Pittsburgh Steelers’ brass successfully building through the draft
By Ryan Brennan
The Pittsburgh Steelers used the 2018 NFL Draft to address versatility and value, despite having a glaring need at inside linebacker.
The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the 2017 season with a Divisional playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, starting their offseason a bit earlier than hoped. There was an obvious need for help at inside linebacker, as well as some depth concerns in the secondary.
The Steelers ended up drafting 7 players, with an extra third-round pick and fifth-round pick. Of those players, 6 of them are still relevant today with the only exception being the team’s seventh round selection, defensive tackle Joshua Frazier.
Let’s take a quick breakdown and see where these players stand today:
Round 1, Pick 28
S Terrell Edmunds
The Steelers took a bit of a chance selecting Edmunds in the first round, as he wasn’t projected to go that high by anyone — except Pittsburgh. He wasn’t slotted to start right away, with the team signing Morgan Burnett in the offseason. Due to an injury, Edmunds was thrust into the lineup earlier than expected. He now heads into 2019 as one of the starting safeties alongside Sean Davis, as the Steelers take advantage of his versatility in dime packages.
Round 2, Pick 60
WR James Washington
The Steelers knew they were going to rely on Antonio Brown and Smith-Schuster, but after trading Martavis Bryant they needed a replacement. They didn’t wait long to draft one, adding Washington in the second round. He didn’t find a lot of action his rookie season, but has been very impressive in 2019 training camp and has received praise from both coaches and players. He is expected to compete with Donte Moncrief as the No. 2 receiver.
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Round 3, Pick 76
QB Mason Rudolph
Much like they did the previous draft, the Steelers wanted to continue to prepare for the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. Again, that might not be anytime soon looking at the way Big Ben has been playing lately. Rudolph was always going to be a developmental quarterback, and learning behind one of the best will only work in Rudolph’s favor. In 2019, he is currently in a heated battle for backup quarterback with Joshua Dobbs, who was drafted in 2017.
Round 3, Pick 92
T Chukwuma Okorafor
The Steelers have a history of developing some pretty talented offensive lineman into franchise players for Pittsburgh. When they drafted Okorafor in the third round, they weren’t necessarily filling a need, but rather adding insurance to a position that you can never have enough talent. Okorafor has a ways to go before he is a bonafide starter, as he enters preseason in a position battle with Matt Feiler at right tackle. He’s a player that will need to capitalize on the opportunities that are given to him.
Round 5, Pick 148
DB Marcus Allen
Again, there wasn’t much of a need for defensive back help, but depth is never a bad thing — especially for special teams purposes. He joined 7 other Steelers’ safeties on the roster, so special teams was his real chance at keeping a roster spot. He spent most of his rookie year inactive with a hamstring injury, but is ready to prove himself this season. Now healthy and more motivated than ever, Allen can find himself making a big difference in the Steelers’ sub-packages. He has had a good training camp in 2019, and still has a lot of confidence from his coaches as a hard-hitting safety.
Round 5, Pick 165
RB Jaylen Samuels
Looking for some more depth at running back, the Steelers chose to go with a hybrid back with their second pick in the fifth round. Samuels did it all in college, playing halfback, fullback and tight end. His versatility was very intriguing to Pittsburgh, and he became useful in a win vs. the Patriots with James Conner injured. This offseason and training camp, Samuels has shown great chemistry in the offense and is emerging as a consistent weapon for Tomlin.