Scott Crichton (95) before the Beavers play USC Trojans. Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
It looks like the top pass rushers remaining on the board in the 2014 NFL Draft will be the next chips to fall, and one of those top pass rushers is Oregon State Beavers product Scott Crichton, who is one of the more touted edge rushers in the class. A second-round lock, it will be interesting to see if Crichton can make it into the top ten of the second round, though it seems more likely for him to go in the middle of the second with Jeremiah Attaochu, Kony Ealy, and Demarcus Lawrence still on the board as well.
Although the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t seem to need another edge rusher after placing the transition tag on Jason Worilds and drafting Jarvis Jones in the first round last year, it looks like Crichton could be a possibility for the Steelers in the second round. The Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller reports that the Steelers “were said to love him”, and Miller stated that Crichton is a name we’ll “hear tonight”.
I’m sure we’ll hear Crichton’s name called sooner rather than later, but I have a hard time seeing the Steelers taking him, even if they are high on him (the Steelers love for Crichton could be an indication that other organizations feel the same way about a prospect Todd McShay once called a lesser version of Chris Long, which still counts as praise). Not only did the Steelers add ILB Ryan Shazier in the first, but they don’t need an edge rusher and should focus on adding a top pass-catcher or defensive back instead. That said, keep a close eye on Crichton, because several people have him as a top sleeper. He fits the 4-3 scheme best as a DE, which is another reason why it’s hard to see him fitting the Steelers.