By Matt Papiernik, @Matt_Papiernik on Twitter
SteelerNation.com
The 2020 NFL Draft is now so close that people are counting down in hours as opposed to days. Even with the wealth of information out there on all these prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers might be interested in, there is not a consensus on who the favorite for them to draft is with the 49th pick. Some people are saying they should target a skill payer such as Jonathan Taylor or Michael Pittman Jr., while others are convinced they will focus on upgrading their offensive or defensive line with the 49th pick. But, what if they don't even take a player with the 49th pick? What if they trade out of that spot, and trade up to snag a falling prospect? Okay, well, we can all agree that is unlikely with the limited draft capital they have. But what if they trade down from 49th overall? Could they? Should they? The answer is, they probably should.
The Steelers own six picks this year, which are 49, 102, 124, 135, 198, and 232. With only one pick in the top 100, and their second selections falling at the end of the third round, it is going to be tough to fill the remaining holes they have this year. Trading down a few spots and possibly securing another mid-third round pick would make a ton of sense. The Steelers have either holes or depth issues at several positions, including safety, nose tackle, linebacker, wide receiver, and along the offensive line. Now, they signed quite a few XFL players to possibly fill some of those voids, but relying on any more than one or two of those signings to make the 53 man roster would be wishful thinking.
If the Steelers were to trade down, who are their potential partners and what would a potential trade look like? Also, who would be worth trading up for? As far as who would be worth trading up for, only the team willing to sacrifice additional picks would know that. However, there are some highly graded prospects that might be in for a draft day slide. I listed some of them below, and while they are highly rated by several people, they don't necessarily fit what the Steelers need with their first pick.
- Patrick Queen, LB, LSU - Queen is viewed as one of the top 3 middle linebackers in this class by many. However, Queen only has one year of game film as a full time starter, and is on the smaller side for an inside linebacker. Queen's biggest asset is his athletic ability, but unfortunately he wasn't able to put that on full display after tweaking his hamstring early in the NFL Scouting Combine. These factors could result in Queen sliding farther than most expect.
- Jordan Love, QB, Utah State - Teams are always willing to trade up to grab potential franchise QB's, and Love has all the ability to just that. Love is what every team looks for in a QB, as he is tall, long, good build, good arm strength, and good accuracy. However, he struggled in college due to an underwhelming supporting cast, and not being able to develop his ability to read an entire defense and make throws on time. Where Love could land is anyone's guess, but if he is around in the middle of the second round, a bunch of teams will be calling.
These are just a couple examples of players that could fall and would be worth trading up for. No one can predict how NFL teams truly have these players ranked, so anyone could be in for a draft day slide. Now, who would be willing to trade up, and who has the draft capital in the middle rounds to make it worth it? Ideally, the Steelers would obtain a 3rd round pick, in addition to the 2nd round pick they'd receive which would be anywhere from 50-64. However, they could also grab another 4th round pick for only sliding back a couple of spots, and then use two 4th round picks to trade into the 3rd round. The options are absolutely endless. Here are some teams that could trade into the Steelers spot at 49th overall if they see a prospect they have fallen in love with available.
- Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins have a league high 14 draft picks this year. Pick numbers 5, 18, 26, 39, 56, 70, 141, 153, 154, 173, 185, 227, 246, and 251. There is no way the Dolphins end up making all these selections. They will likely be very busy trading up multiple times throughout all days of the draft. A trade that might work for the Steelers would be the Dolphins giving their 56, 141, and 173 pick for the Steelers 49th overall selection. The Dolphins would be able to move up 7 spots in the 2nd round, while the Steelers gain a 4th and 5th round pick. This would give the Steelers three 4th round picks (124, 135 and 141), and they could likely package two of those together to move up into the 85-95 range in the middle of the third round. After both of those trades, the Steelers would have 7 total draft picks, as well as three on Day 2.
- Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings also have a very high number of picks this year with 12 in total. Pick numbers 22, 25, 58, 89, 105, 132, 155, 201, 205, 219, 249, and 253. Like the Dolphins, the Vikings are unlikely to make all of these draft choices. This trade could be much cleaner for the Steelers, as they could potentially receive a second and a third round pick from the Vikings (58 and 89) for the number 49th overall selection. This would leave the Steelers in a good spot with 7 overall selections, including three on Day 2.
- Green Bay Packers - The Packers have 10 draft picks in total. Pick numbers 30, 62, 94, 136, 175, 192, 208, 209, 236, and 242. The Packers, like the Steelers, are in win-now mode as Aaron Rodgers enters his late 30s. With that being said, they will likely look to trade up at some point to obtain more players that can make an immediate impact. A package the Packers could put together might look like picks 62, 94, and 175 in exchange for the Steelers picks 49 and 198. Since the Packers would be moving up 13 spots in the second round, and have a very late third round pick as well, they would likely need to sweeten the deal for the Steelers by adding a late fifth round pick in exchange for the Steelers 6th round selection.
These are all very hypothetical situations, but all examples of deals that would make sense for both sides. Mainly we all just care if it is a good deal for the Steelers, but it is nice when the deal makes sense all around. Overall, we all know the Steelers will continue to surprise us during the 2020 NFL Draft like they do every year, so it is time to sit back and enjoy the show.
Let me know below if you think the Steelers will sit tight at #49, and if you think my trade scenarios make sense!
#SteelerNation
