to almost every top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft and most mock drafts have the organization selecting a quarterback in the first round. Just this week alone, Pittsburgh has hosted prospects Desmond Ridder out of the University of Cincinnati and Malik Willis out of Liberty University for a visit and I assume more prospects will follow their lead. Although it has not been made clear what direction the Steelers will go in with their first overall selection, the quarterback position is definitely on their radar.
Steelers’ draft prospect Desmond Ridder. | Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports
It will ultimately all come down to what prospects will still be available when the Steelers are on the clock. Obviously, if the front office has fallen “in love” with a particular quarterback and he was still available, it would be a hard opportunity to pass up, but if not, what direction would be the best for the Steelers front office to go in? There has been much speculation about the possibility of the Steelers interest in a top tier wide receiver if available when the Steelers are on the clock, especially with the loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster this off-season. Finding his “replacement” might be closest to the top of the list of priorities for General Manager Kevin Colbert‘s last draft in that role.
In my opinion, Pittsburgh would be better suited addressing their more pressing needs on the defensive side of the football through the draft. Although the Steelers did address the secondary through free agency by signing former Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace and then re-signing one of their own in Ahkello Witherspoon (both signed 2-year contracts), the cornerback position is deep in this year’s draft with three to four potential prospects being selected in the first round. Although Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. will likely be off the board when Pittsburgh’s selection comes up, other names like Trent McDuffie ( University of Washington) and Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson University) are being projected as late first round picks, and if available, could all be potential fits in our secondary.
Johnson (18) catches touchdown over Wallace (39). In Steelers Week 1 victory (2021)
McDuffie is a three-year starter at the University of Washington, and is the type of player that typically attracts the Steelers organization. Although he doesn’t have many interceptions to show for it, he is described as always being around the football. His best season was in 2019, where he combined for a total of 45 tackles with two forced fumbles and one interception, in comparison to his final year in 2021 where he combined for 35 total tackles and six passes defended. Booth Jr. on the other hand, combined for 37 total tackles with three interceptions and five passes defended. Booth’s skill set seems to be more aggressive in the passing game, where he is known to be much more of a ball hawk, excelling at attacking the ball at its highest point. The Steelers did hold Booth Jr. for a formal meeting during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and have heard his name connected with the Steelers since that same combine weekend.
Yes, there are other positions within this team that need attention. I believe the organization has improved the offensive line immensely from last season just with the additions they made through free agency and the same can be said regarding multiple positions on the field on both sides. Cornerback is definitely a position of need for this football team, and while the secondary has been addressed already, most of those guys are only signed to minimal contracts. You have to believe, especially with the Steelers recent problems in pass coverage in past years, that the thought of selecting one of these young prospects has to cross the minds of the Steelers front office.
Do you think the Steelers should consider selecting a cornerback with their 20th selection? Or should they address the more pressing needs first? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
There are many people within Steeler Nation who would expect the team to address the quarterback position with that 20th overall pick. Pittsburgh themselves have been attached to almost every top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft and most mock drafts have the organization selecting a quarterback in the first round. Just this week alone, Pittsburgh has hosted prospects Desmond Ridder out of the University of Cincinnati and Malik Willis out of Liberty University for a visit and I assume more prospects will follow their lead. Although it has not been made clear what direction the Steelers will go in with their first overall selection, the quarterback position is definitely on their radar.
DON’T BE SUPRISED IF THE STEELERS SELECT DESMOND RIDDER IN FIRST
Steelers’ draft prospect Desmond Ridder. | Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports
It will ultimately all come down to what prospects will still be available when the Steelers are on the clock. Obviously, if the front office has fallen “in love” with a particular quarterback and he was still available, it would be a hard opportunity to pass up, but if not, what direction would be the best for the Steelers front office to go in? There has been much speculation about the possibility of the Steelers interest in a top tier wide receiver if available when the Steelers are on the clock, especially with the loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster this off-season. Finding his “replacement” might be closest to the top of the list of priorities for General Manager Kevin Colbert‘s last draft in that role.
In my opinion, Pittsburgh would be better suited addressing their more pressing needs on the defensive side of the football through the draft. Although the Steelers did address the secondary through free agency by signing former Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace and then re-signing one of their own in Ahkello Witherspoon (both signed 2-year contracts), the cornerback position is deep in this year’s draft with three to four potential prospects being selected in the first round. Although Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. will likely be off the board when Pittsburgh’s selection comes up, other names like Trent McDuffie ( University of Washington) and Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson University) are being projected as late first round picks, and if available, could all be potential fits in our secondary.
Johnson (18) catches touchdown over Wallace (39). In Steelers Week 1 victory (2021)
McDuffie is a three-year starter at the University of Washington, and is the type of player that typically attracts the Steelers organization. Although he doesn’t have many interceptions to show for it, he is described as always being around the football. His best season was in 2019, where he combined for a total of 45 tackles with two forced fumbles and one interception, in comparison to his final year in 2021 where he combined for 35 total tackles and six passes defended. Booth Jr. on the other hand, combined for 37 total tackles with three interceptions and five passes defended. Booth’s skill set seems to be more aggressive in the passing game, where he is known to be much more of a ball hawk, excelling at attacking the ball at its highest point. The Steelers did hold Booth Jr. for a formal meeting during the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and have heard his name connected with the Steelers since that same combine weekend.
Yes, there are other positions within this team that need attention. I believe the organization has improved the offensive line immensely from last season just with the additions they made through free agency and the same can be said regarding multiple positions on the field on both sides. Cornerback is definitely a position of need for this football team, and while the secondary has been addressed already, most of those guys are only signed to minimal contracts. You have to believe, especially with the Steelers recent problems in pass coverage in past years, that the thought of selecting one of these young prospects has to cross the minds of the Steelers front office.
Do you think the Steelers should consider selecting a cornerback with their 20th selection? Or should they address the more pressing needs first? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
