Mock Draft season is in full swing and the predictions on who will be the first round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers vary from person to person. In one article, you see the Steelers selecting a cornerback, while in another you will see them selecting a wide receiver and almost every position in between. The Steelers did however fill many holes on the roster during the first wave of free agency. Doing so, has put them in a much better position already for next season and also allows them to not have to reach or hone-in on any particular position during the draft.
With those being the circumstances, some draft experts including NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, are predicting that the Steelers may end up trading up in the draft in order to be in position to select their future franchise quarterback in the first round. A couple of the players that have been linked to the Steelers are Liberty quarterback Malik Willis and Pitt stand out Kenny Pickett. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin along with others were in attendance at both Liberty and Pitt's Pro Day. Other notables were that Tomlin and others from the Steelers front office also made the trip to Ole Miss to watch quarterback Matt Corral who didn't workout at the combine due to an ankle injury that he suffered in the Sugar Bowl. They also attended the University of Cincinnati's Pro Day to scout and have dinner with standout quarterback Desmond Ridder. All of this took place after the signing of ex-Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who signed a two-year deal with the Steelers just weeks prior.
After all this, Steelers fans should look at this as nothing more than the front office doing their due diligence during their Pro Day tour. Tomlin has said that they're looking to the draft to add another quarterback, so if "their guy" falls to pick 20, then picking him would make sense. But the Steelers still have a need at cornerback, strong safety, and wide receiver, so trading valuable draft picks they could use in the future, in order to move up in this year's draft would be quite a gamble. Also, there are still teams needing a quarterback that are in front of the Steelers in the draft order, so the price for the Steelers to move up into the top 10 would be substantial.
The Steelers need to focus on retaining all their draft picks and select the best player available at pick 20 to continue to build this team and be more complete all around. If they do just that, then next season will be the year they can unload some picks and sneak into the top five and draft their future franchise quarterback. That quarterback, whoever it may be, will come in with even more playmakers surrounding him and he will be set up for much more success down the road.
What do you think, #SteelerNation? Should the Steelers trade up in the first round and draft their future franchise quarterback? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
