Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Biggest needs to address in 2020 NFL Draft
By Samuel Teets
While the Pittsburgh Steelers excelled on defense in 2019, the team needs added help on offense in the 2020 NFL Draft to ensure a playoff return.
When the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for Minkah Fitzpatrick, the team sent their first round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to the Miami Dolphins. With growing concerns on the offensive side of the ball, the Steelers do not pick until the 49th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.
With their six total picks this year, the Steelers must address depth issues, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The team can compete moving forward, but the wheels will fall off in a year or two if these five positions don’t receive attention.
So let’s dive into the Steelers’ five biggest needs in the 2020 NFL Draft
5. Quarterback
The Steelers cannot, under any circumstances, go into the 2020 season with only Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges on the bench. Nothing separated those two from previous Pittsburgh backups like Joshua Dobbs and Landry Jones. Both players display low ceilings and low floors with little to no hope of developing into significant NFL players.
However, Pittsburgh should also not waste a precious pick on a mid-round quarterback this year. Without a first-round pick, Pittsburgh’s draft class is already weaker than in previous years. Spending a pick on a quarterback, who may turn into just another Dobbs or Rudolph, seems like a total waste.
In 2018, the Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third round. In 2017, the team took Dobbs in the fourth round. Jones came aboard as a fourth-round pick in 2013. Even back in 2008, the team took Dennis Dixon in the fifth round. None of these quarterbacks developed into anything special.
Drafting a quarterback poses several problems for Pittsburgh. Primarily, the organization cannot draft mid-round quarterbacks. Either they cannot correctly evaluate the talent of those quarterbacks, or no good ones remain by that time.
So, what will Pittsburgh do if they select in the second, third or even fourth round if a risky quarterback prospect is still on the board? Will the team take Jake Fromm? Jalen Hurts? Anthony Gordon? Pittsburgh needs a quarterback, but it’s unlikely they’ll find one outside of the first round.