2020 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers top positional needs

Tight End

The Pittsburgh Steelers will need to upgrade their tight end position this offseason if they hope to compete in the AFC North. No other skill position on this roster needs an infusion of fresh talent more so than the tight end unit.

Steelers tight end Vance McDonald is under contract until 2022, but he has shown to be injury-prone. When he is on the field, McDonald is an elite tight end and worth the free-agent contract the team shelled out for him in 2017. But in seven seasons, McDonald has never played a full 16-game season, as injuries have been a recurring problem for the 29-year-old.

McDonald has all the physical tools that an NFL team could want. At 6-foot-4, 267 pounds, he is a big target downfield who can also pass block at the line of scrimmage. But his cap hit in 2020 is a little over $7 million, according to Spotrac. That is too much for a player who cannot be a regular fixture of the offense on a game-to-game basis.

The dead cap the team would incur from cutting him is prohibitive, however, so expect the Steelers to either trade him or make him a rotational piece in 2020.

Last season, the Steelers traded for tight end Nick Vannett from the Seattle Seahawks mid-season. He was a solid acquisition who, like McDonald, has all the physicality and potential a team wants from a tight end. At 6-foot-6, the Steelers took a chance on him, hoping he could grow as a player away from Seattle.

Last season, he scored zero touchdowns and had a mere 128 yards receiving. This off-season he is a free agent. Considering the lack of elite tight end talent in the 2020 NFL Draft, Vannett may be tempted to see what is out there for him in free agency. He may have only scored four touchdowns since arriving in the NFL, but his potential will make him a semi-attractive free agent this offseason.

Tight End number three on the roster is Zach Gentry. The Steelers drafted him in 2019 and he effectively redshirted his rookie season. At 6-foot-8, he also appears to have a ton of potential for the Steelers. But as an unproven second-year tight end, it is unclear if he can block at the line of scrimmage, something Tomlin values from his tight ends.

In any case, the team cannot depend on Gentry to be the lead tight end during the 2020 season. With only four touchdowns during his time in college, the team will need to rely on a tight end with more experience and production in the past.

Free Agency: The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely out of the Hunter Henry sweepstakes this offseason, but stranger things have happened. If Henry is looking to win in 2020, Pittsburgh is a solid destination for the free agent.

Having a future hall of fame quarterback in Roethlisberger would help Henry reach his full potential away from the Los Angeles Chargers. But with several other teams in serious need of a tight end, I expect the Steelers will be outbid early for Henry’s services in 2020.

Since general manager Colbert loves “potential” so much, there is a veteran tight end on the free-agent market, who has shown lots of potential when he is healthy. Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert is a free agent this offseason and could be a massive boon for the Steelers offense in 2020.

Eifert is the perfect example of a player who was never healthy at the right time. Between 2016 and 2018 when the team was attempting to compete, he was only available for 14 games. When the front office and the head coach seemed content on tanking in 2019, Eifert was available for all 16 games.

Eifert has shown phenomenal potential in the past. During the 2015 playoff season, he scored 13 touchdowns in 13 games, along with a 70 percent catch rate. In 2019, he still had a 68 percent catch rate, indicating he can still make the big plays down the middle of the field. With his injury history, however, it may be difficult for Eifert to secure a big free-agent contract this offseason.

If Eifert’s list of suitors is small, the Steelers could attempt to sneak in and sign the oft-injured tight end during free agency and see what he has left in the tank. If Eifert can stay healthy, he could be a massive win for this roster in 2020 and possibly beyond.

2020 NFL Draft: This year’s draft class may have the shortest list blue-chip tight end talent of any draft in recent memory.

Considering multiple teams will need to address the position this offseason, Colbert can assume most of the good tight ends in this year’s draft will be long gone by the time the Steelers are ready to draft.

The good news is there are plenty of Day 2 and 3 tight ends in the 2020 NFL Draft who look good enough to play in the league one day. USF tight end Mitchell Wilcox would be an interesting option during the second or third round this year.

A phenomenal route runner for Southern Florida, he is 6-foot-5, 245 pounds and has the deceptive motions necessary to confuse linebackers and safeties at the next level. He is a crisp runner down the field and has the size and frame to be a legitimate downfield threat. He isn’t the fastest runner downfield, but he has the hands to snatch the ball over the heads of many defenders currently playing in the NFL.

It is unclear how strong a pass blocker Wilcox will be in the NFL however. He did see action as a blocker at USF, which will help him when it comes to impressing NFL decision-makers at the Combine. Wilcox’s film shows him providing a multitude of roles for USF.

Whether it was pass blocking, lining up as a receiver or tight end, Wilcox stood out on film for his ability to push around smaller defenders, averaging 12.5 yards a catch. With a tight end class as thin as the 2020 NFL Draft, many teams will be watching Wilcox to see if he can deliver at the next level.

Most seasons, we see tight ends rise in the draft rankings after the Combine, as scouts get a chance to evaluate prospects from smaller college programs. Considering the lack of certified elite tight end talent in the 2020 NFL Draft, keep an eye on Wilcox during this year’s Combine. If Wilcox shows an ability to block in Indianapolis, expect the Steelers to be very interested during Day two draft selections.