I think top 2 Rb’s will be gone by 1.24, talk me off the ledge

[Steeltime]

I thought the same thing.....ETN goes in the teens......Harris right before our pick.

I think it works out that may. Several teams in front of us need help at RB. I think the Dolphins take Etienne at 18 and the Jets take Harris at 23.

 

[Steelers1356]

The Jets don't need a RB and likely won't draft one until perhaps the later rounds. They signed Tevin Coleman and re-signed Josh Adams, and have huge holes to fill on the O'line, secondary and edge rusher, so they're likely to address those needs with their 23rd and 34th picks.

 

[steelreeling]

agree, he looks like a lengthier and lighter Bush, not necessary what we need right now. Unless the guy is good and versatile enough to cover the slot too, then he would be a plug and play guy in almost all 3 downs.

And to get a thumper to pair with Bush you can find it way lower in the draft.

Another case is Collins, if they see him fit to play OLB too in a pinch then that might be a 2 for 1

That's EXACTLY what Joker is, a slot covering linebacker. A unicorn. A guy that can stay with the other team's TE & their 3rd WR! He gives you that 4th cornerback in the dime and nickel packages.

But he also has been known to fly right into offensive tackles and slip blocks well. Maybe he's too light in *** but if heft was going to make our difference, 260 lb Vince woulda shown it. Thumper in the base D doesnt get us anywhere in today's NFL. A rover-type like Polamalu gives us the flexibility to match up one-on-one in more looks. Cannot pass that one up, it's too valuable.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Somebody should talk me off a ledge that they will take a RB in round 1. Edge rusher is a bigger need because they have nothing at all after Watt and Highsmith. This draft is really thin at edge rushers.

I still think the run game will be most improved by a better scheme, and better blocking by getting an upgraded OL or TE that can block rather than a RB.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Somebody should talk me off a ledge that they will take a RB in round 1. Edge rusher is a bigger need because they have nothing at all after Watt and Highsmith. This draft is really thin at edge rushers.

I still think the run game will be most improved by a better scheme, and better blocking by getting an upgraded OL or TE that can block rather than a RB.

I agree and I'd love to see Jenkins in the first, any of the remaining top 3 centers in the second, and Tremble in the fourth. Instant upgrade up front.

 

[SteelerSask2]

If I didn't like the running backs I'd take oline they have needs inside and outside and overdraft Chubba Hubbard in the second.

 

[SteelerFan448]

If I didn't like the running backs I'd take oline they have needs inside and outside and overdraft Chubba Hubbard in the second.

At this point just take Harris or Etienne in the first and get the best lineman on the board in the second rather than draft Hubbard two rounds early.

 

[SteelerSask2]

At this point just take Harris or Etienne in the first and get the best lineman on the board in the second rather than draft Hubbard two rounds early.

this is the scenario of the OP with both Etienne and Harris off the board. And I don't think Hubbard is a two round reach. Maybe 1. and the Steelers are drafting 24 which isn't far from 3. Point being I'd rather reach in the second for a guy who ran for 2k in 2019 and admittedly made a mistake staying in school another year, then reach for a consolation prize running back in the first with all the holes on the team.
That said it would depend on what offense (particularly running attack) Canada intends. If its outside zone, Hubbard is a great fit. If its what they have done in the past, maybe not.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I suppose it all depends on who is on the board in the second round. I've seen mocks where it has broken great for the Steelers with 4-5 great options and others that looks terrible, with no true round 2 value picks.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Somebody should talk me off a ledge that they will take a RB in round 1. Edge rusher is a bigger need because they have nothing at all after Watt and Highsmith. This draft is really thin at edge rushers.

I still think the run game will be most improved by a better scheme, and better blocking by getting an upgraded OL or TE that can block rather than a RB.

They're not taking a non starting pick at one. C'mon man. They took Highsmith to replace Bud. not saying he will, but you can't say he won't. They have starting needs at RB, Centre/ Guard, They have 3-4 playing Corners and currently have two and a couple projects. I'd say corner and Edge rush are about the same in need. If there was no value in the second at oline or running back they could go there, but not in the first. No way. Its gonna be QB if they believe Trask is the man. Or its BPA from Olne Running Back.

 

[slashsteel]

If the Steelers are hell bent on a RB in the first two rounds we could very well see a trade up in 2 if 1 doesn't produce a back of their value liking. Which is my preference...

 

[bermudasteel]

I think it works out that may. Several teams in front of us need help at RB. I think the Dolphins take Etienne at 18 and the Jets take Harris at 23.

I'd better watch the draft on my wife's laptop then. If it plays out like that I'll need to break something...

 

[TDX27]

Another mediocre 4th or even 3rd round RB isn't going to cut it. We've been doing that. Our 2 biggest needs, by far, are still RB and OL. We need legit starters, not depth. Go best RB or OL available in the 1st (RB is my preference if we can get Etienne or Harris) and trade up (using a 2022 3rd round pick) in Rd. 2 to get the other. I'll preach that until I'm blue in the face and pretty much have for several months now.

 

[SteelerFan448]

The running back won’t matter if Finney and Okorafor are starting.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

They're not taking a non starting pick at one. C'mon man. They took Highsmith to replace Bud. not saying he will, but you can't say he won't. They have starting needs at RB, Centre/ Guard, They have 3-4 playing Corners and currently have two and a couple projects. I'd say corner and Edge rush are about the same in need. If there was no value in the second at oline or running back they could go there, but not in the first. No way. Its gonna be QB if they believe Trask is the man. Or its BPA from Olne Running Back.

I think a 3rd pass rusher is a starter just like i'd consider a nickel or dime DB a starter. Highsmith played quite a bit even before Bud was hurt. If Kwity Paye or Oweh are available at 24, they have to be considerations over a RB. You can plug and play RB, you can't really plug and play pass rushers.

How did taking Mendenhall fix the run game?

If you think that the steelers are OK at OL as is then RB in rd 1 makes sense. If you think they just need 1 new OL in the first 3 rounds then RB in rd 1 is OK. If you think that they need to draft a starting OT and a starting C just to compete then taking a RB in rd 1 is INSANE.

I have written before that the steelers may very well think that they are Ok with the OL as is and only needing a single upgrade. If that's the case then you can roll the dice and get a C in round 3 and OT in rd 4. I'd say most are not in favor of that but just be aware that you are likely signing up for that plan if you want to take a RB in round 1.

 

[SteelerSask2]

Najee Harris is not Spindenhall. Who was pretty damn good by the way. If they could average more than 4 yards per carry this offense is quite a bit different. Christ they had to pass on 3rd and one last year.

 

[SteelerFan448]

The Steelers haven't hid that they are in the middle of a transition period with few players signed beyond this season and a ton of cap space next season. They have needs in a lot of areas. The offensive line is terrible and one of the worst groups at run blocking over the past two years. If you bypass the OL this year, in essence, you waste one of the 5-6 years that you have a first-round running back. However, there are some pretty darn good backs at the top this year and they may not want to pass the opportunity and feel it's worth the risk. Maybe some of these guys can make their own yards because they'll need to with the lack of push. Ideally, if we get a back in the first one of the top 3 centers is sitting there for the Steelers in the second round.

 

[SteelerSask2]

If someone can explain to me how Trey Lance can not play last year In FCS and his stock seemingly increases. Chuba Hubbard had 2000 yards in the Big 12 the last year Lance played. Yet he is getting **** on because his heart wasn't in it and his ankle was injured.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

Najee Harris is not Spindenhall. Who was pretty damn good by the way. If they could average more than 4 yards per carry this offense is quite a bit different. Christ they had to pass on 3rd and one last year.

not because of the RB. It was because they have no blocking TE and the OL was atrocious. Derrick Henry would have struggled on the steelers last year. Unless they had a Barry Sanders or Saquon like talent that could routinely make defenders miss with poor blocking, no RB was going to do well last year.

Conner averaged 4.5 per carry his first 2 seasons, then the last 2 the OL went downhill and his average suffered. He still did average 4.3 last year.

Conner is a good but not great RB. Snell is nothing but a short yardage backup. He was a terrible draft pick. You can literally find 10 free agents to give you what Snell gives you.

My point with Mendenhall was that he was a 1st round RB, lots of talent and he didn't move the needle much on the overall effectiveness of the run game.

Harris or Etienne are better than what the steelers have. I expect than ANY RB will be better this year for the steelers because the scheme will be much better, the OL coaching will be better and i expect there will be at least 1 high draft pick on the OL.

If my choices are to draft Harris or Etienne then miss out on a TE and get a lesser OL prospect and lesser edge rusher prospect, or get a top OL prospect along with a TE and edge rusher that can play immediately and a RB in rd 4, I will take the 4th round RB, no doubt.

 

[Chicoman]

Steelers definitely need a RB with their first two picks in this NFL Draft. I'm not an fan of Etienne at all. The kid has great receiving skills and good speed but it ends there. He goes down easy with contact and in the NFL every defender is quick! Najee Harris has all the tools and great cutback ability and perhaps some of the best vision I've seen of any RB coming out of college in recent memory. If he has one fault it's his lack of break-away speed but he's everything you could ask for if he's there when the Steelers pick @ #24.

The dark horse in all of this when it comes to RB's is that Junior out of North Carolina Javonte Williams who is 220lbs and has the break-away speed that Najee Harris is missing. His vision might be a downgrade from Najee Harris but this kid fights through arm tackles and runs through people.....rarely goes down with first contact. I'm pretty confident in the highlights I've seen of this kid.....I'd love him even at #24 if the other 2 RB's are off the board. This kid is going to be an impact RB at the NFL level. I can't say the same thing for Etienne.

 

[tapeANaspirin2it]

If someone can explain to me how Trey Lance can not play last year In FCS and his stock seemingly increases. Chuba Hubbard had 2000 yards in the Big 12 the last year Lance played. Yet he is getting **** on because his heart wasn't in it and his ankle was injured.

Because rules are different for QB. QB is drafted on potential.

Big 12 stats are routinely discounted because defenses are so terrible in that conference. The knock on Hubbard is he has fumble issues, he's not much of a receiver, doesn't block and runs soft. He's thin and doesn't run with power. He's probably scheme dependent. Teams are all looking for RBs who can be a factor in the passing game.

 

[stuntmanmike]

Harris has bust written all over him I mean, come on dude, run a 40 how bad can it be? 4.7 4.8 4.9? pretty bad. If we were smart wed take best edge or db in first then in the 2nd take the Oklahoma back. Dude can’t fail he’s 6.0 246 4.5 4.6 just a bruiser ... stevenson gets outside and he can’t be arm tackled he’s a monster. He’s not your typical smash mouth one trick pony he can do it all. Just like Dillon last year gave Green Bay a whole new dimension to their offense Stevenson could do same for us. we could trade down take him, get him get an extra db or qb mills.

 

[slashsteel]

Harris has bust written all over him I mean, come on dude, run a 40 how bad can it be? 4.7 4.8 4.9? pretty bad. If we were smart wed take best edge or db in first then in the 2nd take the Oklahoma back. Dude can’t fail he’s 6.0 246 4.5 4.6 just a bruiser ... stevenson gets outside and he can’t be arm tackled he’s a monster. He’s not your typical smash mouth one trick pony he can do it all. Just like Dillon last year gave Green Bay a whole new dimension to their offense Stevenson could do same for us. we could trade down take him, get him get an extra db or qb mills.

Not uncommon a player doesn't run a 40 coming off an injury. They don't want to risk reaggravating the injury and don't feel their 40 will be up to snuff without sufficient time to prepare. It isn't how bad it could be, it is don't do anything to give people a second guess with the result losing some money in the process. Teams could feel you are 100% if you ran. Not sure that risk outweighs the reward.

 

[johngaenzler]

I would be OK giving up a 4th or 5th next year to move up a bit to grab Najee. He is a the type of back that will still gain 1000 yards without a great line and will be effective at the goal line. That is what we’ve been missing and desperately need.

 

[Steelr4evr]

I'm a Harris fan! I remember this guy the Steelers had long ago named Harris. He was pretty good.

Seriously round 1,2 RB&OL. That's my dream