Pittsburgh Steelers fill defensive holes in 7-round 2020 mock draft

The NFL Combine showed that Antonio Gandy-Golden is not a fantastic athlete. However, when you measure in at a legitimate 6-4, 223 pounds, he doesn’t necessarily have to be. The Liberty product showed against a lower level of competition that he’s a physical force that’s tough to beat in contested-catch situations. He can come into the NFL and be a downfield red zone threat, especially if he refines his footwork and route-running moving forward in the case of the former.

Pittsburgh needs more help at wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a down year in 2019 due to injuries and the play at quarterback but Diontae Johnson emerged as a possible gem. Even still, the group is largely pretty shallow in terms of the guys behind them — sorry, James Washington — and adding a new skill-set in Gandy-Golden would behoove the Steelers.

Vance McDonald might not be on the roster for the 2020 season in Pittsburgh and it’s been clear throughout Roethlisberger and Tomlin’s time with the Steelers that this offense functions best when they have a threat at the position. And while Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene might not be an immediate threat to take over the position, even from 2019 fifth-rounder Zach Gentry, he’s a sleeper in this 2020 draft class.

Keene was simply not a big part in a relatively bad offense for the Hokies this past season but, when he got his chances, he showed some nice athleticism and the ability to make plays with nice hands and a big catch radius. He’s not much of a blocker right now but his value as a pass-catcher could be big for the Steelers offense.