By: Logan Leslie
SteelerNation.com
After signing a quality Cornerback to play opposite Joe Haden the Steelers have a much less glaring need at the position with the draft approaching. With 10 total draft picks and 4 in the top 100 the Steelers have the ammunition to make a draft day trade and land their next superstar. The biggest needs for the team this upcoming season would be at Inside Linebacker and Wide Receiver but don't be surprised if the Steelers go with an Edge Rusher since this is likely Bud Dupree's final season as a Steeler.
Top 5 players worth a trade up
ILB Devin White
White would finally be the guy the Steelers have been missing on defense since Ryan Shazier's injury in 2017. Over the last season and a half Sean Spence and John Bostic did not even come close to filling Shazier's shoes. Devin White is the total package he ran a 4.42 40 yard dash which would undoubtedly fill he missing speed in the middle of the defense. He will likely be a late top 10 pick. The cost to trade up would be high but a talent like White may be too hard to pass up.
WR D.K. Metcalf
Who better to fill the shoes of Antonio Brown? Metcalf is a big and explosive talent with projectable upside to become a homerun threat. He has a rare height, weight and speed combination and pairing him would JuJu Smith-Schuster could be scary. Metcalf's insane combine has likely placed him before the 20th overall pick but he is still seen by many as an unpolished receiver with an undeveloped skill set. Who better to develop him than the best WR factory in the NFL. Once all of his skills come together, defenses will struggle to find solutions for him. A trade up here would likely be only a few spots so the cost may not be too high for the Steelers to meet.
ILB Devin Bush
This is the most likely trade up for the Steelers. Bush has been mocked to the Steelers by many different experts so this could only require a trade up 1 or 2 spots if the team feels he may be off the board by their current pick. Bush has the speed Devin White has and would be a huge upgrade on defense. His play is less refined than White but the Steelers won't be scared off by that. Bush is seen as a very strong passing down defender, in his rookie season he and Bostic could play in a rotation depending upon game flow.
EDGE Montez Sweat
The team with the league leading sack totals two years running would become even more scary if the Steelers could somehow find themselves trading into the top 10. Sweat is seen as a leggy edge prospect with average play strength and a lack of refinement in his pass rush. Sound familiar? Scouts had a very similar take on T.J. Watt who outside of Myles Garrett has been the best pass rusher to come out of the 2017 Draft. Bud Dupree is on his way out, why not take a chance at Sweat if the price is right.
EDGE Josh Allen
The most unlikely but by far the best value would be a trade up for Allen. He is a true hybrid linebacker with elite physical traits who has the ability to float between coverage and pass rush duties, something Dupree has been unable to master. Allen's insane skill set would offer Kieth Butler a stud player to deploy around the field. He is already a fine tuned pass rusher and will only get better after receiving some NFL coaching. He has the tools to become dominant as a run defender and a pass rusher. The insane price of trading from pick 20 to the top 5 could be worth it if the Steelers want to make a big gamble on draft night.
