Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 NFL mock draft roundup
The 2020 NFL Draft is finally here! Who do the experts think the Pittsburgh Steelers will take in this year’s draft?
Good question!
That’s why I scoured the Internet for various mock drafts from a variety of websites to compile analyst picks for the Steelers. Some are the same and others are wild.
Here’s a breakdown of some of those picks.
Note: All picks are second-round selections with Pick 49.
ESPN (Mel Kiper, Jr.)
Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
What they said:
"I have definitely been told by several teams that [Jalen Hurts] will not get out of round two."@MelKiperESPN has Hurts going to the Steelers in his latest mock draft. pic.twitter.com/sdBcJmGL8u
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 14, 2020
FantasyPros (Mike Tagliere)
Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
What they said:
Please don’t shrug off the possibility of the Steelers drafting a quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a major injury to his throwing arm and is 38 years old. They have no idea how he’s going to hold up and this team is built to win right now. They cannot afford to have a repeat of 2019, and Hurts has been a winner on the big stage. The Steelers backups proved they’re incapable last year, and there are many who believe Hurts is going to be a star in the league.
CBS Sports (R.J. White)
Lloyd Cushenberry, G/C, LSU
What they said:
The Steelers would do well to inject some talented youth on the offensive line, and Cushenberry is a potential long-term successor for Maurkice Pouncey at center. He’s worth giving a shot at guard until that time comes.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Ray Fittapaldo)
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
What they said:
The Steelers could go for a receiver or offensive tackle here, but this is a bet they are making a renewed commitment to the running game. Team president Art Rooney II issued the challenge to the coaching staff after the season. It’s also quite possible Taylor or another running back could represent the best value in this portion of the draft…
CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson)
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
What they said:
It’s hard to imagine these top-flight RBs lasting this long but if they do, the Steelers have an easy choice; get Big Ben some help in the backfield in case James Conner can’t stay healthy.
The Sporting News (Vinnie Iyer)
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
What they said:
The Steelers are in the market for an upgrade in the backfield given James Conner’s durability issues and pending unrestricted free agency in 2021. Taylor (5-10, 226 pounds) has great vision and burst as a runner. He also doesn’t get enough credit for what he can do as a receiver, which was on display more during his final college season.
The Draft Wire (Luke Easterling)
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
NFL.com (Chad Reuter)
Cam Akers, RB, Florida State
The Draft Network (Benjamin Solak)
Justin Madubuike, IDL, Texas A&M
Penn Live (Jacob Klinger)
Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
What they said:
Reagor’s dad was an NFL defensive lineman. His relative lack of production (TCU wasn’t very good) in his final year with the Horned Frogs is what will allow him to slide this far to the Steelers. And once there, he’s more than poised to plug into multiple receiver positions in an offense that badly needs his game-breaking ability. Reagor would become the first project of receivers coach Ike Hilliard’s career in Pittsburgh.
Fansided (John Newman)
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
What they said:
With Notre Dame senior Chase Claypool, the Steelers draft a versatile wide receiver who can potentially plug two roster holes on the offense. Since Antonio Brown left during the 2019 offseason, the Steelers have been lacking a true number one receiver.
Fansided (Jacob Harrison)
Jonah Jackson, OG, Ohio State
What they said:
After 11-years with Pittsburgh, left guard Ramon Foster announced his retirement last Monday. The Steelers quickly signed Stefen Wisniewski as an insurance policy. Picking at 49 still keeps GM Kevin Colbert in a comfortable spot to select an interior lineman that will fit well with the Steelers veteran offensive line.
SI All Lions Blog (Logan Lamorandier)
Marlon Davidson, DL, Auburn
SI All Steelers Blog (Ryan Sakamoto)
Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma
What they said:
If you watched his film from 2018 to 2019 you will see two vastly different players. On one-hand, you see a two-gap read-and-react style defensive tackle, while last year Gallimore was more of a vertical one-gap penetrator.
No matter the scheme, Gallimore excelled in both roles. He can stack-and-shed at the point of attack and rush the passer using his quick initial get-off. It’s what separates himself from the other defensive tackles in this year’s draft class.
Conclusions
Not that Jalen Hurts won’t be a fine player in the NFL, but I’d strongly dislike that as the Steelers second round pick when there are other immediate needs for the future.
Hurts would maybe see the field in year three or four of his rookie contract – depending on if and when Ben Roethlisberger (age 38) walks away from the game. After losing his 2019 season, it doesn’t sound as if Big Ben is willing to do that as of yet.
The Steelers offense is adequately addressed with many of the other mocks listed. Anyone looking at defense doesn’t know the Steelers organization (or roster) well enough, or is overestimating the loss of Javon Hargrave as a backup defensive end and part-time nose tackle in a defense that hasn’t resembled the traditional Dick LeBeau 3-4 in at least a decade.
That’s why offense should be the pick: and I’m not talking quarterback. While fingers have been pointed at Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges, they’re the backups, not the starters heading in 2020. We saw what a future without Big Ben might look like, but the picture was incomplete with JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, Ramon Foster and Maurkice Pouncey all missing time.
It’s those positions that truly highlight the mess the Steelers offense was last season: and it’s those positions that will help elevate younger quarterbacks to success in the near future.
Not an entirely new, inexperienced, passer who gets to start from scratch.
