Heading into the 2020 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a tough situation. They have just six total picks and only one in the top 100. The good news, though, is that they likely aren’t looking for a 2020 starter in the draft. Their starters are pretty much set for the year. Instead, they are drafting for depth and future starters. There are several position groups on the Steelers roster that are either getting old or seriously lacking depth. Below are the Steelers draft needs ranked in order from most pressing to least pressing.
2020 Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Needs Ranked
1- Offensive Line
As of now, it’s hard to predict which route the Steelers will go when drafting an offensive lineman. They will draft one, but the position is up in the air. It’s to be determined whether last year’s right tackle Matt Feiler will be moving into left guard to replace the retired Ramon Foster, or if Feiler will remain at right tackle. The current expectation is that Feiler will move into guard, but nothing is certain. If he does move inside, then Zach Banner or Chukwuma Okorafor will be the starting right tackle, with the other being the backup at both tackle positions.
If it is decided that Feiler will move into guard, then an offensive tackle should a top priority for the Steelers. Alejandro Villanueva is 31 and next year could potentially be his last in the black and gold. Drafting a tackle early that can step in and start right away in 2021 at left tackle would be a smart move. And if Feiler remains at right tackle, then an interior offensive lineman because the number one Steelers draft priority. That would mean the entire interior offensive line of the Steelers would be over 30 years old with no depth behind them. It’s hard to tell as of now which offensive line position will be more pressing for the Steelers. Don’t be surprised to see them draft both a tackle and an interior lineman at some point in this draft.
2- Safety
This is a Steelers draft need that is somehow flying under the radar. Simply put, Pittsburgh has zero depth at the safety position. Minkah Fitzpatrick is arguably the best safety in the league. Terrell Edmunds still lacks the ball skills in coverage but has shown improvement and started 31 games in his first two seasons. But beyond those two, there is nothing. Jordan Dangerfield, the backup free safety, played six defensive snaps last year. Marcus Allen, the backup strong safety, played zero. If either of the starters were to go down with an injury, even for just a game or two, the back end of the Steelers defense would be in shambles.
With their first pick coming 49th overall, there’s a good chance that Pittsburgh could take a safety with that pick. Antoine Winfield of Minnesota and Ashtyn Davis of Cal are two names being talked about. In later rounds, K’Von Wallace, Brandon Jones, Kyle Dugger, and Terrell Burgess are all names to keep any eye on. Though age isn’t a concern with Pittsburgh’s safeties, depth absolutely is. Another safety would allow them to get much more creative with their defensive looks in obvious passing downs. Sliding Edmunds into the box and having Fitzpatrick play deep alongside another coverage safety would be ideal, but just isn’t an option with their current roster construction.
3- Edge
After being franchise tagged this offseason, Bud Dupree will be back in Pittsburgh at least for 2020. So, the dominant pass rush duo of him and T.J. Watt will be together for one more year at the least. But beyond those two, there isn’t any real depth at the position. Anthony Chickillo was released in the offseason. Tuzar Skipper struggled to get on the field last year in the regular season and Olasunkanmi Adeniyi didn’t make the progress some expected of him. On the bright side, Dupree and Watt both played over 900 snaps last year, so they are reliable.
One benefit of Pittsburgh drafting an edge player early is that they need the position this year and in the future. This year, they need the depth. Next year, they will find themselves needing a replacement for Dupree if the two sides can’t agree to a long term deal. Josh Uche of Michigan is a name to keep an eye on if Pittsburgh decides to draft an edge player with their first pick. Even if it’s not early, edge is a top Steelers draft need, and they will draft one at some point.
4- Wide Receiver
There are high expectations that a Steelers draft pick will be used on a receiver at some point in this draft. Their young receiver trio of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and James Washington is very good. Beyond those three, though, there is not much depth. Ryan Switzer was a major letdown last year. Deon Cain played well in limited opportunities, but is still raw and probably isn’t a number four receiver yet.
Fortunately for the Steelers, this draft class is loaded with talented wide receivers. They can find a receiver they like with any one of their six picks. The deep receiver class provides Pittsburgh some flexibility with when they should draft the position. If guys like Jalen Reagor or Michael Pittman Jr. fall to 49, the team might elect to draft a receiver early. If not, they’ll fill another position of need and draft a quality receiver in one of the later rounds. Needing a receiver isn’t a bad problem to have in this draft.
5- Linebacker
Inside linebacker is another major need for this team that isn’t being talked about. Currently, there are three inside linebackers on the team. Devin Bush was spectacular as a rookie and will play every snap for the Steelers this year if he is healthy. Vince Williams is a fan favorite and great in the run game, but doesn’t offer much in coverage. 2019 sixth round pick Ulysees Gilbert is the other linebacker, who the team has high expectations for. With Mark Barron being released this offseason, Gilbert is currently expected to get snaps in passing situations.
Gilbert is unproven with no experience. As good as he was, Bush still had struggled in coverage last year. Williams can’t be relied on to cover anyone. An athletic linebacker with range in coverage is absolutely a need for this team. Even if they can find a guy who can cover well but isn’t great in the run game, that’s fine. Between their stellar defensive line, Bush, and Williams, they should be just fine defending the run. But they definitely need better options to cover tight ends and more importantly, running backs out of the backfield.
6- Running back
This is an interesting position to discuss. The Steelers were a running back by committee team last year. James Conner, Benny Snell, and Jaylen Samuels were the main guys in that committee. The problem? Snell fits Pittsburgh’s running scheme well, but he offers very little in the passing game. Samuels is the opposite; he’s a good pass catching back but not much of a runner. Conner is a very solid running back, but he just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. When he’s out there, he’s one of the top 15 running backs in the league. His contract is up after this season, too. If he can’t stay healthy this season, his time in Pittsburgh could be over.
The most logical course of action for the Steelers is to either draft a running back early or not at all. If they don’t expect Conner to be back in 2021, they should be drafting a featured back this year with the 49th pick. That could be Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift, or J.K. Dobbins. If they are all off the board (they probably won’t be), then Cam Akers or Clyde Edwards-Helaire are also options. But if the team plans on sticking with their running back by committee plan, then there really is no reason to draft the position at all this year. The previous three guys plus Kerrith Whyte make up a good enough committee.
7- Interior Defensive Line
The Steelers lost one of the best nose tackles in the league this offseason in Javon Hargrave. They don’t really have a true nose tackle on their roster currently. That is making some people say that an early pick should be used on a defensive tackle. But, the team still has plenty of talent on the defensive line. Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward are one of the top defensive end duos in the league. Tyson Alualu played very well last year, especially against the run. The team traded for Chris Wormley this offseason, too, who provides versatility on the defensive line. While they might not have a true run stuffing nose tackle, there’s still several options on the defensive front. There are other positions that should be addressed before defensive tackle, but it’s a Steelers draft need nonetheless.
Honorable Mentions
Cornerback: Joe Haden isn’t getting any younger, and the 2020 season could be Mike Hilton‘s last in Pittsburgh. But for now, this is the deepest position group on the roster. It isn’t a major Steelers draft need this year, but it likely will be next year.
Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger is playing for one more season, maybe two. It’s unlikely that the Steelers draft a quarterback this year, as GM Kevin Colbert has repeatedly said the team is comfortable with their quarterback situation. But the future franchise quarterback isn’t currently on the team. So if somehow Jordan Love would fall to 49, maybe he’ll be too good to pass up. Other than that, no reason to draft another backup.
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