2020 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers 7-round Mock Draft
By Ian Higgins
The Pittsburgh Steelers theme for 2019: Quarterback Turnover. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers look to bounce back in 2020 with stability through the NFL Draft.
Ben Roethlisberger, Mason Rudolph, Devlin Hodges. Having three starting quarterbacks throughout the course of an NFL season is never an indication of success for a franchise, and it surely did not pan out for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019.
From a season-ending injury to claimed racial slurs to derived popularity from a professional career in duck-calling, Steelers fans thought the absurdity was over when Antonio Brown was shipped out west.
The 2020 NFL Draft and free agency period need to be a period of rebirth for the organization, looking to prepare for their transition from a team centered around veteran Ben Roethlisberger to a core comprised of wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and running back James Conner.
Linebacker Devin Bush impressed as a tenacious middle linebacker throughout the season, totaling 109 combined tackles. The midseason addition of Minkah Fitzpatrick also revived this defense, adding a needed presence in the deep middle to anchor down the secondary with a bona fide star and playmaker.
One barrier to offseason success for Pittsburgh is not only a lack of high draft capital but a lack of selections throughout. Pittsburgh traded away their first, third, and fifth-round selections as well as a fifth-round selection acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Many teams make their money in the middle rounds of the draft but are secured by high-tier picks spent on safe prospects at the top of draft boards.
If 2020 is to be a winning year for the Steelers, Mike Tomlin and the scouting department need to hit on at least two of their first three picks, and hopefully find a star in the deep rounds of the draft and rookie free agency. If there was a draft year to be relying on deep talent, this is the one.