In light of their hectic offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have some leeway in this week’s NFL Draft.
At the pre-draft press conference on Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin stated as much, suggesting that Pittsburgh may be able to select the top player available on Thursday night when Round 1 begins.
“We’ve been very active in free agency and that makes you really comfortable as we lean in on draft weekend,” Tomlin stated. “so that we have taken care of several demands and are not experiencing excessive thirst in any one area. That feels positive to me as we approach the weekend.
The Steelers made a blockbuster trade for Justin Fields over the summer after signing Russell Wilson and trading former first-round pick Kenny Pickett. In addition, Pittsburgh made a trade to acquire veteran cornerback Donte Jackson, filled a long-standing void at linebacker with Patrick Queen, and completed its busy spring by adding Cordarrelle Patterson, Van Jefferson, and Quez Watkins, three players with excellent skill positions.
The Steelers’ lone apparent need going into the 2024 NFL Draft appears to be a starting center, but general manager Omar Khan stated on Monday that the team has offensive linemen who can play both full-time and part-time.
The intriguing place that remains when Pittsburgh is on the clock is at No. 20 overall. However, before examining the pro days the Steelers visited to try to focus in on potential targets, Tomlin hinted that it might be a ruse to confuse teams—or even the media—about Pittsburgh’s whereabouts.
“Sometimes at pro days, I’m looking at people I’m not interested in because I know everyone’s watching,” Tomlin stated. “To put it plainly, not many of my peers operate on the pro-day circuit in the same capacity as me. I now realize that my actions, the things I focus on, and the people I interact with all serve as media material. I therefore occasionally enjoy myself with you people.”
In addition, we’ll be keeping an eye on the following Monday in anticipation of the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET:
Who will be the first defensive player taken in the 2024 NFL Draft? A few quarterback and wide receiver prospects are predicted to dominate the opening half of the draft. Though it should come as no surprise, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport has identified a number of candidates who could be able to answer that intriguing question. Among them are two of the defensive line’s most sought-after positions: cornerback and pass rusher. Dallas Turner, a pass-rushing prospect, tops his list, and Rapoport notes that the Alabama product may be selected in the top 10 by the Atlanta Falcons (No. 8) and Chicago Bears (No. 9). Rapoport claims that Texas defensive end Byron Murphy II, who has drawn similarities to Aaron Donald, may also go among the top 10.
