Pittsburgh Steelers: 5 Biggest needs to address in 2020 NFL Draft

1. Tight end

Along with the wide receiver position, the 2020 tight end class looks deep. Plenty of tight ends could develop into starters, or at least contributors, from this group. This is one part of the upcoming draft that favors the Steelers.

When Heath Miller retired following the 2015 season, the Steelers failed to replace their long-time security blanket. Jesse James, who the Steelers drafted in 2015, took over as the starter. However, the fifth-round pick could never catch consistently, and Pittsburgh let him walk away in free agency last year.

The team signed Ladarius Green in 2016, hoping he could become another weapon for Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh cut Green after one season. Before the 2017 season, the Steelers traded for Vance McDonald. Injuries limited the former 49er in 2017, but he played at a borderline Pro Bowl level in 2018.

McDonald’s trucking ability earned a lot of respect among Steelers fans, but he underwhelmed in 2019. The Steelers could decline their team option on McDonald’s deal this offseason and save a lot of money.

Declining the veteran’s option would allow McDonald and Nick Vannett, who the Steelers traded for in 2019, to enter free agency, leaving Zach Gentry as the only tight end on the roster. Pittsburgh drafted Gentry in the fifth round last year, but he only caught one pass as a rookie.

While top tight end prospects like Hunter Bryant and Cole Kmet will likely be gone by Pittsburgh’s first pick, multiple intriguing players will remain. Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins could be a steal with the 49th pick. Vanderbilt’s Jared Pinkney and LSU’s Thaddeus Moss should also still be on the board.

Keep an eye out for Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant. As a senior, the 6-5 tight end caught 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns. He also displayed improved skills as a blocker. Depending on how scouts view Bryant’s ability to transition to the NFL, he could fall into the third or fourth round.