Pittsburgh Steelers Draft Recap: Team Drafted for Need
By Dan Thomas
The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly had their areas of need heading into the NFL Draft and did their best in addressing those issues.
From an outside perspective, it looks like the Steelers may have took some players who were not necessarily the highest rated player on their board but instead, a player who filled a need.
At the same time, the players they selected can not be considered a “reach” because they were all drafted in the range they were projected to go.
Related Story: What Grade did the Steelers Receive for their 1st-round pick?
First-round selection Artie Burns will definitely help the secondary because let’s be honest: It can’t be any worst. The secondary gave up the third-most passing yards per game in 2015 and the sixth-most in 2o14. Burns was expected get drafted near the end of the first-round so it’s possible that he was the highest player on the Steelers board. Then again, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if UCLA’s Myles Jack or Louisiana Tech’s Vernon Butler was higher on their board but elected to go with a bigger need.
The Steelers continued to revamp their secondary by selecting Maryland’s safety/cornerback Sean Davis with their second-round pick. Davis can play either position but he’s more than likely going to play safety with the Steelers. He has the opportunity to start right away opposite of Mike Mitchell but it’s no guarantee. If he doesn’t start right away, he should earn a role in sub-packages due to his versatility.
It’s a little curious that the Steelers drafted Davis over Ohio State safety Vonn Bell who was selected three picks later. Bell is a better free safety and drafting him would allow the Steelers to move Mike Mitchell back to strong safety. Bell is also more “NFL ready” but perhaps the Steelers valued Davis’ athleticism and upside more.
The Steelers gave their defensive line some much needed depth when they drafted South Carolina State’s Javon Hargrave in the third-round. Although this pick fits an area of need, it’s arguably the best value pick of the entire Steelers draft. Rotoworld’s Josh Norris ranked Hargrave as the 30th best player in the entire draft and the Steelers were able to land him with the 89th pick. He won’t start right away with Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt ahead of him on the depth chart but he’ll see some playing time right away despite not being a starter.
The Steelers drafted LSU offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins in the fourth-round. Even though the Steelers left tackle starting situation is unsettled between Ryan Harris and Alejandro Villanueva, Hawkins will not be considered an option to start. He’ll start his career as a backup and needs a lot of coaching. At 6’6 and 305 pounds, he has the build a team looks for in a starting tackle so it’s not out of the question he could start in two-three years. Remember, former Steeler Kelvin Beachum was a former seventh-round pick before becoming a starter in year two.
With the second-to-last pick in the sixth-round, the Steelers selected OLB Travis Feeney from Washington. He’s got good size and speed but it’s unrealistic to think he’ll make any sort of impact on the defense even though the Steelers OLB’s have been underwhelming. If he makes the 53-man roster, he’ll do it by making it on special teams.
More nfl spin zone: Are Run-First Defenders Losing Value?
It wouldn’t be a true Steelers draft without them selecting a wide receiver at some point. They went with DeMarcus Ayers out of Houston in the seventh-round. Ayers is only 5’9 and 182 pounds but he has terrific return skills. Hopefully he can become the team’s starting kick returner and/or punt returner. Although Antonio Brown is electric on punt returns, it’s in the Steelers best interest to not let arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL to return punts. If Ayers can’t earn that role, he’ll probably not be able to crack the 53-man roster.
With the their last pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Steelers drafted linebacker Tyler Matakevich out of Temple. Matakevich is more than likely to slow and small to ever be a starter in the NFL but I really hope this kid proves me wrong. He’s a true football player who loves and understands the game. He does everything right on and off the field and he’s a leader. He’ll have to earn a role on special teams to make the 53-man roster.