What we as Pittsburgh Steelers fans have to look forward to in these next couple of long awaited months, is seeing what direction this team is going to go in for this upcoming 2021 campaign. There are a variety of unanswered questions going into the off-season, some may be answered sooner rather than later, but other answers may have to wait and see what takes place in this year's NFL free agent market, as well as how the NFL Draft plays out this April. The Steelers natural route for developing players is by way of the draft rather than dipping their hand in the free agency market, waiting for the unknown. This route is one that can lead to a high risk situation, but we all seem to have figured out that Pittsburgh would prefer to bring a young player in and have them developed as a "homegrown" talent.
That being said, there are many different directions that most experts see the Steelers going in with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft this April. The most relevant rumors we have heard throughout sports media, are the ones that say the Steelers have shown interest in running backs and offensive line help. Positions that Pittsburgh is in a dire need to address. Najee Harris is one of the names we have heard being thrown around in Pittsburgh's direction, and happily so. Although the importance of a running back position is dwindling, the play maker out of The University of Alabama, is drawing a lot of first round buzz and rightfully so. He is fresh off of a National Championship, and was a front runner for the Heisman Trophy, the hype is real with this prospect. This could be a potential landing spot for Harris if he is still on the board at pick #24, as well as other RB options if Harris ends up being selected before the Steelers have their shot.
The other avenue that the Steelers could venture down is help on the offensive line. Although the track record is there, this group of lineman under-delivered last season and there is a lot of talk about change coming in this direction. The Steelers have hired Adrian Klemm to be the new offensive line coach and have paired him with some veteran coaches in hopes of getting things back to how they were just a few years back. The options are there (whether that be in free agency or the draft), the opportunity to grab a top offensive line prospect is there, and what really is stopping the Steelers from taking that opportunity? It seems to be their number one need.
There is one mock draft that does have the Steelers going in a direction that I honestly have not thought much of for this off-season. Bucky Brooks & Lance Zierlein, both writers for NFLNetwork.com, made up their mock drafts of how they think this year's NFL Draft will go down. Obviously, these picks are subject to change, but for the time being, Brooks has the Steelers selecting LB Nick Bolton out of The University of Missouri. While in a similar direction, Zierlein has Pittsburgh selecting LB Zaven Collins out of The University of Tulsa. I think either of these options would be a reach at pick #24, not because of talent, but just simply based on need.
Yes, I do think the Steelers will need to find that other linebacker to eventually take pressure off of what will be on Devin Bush's plate for years to come. I just do not think this year would be the best opportunity for Pittsburgh to take advantage of this thought. There are too many needs on the offensive side of the ball to not address with our first round selection. I firmly believe Pittsburgh has their eye on the offensive line or the running back position, especially being such an easy offense to game plan against as an opposing defense last year down the stretch. The Steelers need to focus on becoming a multi-dimensional football team once again, being able to run the ball just as effectively as they can pass. I feel this should take top priority over trying to bolster a defense that has been top 5 for consistent seasons.
Do you think we should address this offense before our defense this off-season? Comment below!
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