The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to battle the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, coming off of their Week 9 bye and getting valuable defensive star T.J. Watt back for the first time since Week 2.
Photo Credit: Steelers.com
As the team looks over the horizon on Mike Tomlin's first losing season as a head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, eyes have looked ahead to the possibilities with the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft and who the Steelers could add to help their team in the long-term.
Last week, I identified three potential players that the Steelers should evaluate for the rest of this college football season. Along with that, I hinted that this might become a series that I do every Friday before college football Saturdays. I think I like that idea.
This week, I'm going to give Steeler Nation three more. BUT FIRST! My weekly reminder:
Steelers Best Case Scenario: QB Needy Team Overpays for a Top 5 Selection
Everyone hears the calls for the Steelers to punt on rookie QB Kenny Pickett for a dynamic, higher-upside quarterback from this upcoming class. But let’s be real about this, the Steelers will not pick a QB with their first-round pick next year. It’s like beating a dead horse at this point, but it is just not the Steeler way. Dumping on a rookie QB after an awful season surrounded by little talent is the last thing Omar Khan, Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers brass will do, despite what Ryan Clark says.
Now let’s get into it.
EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Junior, Alabama
Everyone has heard the hype surrounding star Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. The undisputed top prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft Class (who arguably would have gone first overall if available to be drafted last year), Anderson is the best player in college football and is flat-out unblockable because of his pure strength and elusiveness. Drafting an edge may not be the Steelers most pressing need with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith anchoring the OLB positions (with the latter having a career year even with Watt's absence), but passing on a player of Anderson's caliber is something the Steelers cannot do.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 10: Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs with the ball as Will Anderson Jr. #31 of the Alabama Crimson Tide defends in the second quarter of the game during the 2022 CFP National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 10, 2022, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
CB Cam Smith, Junior, South Carolina
Cam Smith is a highly-competitive defender that thrives on his physicality. He’s a pure athlete with speed, loose hips, and quick feet that keeps very sticky coverage against any route tree. Even though he does not have the length that I raved about with Joey Porter Jr. last week, he makes up for it with his physicality. Furthermore, Smith's ball skills and knack for getting his head toward the ball are among a lot of the traits to like in him.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - SEP. 17, 2022. USC wide receiver Jordan Addison makes a catch against Fresno Statein the first quarter at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. on Saturday night, Sep. 17, 2022. (Photo Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
WR Jordan Addison, Junior, USC
Jordan Addison is a very familiar name in town, as the reigning Fred Biletnikoff winner put up video game numbers in his sophomore year at Pitt with Kenny Pickett before deciding to transfer to USC to play with another Heisman candidate in Caleb Williams. Addison is a quarterback's dream receiver: a high-volume target that showcases constant separation in all three levels of the field. His YAC abilities are also elite, as Addison is incredibly twitchy and can take advantage of slight mistakes from oncoming defenders. His physicality and small frame is the reason why Addison landed at a school like Pitt compared to other high-end college football programs, but he has clearly shown that does not limit him.
What do you think, #SteelerNation? Is it time to buy into the draft season? What prospects should I talk about next? Do you think any of these guys could be a good fit in the black and yellow? What prospects do you want the Steelers to draft? Let me know in the comments below or @anthonyravasio on Twitter.
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