Where Might Steelers Draft for Future Needs? | Steelers Presently
Let’s proceed our Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 offseason needs appraisal with an eye toward the longer term. On Monday and Tuesday, we broke down where the Steelers have prompt beginning gaps and overhaul needs for the 2024 season.
But so many of the team’s best draft moves have come with an eye to long run in mind. Players like Cam Heyward and Troy Polamalu scarcely played as new kids on the block. Instep, they were drafted to fill a future require.
Nowadays, we’re looking into the long run. from 2024 to the places where the Steelers might need to arrange ahead for future needs this offseason.
To begin with, let’s recap. We set up on Monday that the solitary genuine gap on the program this offseason is at cornerback, where both Chandon Sullivan and Levi Wallace are free specialists and Patrick Peterson can man as it were one of the two spots. On Tuesday, we talked around potential starter overhauls at cleared out handle, center, quarterback, opening wide collector and solid security.
So what almost the places on the list where the group can be set for 2023, but they might utilize an infusion of future ability?
Quarterback:
Kenny Pickett will likely be the starter in 2024, indeed in spite of the fact that Craftsmanship Rooney II said he’s not administering out making a big-swing move like a exchange for Justin Areas. The Steelers will also match Pickett with a quarterback that contains a legit chance of thumping off, a 1-B to his 1-A. That may be Mason Rudolph, or it can be somebody from the exterior like Ryan Tannehill.
But no matter what happens with those to begin with two spots, the Steelers will likely require a third quarterback, with Mitch Trubisky nearly guaranteed of being a compensation cap casualty. For the primary time in a whereas, they’re in position to draft a formative quarterback.
Pickett might turn out fair fine with a modern facilitator, a modern hostile conspire and another year beneath his belt. On the off chance that he does, incredible. A player the Steelers draft in 2024 may create into a long-term reinforcement for him, the way Josh Dobbs served with Ben Roethlisberger. In case Pickett doesn’t work out, and the Steelers get into another circumstance where the season looks sad and they’re enticed to turn to their third quarterback in franticness once more, they would be well-served to have that player be one that actually possesses some upside this time around.
Envision on the off chance that the Steelers had gotten the execution they got out of Rudolph out of a rookie third-day draft choose. Individuals would be talking like they had the another Brock Purdy on their hands. Quarterback is too important of a position to not keep taking swings at it until you’ve got a establishment fellow bolted up, and Pickett is certainly not there. So a third-day quarterback might be fair what the specialist requested for the Steelers in this year’s draft.
Shockingly, that may be a intense offer once you see at the real players. A harsh Senior Bowl nearly all around cleared out Tulane’s Michael Pratt, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler and Florida State’s Jordan Travis looking just like the best of the bunch, but it’s not a profound gather. Indeed in spite of the fact that there may be a crave for the Steelers to include such a player in 2024, it fair might not work out.
Wide Collector:
The Steelers have one wide collector position bolted up for the predictable future with George Pickens. We’ve as of now recognized the other, within the space, as a spot in require of an prompt overhaul over Allen Robinson II, who is likely to be cut besides. The third spot is as of now kept an eye on by Diontae Johnson, but he is entering the ultimate year of his contract.
Will the Steelers need to sign Johnson to an expansion? They have been hesitant to provide out third contracts to wide collectors in the past, and they will likely need to have cash accessible to amplify Pickens when his contract closes.
The Steelers may murder two birds with one stone here if they can discover a player that can play in the space promptly, whereas moreover anticipating to be a starter on the exterior that may supplant Johnson. Somebody like Roman Wilson from Michigan would appear to fit that charge.
Pittsburgh Steelers cautious handle Cam Hayward runs out of the burrow some time recently a amusement against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 23, 2023.
Protective Handle:
Heyward is 34 a long time ancient and entering the final season of his contract — a bargain that will ought to be renegotiated for compensation cap purposes. Heyward says he’s not resigning, and so the Steelers will likely have him back for 2024. But there’s unquestionably a have to be draft and create a future substitution, particularly at a position where players frequently take time to work their way up to a beginning part.
Keeanu Benton seem give a few of that long-term upside at one spot on the cautious line, but he’s as it were one player, and with Montravius Adams a free operator, he’s currently slotted in as the starter at nose handle. In case the Steelers can hit on another early-round alternative like Benton, they may shape long haul of their protective line for a long time to come.
Beneath contract past 2024:
Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, DeMarvin Leal
Interior linebacker:
Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb are both back and penciled in as starters for the 2024 season, but it’s a dubious grasp on things right presently. Roberts is entering the ultimate year of his contract. Holcomb has presently had sequential seasons ceased brief due to damage.
Mark Robinson given way better profundity toward the conclusion of the season, but the group was constrained to depend on calling Myles Jack out or retirement to start him in a playoff amusement since of the lack of profundity.
This does not show up to be a profound draft course at linebacker, but the Steelers will certainly be combing through it to undertake to find one.
Under contract past 2024:
Cole Holcomb, Stamp Robinson
Cornerback:
We’re back to our exceptionally to begin with require of the week, at cornerback, where Peterson will man either the interior or exterior spot in 2023, and the other will likely be filled by a new addition to the group. No matter where Peterson plays, he’s 33 and likely isn’t a portion of the team’s long-term arrange.
The Steelers do have a few formative profundity here, particularly at outside cornerback, where Darius Surge and Cory Trice Jr. have appeared guarantee.
But they have never truly recouped from the double free office losses of Mike Hilton and Cam Sutton within the space, and indeed in case Peterson holds down that part in 2024, he’ll be 34 this summer and has fair one year left on his bargain. A long-term substitution for the position would go a long way.