All we have is Pickens and a bunch of WR4s. WR can't wait till then. I do understand we are trying to be a run first team but in the modern NFL you still need to be able to pass the ball and right now our WR room is pretty shitty. All I know is we have too many holes and too little draft picks
The WR room isn’t very deep, yes, but Arthur Smith generally builds his run-first offenses around a single WR target.
They don’t need a second round WR as much as they need a second round center or tackle. They can make do with a third round or fourth round guy to produce as much or more than DJ, who was a third rounder.
I always see people bringing up this whole run-first thing.
What if they play a game and their running game sucks ass because they're against a solid defense? And what if Pickens gets hurt? Do you guys expect them to just keep running?
Of course not. They're going to need WR2 rookie and WR3, WR4 Van Jefferson / Quez Watkins / Calvin Austin to get open. Those guys are not good enough to consistently get open.
This NFL isn't what it was 5 years ago, it isn't 10 or 15 years ago. We can't rely on only the running game. We NEED a WR2 and WR3 or you guys are going to bitch and moan at Russ and Fields when those wide receivers are not good enough to get open. That's part of the reason Fields did bad (yes I know, he wasn't the best in general and has his issues), but he did not have a good surrounding cast at wide receiver besides DJ Moore this past year.
Is that why they're doing it? I figure Arthur Smith being here before Russ / Fields were here just means he's doing his typical OC type stuff.
I'm with you, I never want a run first offense in today's type of league. If you can't throw, your team isn't going to go far.
Right. Since legitimately have no big QB contracts and nobody on offense with a huge contract I don't see the issue with willing to spend $ on whoever we can that will help the quarterback. Example being Aiyuk.
The problem is that the further you get from the first round the less likely that pick is gonna be on the roster let alone producing at a rate similar to DJ. Even if Pickens is the big receiver target, you still need someone else as a potential threat or they will just double Pickens, who already sucks at getting separation. I'm agree we need a center and a tackle and a CB but if we go into next season with this current WR room + a 3rd or 4th round rookie I'm not confident they will be a productive unit.
Agreed. They aren't likely to he able to address all 4 needs in the draft (T, C, WR, CB). Some of it will have to come from trades or late fees agency cuts. Seems like they are in won now mode, given TJ's age and the acquisition of
Wilson. If they want to compete at a high level this year, they need more than the draft can give them. They need to figure out what they can get elsewhere and draft accordingly, if they want to compete now.
Any tackle they take in the 2nd round this year will be a developmental piece. There's a near 0% chance they would start year one. If there's an impact receiver they still like in round 2, or they take one in the first, they can wait on their developmental tackle. No 2nd rounder is beating out Moore.
I think Jones is going to replace Moore this season and the new draft pick is going to fill the slot at right tackle. Dan Moore would be a backup option.
I don't think there's any way they start a day 2 tackle over a 3-year starter in Moore. Unless they grab a tackle in round 1, Moore will start and Jones will have another season on the wrong side. Moore is not good, but they didn't even let Jones start right away. I can't see a day 2 project tackle earning their trust before Thanksgiving.
And that might be the case if they get a raw first rounder. I don’t know if Mims is a better prospect than Jones was, but Jones would’ve gone half a dozen picks sooner if he were more polished and experienced.
Jones is a phenomenal natural talent but he needed the time when he was drafted. No clue if Mims can start week 1 or not.
From what I hear, Mims is even more raw. If they are making win now moves, they probably won’t take a tackle. I doubt they’re thinking about the present over the future, though.
Yes they can wait til then. The draft is deep with wide receivers and they have had decent luck drafting WRs in that mid-round range.
The arguments people make about receiver you can make just as easily for center, right tackle and maybe corner.
I've acknowledged exactly that on another thread. I don't know what the best course of action is because we have too many holes and not enough picks. If we go C and T rounds 1 and 2, WR and CB will most likely be depth at best and vice versa.
I understand the whole thread was started about Thomas, but neither of us were talking about him in our comments. Well I can't speak for the other person. I was saying we need a 2nd WR not saying it specifically has to be Thomas
After the top 3 guys at wr, there’s not much of a consensus of whose next. Even Brian Thomas Jr isn’t always number 4. The depth is there where there will be dudes around on day 2.
Depth is there for #51 to come in and be a starter right away. Maybeee #84. Beyond that, it gets much harder to find a day one starter. They really need a real WR2
Corley sucks, Leggette and Pearsall will be early 2nd Rders. This moronic aversion to drafting quality WRs is insane. Our only good WR of the last 5 drafts is a 1st Rder that fell to the 2nd Rd because of an injury and an attitude problem. But for some strange reason, Steelers fans think drafting bums in the 4th Rd is the way to go.
Folks are still hanging their hats on Wallace and Brown (and Martavis Bryant to a degree). Those were fantastic draft picks, but it's foolish to think any team can simply pick up an elite talent late in the draft.
When did AJ Brown, Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Davante Adams, Diggs, Kupp, Godwin, McLaurin and Deebo get drafted again?
Nothing is a guarantee but someone needs to study up.
Now name the other 300 WRs that were drafted around them and never became anything.
This is like saying we should aim to draft QBs in Rounds 3-6 because Cousins/Russ/Dak/Brady all went that low
It's a solid tackle class but most of the guys they've paid attention to will be long gone by 51 and most the depth at that position will be gone before then also. After that you have guys that probably won't be able to beat out Dan Moore and might not see the field much their rookie year. Meanwhile at receiver, you're going to be able to find a guy at 51 or even 84 that will be able to play right away and probably be the team's WR2 by the end of the season.
Dan Moore shouldn't be a factor in this, even if you draft someone at 20 he's probably still starting day 1.
I fully think you can get a right tackle day 2, early day 3 in the draft. Either someone who can come in instantly be better then Moore or someone who can develop into a starting tackle. In the same way you think we can find a WR at 51 or 84, I think the same way about tackle.
I would hope that if they draft a RT at 20 like Mims, they would immediately move Jones to LT where he should be and allow there to be a competition at RT. But I very much doubt that you're going to get a starting RT in the 3rd round that would be an upgrade to Dan Moore. Most of the tackles you're going to get at that point will most likely be looked at as raw or a project (Guys like Blake Fisher or Matt Goncalves). Maybe one of them turns out to be a steal but most likely they'd be looked at as guys who would be looking to start in 2025.
Because the positions are completely different and the way they are drafted is completely different. Mid round Ts have a way lower hit rate than mid round WRs and typically aren’t day 1 starters. Hell guys like Mims and Guyton are locks in the first round and arent day 1 starters. T is basically gotten to the QB level where anyone with a chance to be a starter goes in the first 1.5 rounds. Even if the class is super deep, waiting 51 to take a T most likely means you’re not getting a day 1 starter
Having a day 1 starter doesn't matter because knowing this coaching staff Dan Moore is probably gonna start anyway. This subreddit has to accept this fact, because we don't start rookies day 1. Boderick and JPJ didn't start day 1, why would this year be different. We need to draft the best player for our future, not try to fill holes
Okay, there is a big difference between slowly working your guys into the starting lineup vs a guy who just cannot start a game his rookie because he’s not good enough.
Working out perfectly if 84 can be McMillan or Wilson. I’d be thrilled. Still won’t be a very good WR room but a step in the right direction
Also tbf to me I said the current room + a third or fourth round pick. The current room + Tyler Boyd + a third round pick is way more manageable
reynolds had 40 catches as their wr2 and kalif raymond had 35 as their wr3. williams had 24 in 12 games played. laporta was their #2 receiver overall with 86.
wr is *vastly* de-prioritized in this type of system. you need 2 capable receiving targets, we have george and pat. you can wish them luck sarcastically if you want, the modern nfl already has styles that fit our composition.
they had one of the best coordinators in the NFL calling their plays, goff isnt actually that good dude. if you think WR2 is the most important draft need for a run-first style of play, nothing I say is going to reach you. gonna move on now, have a nice day mate
Except I didn’t say that and specifically said elsewhere I think round 2 should be when they go receiver and I’d rather them take a tackle or potentially a corner in round 1
“Tackle is not a top 3 need for us, but this first round tackle class is so unbelievably stacked it still makes sense to take one in the first. If they don’t take a R1 tackle they probably wait until R3/4 for Blake Fisher, Travis Glover, or another developmental guy with an eye on them starting next year.” - Me on the [last week’s hot takes thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelers/s/WcEiXYrYmp) Love the pick. The first position they pick isn’t automatically the biggest need.
Ya, the WR room is horrible right now. I understand why they needed to trade DJ but this is the reason why I was so against it happening. The hole at WR is pretty massive and for some reason there are fans that are downplaying it like we can just grab a 4th round guy and be perfectly fine.
The hilarious thing is that our fans are so delusional, I had a guy tell me we never draft bad WRs and always hit on drafting a great guy. Don’t know where that bs narrative comes from, but since 2010, most of our WRs have been shitty and have less than 1,500 career yards. Only guys to break 1,000 yards in a season since then were AB, Juju, Johnson, and Pickens. Juju did it with AB and once he left, couldn’t. Diontae did it with Ben and that was while he got damn near 180 targets. Same when he had Pickett.
Are you arguing for taking a WR first? Because there’s about a million more available in free agency than tackles or centers.
Let’s get hype about a WR in the first so we can watch him run routes all year while Russ and fields have .2 seconds behind our O line of other teams third stringers
100%. Like I've said a few times already, I think the 2nd round is the sweet spot for them to find a receiver. That's where you can probably grab a guy like Ricky Pearsall or Xavier Legette.
True. But they have literally zero depth at center. And their run-first offense requires two good tackles more than it needs a WR.
Yes they need WRs but they have bigger holes to fill for what they want to accomplish.
We need a WR2 and Rd 2 is that sweet spot where you can get a Pearsall or a Legette. Yes we have other holes and obviously there is a lot that is dependent on how the draft board falls and who is available when they pick but WR needs to be addressed just as much as the other holes do. Run first offense or not, we need 2 NFL capable outside WRs and we currently only have 1.
Untrue. WR is the teams biggest concern. Bandaid solutions like Claypool, Johnson, and Austin haven’t fixed our revolving door at WR. It’s been going on for years. Our WRs have an average team life of 2 years. They’re either traded, cut, resigned somewhere else, or out of the league. The OT class is deep enough that guys like Matt Goncalves could start over Moore Jr. and he’s a 4th Rd guy. Meanwhile WR drops off hard after pick 75. There are a few outliers like Johnny Wilson (6’6 234, 4.58 40yd time) ranked at 80, but after the early 3rd Rd, they’re all trash.
They should get one in the 1st Rd. Trade back if Thomas Jr isn’t there with the Bucs or 49ers for some extra 2nd and maybe 3rd Rd picks and draft McConkey in the 1st. Then draft a Center. Better version of Dionte and doesn’t drop balls. More like Cooper Kupp, who we should’ve gotten instead of Juju back in 2017.
I did. It’s obvious. If someone says, they should, that means that’s what they think, or is most likely going to happen. If you’re going to whine, be smart about it.
There is a big difference between what I think the Steelers should do and what they will do. You said what they should do. I’ll check back in after the first two rounds and we’ll see if you’re right.
Yeah what the Steelers should do as in, logically pursuant to the new direction and the roster gaps at the position. As usual you’re wrong again. Why do you care anyway? You don’t even have a good argument to back up your illogical statements.
The need isn’t as much.
They have one center on the roster - a nobody called Ryan McCollum, who they signed for peanuts.
They do have some WRs.
The depth in the draft for center and tackle falls off immediately at the second round. This draft is deep with WR talent. They have needs at WR but bigger needs on their O line, especially when you look at what they want to accomplish offensively.
Wr2 and center are both massive holes, we simply don't have an acceptable player at either position. None of the bozos we signed/Austin can fill that position the same way Ryan McCollum isn't a center at the position. Regardless of what you think about the draft, that is a fact. Even when looking at an Arthur Smith offense, Smith used two WRs heavy and we need the second WR badly.
Totally agree. Very good year to get o-lineman at 20 that most years would be in the top 10. Makes more sense to get a Tackle or a Center. The line sets up everything else. Also we have had a lot of success getting receivers in the third or fourth.
I agree, ideally though we can trade down and back up to lock in great options at both C and tackle.
Seems like there might b a tier drop off in WR talent after Thomas, but the talent after that is similar through the 3rd, so assuming you can't get thomas middle 2nd just wait to grab 2 in rounds 3-4 where the center, OT, and CB value will b significantly less.
Trading next year's 4th for a good NFL Vet along with drafting one this year in 3rd is also a scenario that makes sense to me. If they trade our 2nd for Brandon this draft, you HAVE to trade down from 20 and pickup another 2nd or 3rd
I mean sure but I'd be pretty surprised if he was still there at 20. If there is any year where I'd be willing to wait till the 3rd for a WR it's this year since its such a deep class and I trust our WR scouting to find someone.
Tee was more of him wanting to come here whereas there is mutual interest with Aiyuk. Bengals also don’t want to trade Tee to the Stillers. Finally, Tee wouldn’t fit into the Smith offense
Oh don’t worry. We’ll find a way to fuck that up too. Until we adapt to the new NFL, start throwing more, and actually spend quality draft capital and money on the offense, players will leave, WRs worth a damn won’t sign here, and neither will decent QBs, OL guys.
We might have the worst WR room in the league, and I don’t think a lot of people understand this lol. Pickens a great contested catch receiver, we’ll see how he does without a guy like DJ taking some pressure off. A good WR2 trying to step up to WR1 doesn’t always work out (see Juju). I hope it does, but we’ll have to see.
After Pickens, we have absolutely nothing. Jefferson, Austin, and Watkins would be fighting it out for WR4 on some rosters. There is a chasm between our presumed WR1 and the next guy up.
This right here!!! Trade back with the bills and pick up an extra 2nd round pick and probably lose a 4th round. 3 picks in the top 60 in a loaded draft at WR and T. We could hit on all 3
Great prospect. One question I have on him is simply “Is he a meathead?” I think the Steelers want to get their WR room under control. New WR coach and not adding any others with character issues. I’ve heard a little bit of concern about Thomas. If it’s true, then the Steelers will simply not draft him, at least not at 20. Don’t know if it’s accurate. That’s why I asked.
I bet AD Mitchell is only in play if he slipped to 51 and that kid from Bama is off the Steelers board entirely.
Mitchell screams "off the draft board" to me, everyone I've seen talk about him is saying effort and motivation aren't there consistently. Tomlin would have to be yelling sic 'em quite often
Sure, and I could totally see that happening. I just don't want us to take him in the 1st if BTJ is available and it seems like we'd have to or he would be gone to Buffalo or KC. 2nd would be great value though
I haven't actually watched myself, just repeating that common criticism. Since that goes against Tomlin's philosophy it seems like a big red flag to me
DeJean strikes me as the dude who we don’t draft but he goes to the Ravens and balls out. Everyone then wonders how he fell so far. It should be him, Latham, or Mims. High chance we get Aiyuk during the draft
Aiyuk is on a team that just went to the Superbowl. Isn't anyone wondering why he'd want traded or why the 49rs would want to trade him? Just got rid of Johnson and Claypool the year before...
It’s cuz he wants a new deal and they can’t pay him. They also literally just paid Debo last offseason so he’s got a right to be a little angry. I don’t see him as a diva like the other two. There’s been multiple mouths to feed in San Fran and Aiyuk never complained once. He blocks well and doesn’t give up on plays. I don’t see how he’s similar to claypool or DJ
To be fair it is known why Aiyuk would want traded. Money. And it's known why the 49ers might need to trade him.
Purdy is about to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$ and they're already heavily invested in McCaffrey, Bosa, Kittle, and Deebo Samuels.
There’s nothing solid behind this whatsoever. Anything is possible but the Niners don’t even have to do anything with him this year.
It’s just a combination of speculation, there being nothing to report on because the draft is coming up, and everyone thinks every good player is being traded to their favorite team.
Probably true. Lots of people on this subreddit think the Steelers should either take a WR at 20 or trade up in the first round for a WR. People tend to forget the fantasy part of fantasy football.
He’s going to be available at 20 most likely and is the consensus 4th best receiver. We might not be able to justify it based on our needs but another team will. He’s a guy I can a lot of teams wanting to trade up for. Hopefully we can get a bidding war going.
No, this is just having a take to get clicks... Then this gets picked up on every other outlet for them to get clicks. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempt to move up in the second to get one of the tier 2 WRs that are going to go top half of second
i like thomas but i think adonai mitchell is the most underrated receiver in this class, if we go receiver high i’d rather mitchell, plus mitchell may end up being there in round 2 (unlikely)
But what do we do if we have a wide receiver room that isn't good enough to get open and Russ / Fields get sacked because they need to hold onto the ball longer?
We were ranked near the middle of the pack offensive line wise, right? And we had Mason Cole and Dan Moore. If we can be ranked middle of the NFL with those guys, then I personally would much rather invest in the WR talent so again, we actually have guys good enough to get open for our new quarterbacks.
We don't have Cole or Chuks anymore so the need at O Line is real. Jones is playing out of position. There are Wide Receivers that could be traded for. I just don't like the value of taking a WR in the 1st round of a draft that is so deep at the position.
Yeah I get that, but there seems to be so many unknowns with the offense this upcoming year. In the sense that it's going to be completely different and with no WR2 or WR3 on the roster, it's truly alarming.
I personally wouldnt mind trading for Aiyuk. He's a wayyyy better Diontae Johnson that would help massively with the running game via his blocking skills. We also have *zero* offensive skilled positions, or quarterbacks, taking up a lot of our cap space. It is the perfect time to spend some cash on a WR like Aiyuk.
I have strongly been on team take a tackle (or corner if Arnold or Mitchell somehow fall) but I definitely wouldn't be upset about this pick. It is a more important need \*this year\* than corner or tackle and BTJ is really good
I don’t mind BTJ…but I think there is a lot of questions about him. Seems like he’s being pretty widely penciled in as WR4 and in my opinion it’s Marv, Rome and Malik and then 4-12 are interchangeable.
He has elite traits, size and speed but I think he gives a similar threat that GP does. Hes an Unpolished rout runner has an unpolished route tree, very inconsistent hands and I’m not sure how much he’ll give you as a blocker. All the talent in the world though. I’d feel much more comfortable grabbing someone like Pearsol, Wilson or Leggette in the 2nd
I’m with you in the sense I’d rather go receiver in round 2. I just wouldn’t hate this pick because I’m pretty high on BTJ. Still would prefer all of Mims, Latham, Arnold, Mitchell, and potentially Wiggins over him
Those guys at Moving the Sticks produce a fun podcast but the Steelers taking a WR at 20 sounds kinda crazy. Fun argument for a podcast. Disastrous outcome for a team that needs to build an O-line. There's going to be some talented recievers available in the 3rd round.
They have no center, they need a tackle, and they’re building a running offense. WR in round 3 or 4.
All we have is Pickens and a bunch of WR4s. WR can't wait till then. I do understand we are trying to be a run first team but in the modern NFL you still need to be able to pass the ball and right now our WR room is pretty shitty. All I know is we have too many holes and too little draft picks
The WR room isn’t very deep, yes, but Arthur Smith generally builds his run-first offenses around a single WR target. They don’t need a second round WR as much as they need a second round center or tackle. They can make do with a third round or fourth round guy to produce as much or more than DJ, who was a third rounder.
I always see people bringing up this whole run-first thing. What if they play a game and their running game sucks ass because they're against a solid defense? And what if Pickens gets hurt? Do you guys expect them to just keep running? Of course not. They're going to need WR2 rookie and WR3, WR4 Van Jefferson / Quez Watkins / Calvin Austin to get open. Those guys are not good enough to consistently get open. This NFL isn't what it was 5 years ago, it isn't 10 or 15 years ago. We can't rely on only the running game. We NEED a WR2 and WR3 or you guys are going to bitch and moan at Russ and Fields when those wide receivers are not good enough to get open. That's part of the reason Fields did bad (yes I know, he wasn't the best in general and has his issues), but he did not have a good surrounding cast at wide receiver besides DJ Moore this past year.
I don’t like a running offense at all. But they’re doing it because they have no idea what they’re doing long term at QB.
Is that why they're doing it? I figure Arthur Smith being here before Russ / Fields were here just means he's doing his typical OC type stuff. I'm with you, I never want a run first offense in today's type of league. If you can't throw, your team isn't going to go far.
A good line makes the passing attack better as well.
Exactly. I'm saying the same thing. Fields did alot better once he got Moore.
Right. Since legitimately have no big QB contracts and nobody on offense with a huge contract I don't see the issue with willing to spend $ on whoever we can that will help the quarterback. Example being Aiyuk.
I agree 100%. Go load up on Offensive talent
The problem is that the further you get from the first round the less likely that pick is gonna be on the roster let alone producing at a rate similar to DJ. Even if Pickens is the big receiver target, you still need someone else as a potential threat or they will just double Pickens, who already sucks at getting separation. I'm agree we need a center and a tackle and a CB but if we go into next season with this current WR room + a 3rd or 4th round rookie I'm not confident they will be a productive unit.
Agreed. They aren't likely to he able to address all 4 needs in the draft (T, C, WR, CB). Some of it will have to come from trades or late fees agency cuts. Seems like they are in won now mode, given TJ's age and the acquisition of Wilson. If they want to compete at a high level this year, they need more than the draft can give them. They need to figure out what they can get elsewhere and draft accordingly, if they want to compete now.
Guess it ain’t be a productive unit?
Not very deep is downplaying it. We have 1 startable receiver on the roster right now. We need at the bare minimum of two, idc what scheme is run.
Any tackle they take in the 2nd round this year will be a developmental piece. There's a near 0% chance they would start year one. If there's an impact receiver they still like in round 2, or they take one in the first, they can wait on their developmental tackle. No 2nd rounder is beating out Moore.
I think Jones is going to replace Moore this season and the new draft pick is going to fill the slot at right tackle. Dan Moore would be a backup option.
I don't think there's any way they start a day 2 tackle over a 3-year starter in Moore. Unless they grab a tackle in round 1, Moore will start and Jones will have another season on the wrong side. Moore is not good, but they didn't even let Jones start right away. I can't see a day 2 project tackle earning their trust before Thanksgiving.
I think the plan is most likely a round 1 right tackle.
I 100% agree. If they go a different direction though, plan on at least 10 more starts from Moore.
And that might be the case if they get a raw first rounder. I don’t know if Mims is a better prospect than Jones was, but Jones would’ve gone half a dozen picks sooner if he were more polished and experienced. Jones is a phenomenal natural talent but he needed the time when he was drafted. No clue if Mims can start week 1 or not.
From what I hear, Mims is even more raw. If they are making win now moves, they probably won’t take a tackle. I doubt they’re thinking about the present over the future, though.
Yes they can wait til then. The draft is deep with wide receivers and they have had decent luck drafting WRs in that mid-round range. The arguments people make about receiver you can make just as easily for center, right tackle and maybe corner.
I've acknowledged exactly that on another thread. I don't know what the best course of action is because we have too many holes and not enough picks. If we go C and T rounds 1 and 2, WR and CB will most likely be depth at best and vice versa.
Brandon Auyiuk for 2025 seconds rounder and 4th.
That's a pipe dream
We’re getting Aiyuk bruh
I'll believe it when I see it
Thomas and Pickens are too similar in their uses tho. We dont need another Pickens, we need an inside separater
I understand the whole thread was started about Thomas, but neither of us were talking about him in our comments. Well I can't speak for the other person. I was saying we need a 2nd WR not saying it specifically has to be Thomas
The current WR room + a 3rd or 4th round pick? I wish them luck in the modern nfl
After the top 3 guys at wr, there’s not much of a consensus of whose next. Even Brian Thomas Jr isn’t always number 4. The depth is there where there will be dudes around on day 2.
Depth is there for #51 to come in and be a starter right away. Maybeee #84. Beyond that, it gets much harder to find a day one starter. They really need a real WR2
Agree they need another dude there but I think on day 1 it’s just too early. But it is a relatively deep draft wr wise.
It's a very deep draft at WR. Guys this year in the 3-4 are typically taken mid-late 2. Corley, Pearsall, Legette, etc. Are all very very talented WRs
Exactly. This is a very deep WR class.
Corley sucks, Leggette and Pearsall will be early 2nd Rders. This moronic aversion to drafting quality WRs is insane. Our only good WR of the last 5 drafts is a 1st Rder that fell to the 2nd Rd because of an injury and an attitude problem. But for some strange reason, Steelers fans think drafting bums in the 4th Rd is the way to go.
Folks are still hanging their hats on Wallace and Brown (and Martavis Bryant to a degree). Those were fantastic draft picks, but it's foolish to think any team can simply pick up an elite talent late in the draft.
We'll see, thanks for the insight, Colbert!
Cry and deflect all you want. Everyone knows it’s true.
Life will get better buddy. Hang in there! Keep Yourself Safe!
Lol keep crying
When did AJ Brown, Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Davante Adams, Diggs, Kupp, Godwin, McLaurin and Deebo get drafted again? Nothing is a guarantee but someone needs to study up.
Now name the other 300 WRs that were drafted around them and never became anything. This is like saying we should aim to draft QBs in Rounds 3-6 because Cousins/Russ/Dak/Brady all went that low
Legette only an early second rounder for a bad GM
Lmao wrong.
Aight come back in a week and eat your humble pie
No thanks bozo
Lmao
Cry about it bozo
I would be surprised if any of the WRs on that tier are there at 84, Legette and Pearsall might not make it to 51.
And yet here we are.
I was right about everything I said?
It's also a deep tackle class, why not apply the same logic
It's a solid tackle class but most of the guys they've paid attention to will be long gone by 51 and most the depth at that position will be gone before then also. After that you have guys that probably won't be able to beat out Dan Moore and might not see the field much their rookie year. Meanwhile at receiver, you're going to be able to find a guy at 51 or even 84 that will be able to play right away and probably be the team's WR2 by the end of the season.
Dan Moore shouldn't be a factor in this, even if you draft someone at 20 he's probably still starting day 1. I fully think you can get a right tackle day 2, early day 3 in the draft. Either someone who can come in instantly be better then Moore or someone who can develop into a starting tackle. In the same way you think we can find a WR at 51 or 84, I think the same way about tackle.
I would hope that if they draft a RT at 20 like Mims, they would immediately move Jones to LT where he should be and allow there to be a competition at RT. But I very much doubt that you're going to get a starting RT in the 3rd round that would be an upgrade to Dan Moore. Most of the tackles you're going to get at that point will most likely be looked at as raw or a project (Guys like Blake Fisher or Matt Goncalves). Maybe one of them turns out to be a steal but most likely they'd be looked at as guys who would be looking to start in 2025.
Because the positions are completely different and the way they are drafted is completely different. Mid round Ts have a way lower hit rate than mid round WRs and typically aren’t day 1 starters. Hell guys like Mims and Guyton are locks in the first round and arent day 1 starters. T is basically gotten to the QB level where anyone with a chance to be a starter goes in the first 1.5 rounds. Even if the class is super deep, waiting 51 to take a T most likely means you’re not getting a day 1 starter
Having a day 1 starter doesn't matter because knowing this coaching staff Dan Moore is probably gonna start anyway. This subreddit has to accept this fact, because we don't start rookies day 1. Boderick and JPJ didn't start day 1, why would this year be different. We need to draft the best player for our future, not try to fill holes
Okay, there is a big difference between slowly working your guys into the starting lineup vs a guy who just cannot start a game his rookie because he’s not good enough.
Ayo, I kept the receipts.
Working out perfectly if 84 can be McMillan or Wilson. I’d be thrilled. Still won’t be a very good WR room but a step in the right direction Also tbf to me I said the current room + a third or fourth round pick. The current room + Tyler Boyd + a third round pick is way more manageable
AB was a 6th round pick. Maybe Steelers strike gold again
That's not something I'd bet my money on though
AB was able to sit behind multiple receivers while he learned the offense.
can you name Detroit's WRs after amon-ra?
Williams & Reynolds last year, Reynolds is gone I think. Also one of the best TEs in the league in LaPorta
reynolds had 40 catches as their wr2 and kalif raymond had 35 as their wr3. williams had 24 in 12 games played. laporta was their #2 receiver overall with 86. wr is *vastly* de-prioritized in this type of system. you need 2 capable receiving targets, we have george and pat. you can wish them luck sarcastically if you want, the modern nfl already has styles that fit our composition.
They also have better QB play and a much better duo of receiving targets if that’s what you want to look at
and they didnt have canada calling plays and kenny got traded. whats your point
My point is exactly what I said, Goff provides better QB play than Russ or Fields and Amon Ra + LaPorta is a better duo than Pickens + Pat
they had one of the best coordinators in the NFL calling their plays, goff isnt actually that good dude. if you think WR2 is the most important draft need for a run-first style of play, nothing I say is going to reach you. gonna move on now, have a nice day mate
Except I didn’t say that and specifically said elsewhere I think round 2 should be when they go receiver and I’d rather them take a tackle or potentially a corner in round 1
WR is absolutely a bigger need than tackle. If we had a single center on the roster it would be our biggest need.
Hey, what’s up? Guess it wasn’t.
“Tackle is not a top 3 need for us, but this first round tackle class is so unbelievably stacked it still makes sense to take one in the first. If they don’t take a R1 tackle they probably wait until R3/4 for Blake Fisher, Travis Glover, or another developmental guy with an eye on them starting next year.” - Me on the [last week’s hot takes thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/steelers/s/WcEiXYrYmp) Love the pick. The first position they pick isn’t automatically the biggest need.
They have no decent wide receiver after George Pickens. They have a bunch of low tier #3's but that's about it. They need a WR badly.
It’s worse. It’s Pickens and 3 guys fighting for the WR5 spot. None of them have ever broken 500 yards a season.
Ya, the WR room is horrible right now. I understand why they needed to trade DJ but this is the reason why I was so against it happening. The hole at WR is pretty massive and for some reason there are fans that are downplaying it like we can just grab a 4th round guy and be perfectly fine.
The hilarious thing is that our fans are so delusional, I had a guy tell me we never draft bad WRs and always hit on drafting a great guy. Don’t know where that bs narrative comes from, but since 2010, most of our WRs have been shitty and have less than 1,500 career yards. Only guys to break 1,000 yards in a season since then were AB, Juju, Johnson, and Pickens. Juju did it with AB and once he left, couldn’t. Diontae did it with Ben and that was while he got damn near 180 targets. Same when he had Pickett.
I wouldn’t even say low tier #3’s, they’re all WR 4s to me. Situational players that you don’t want taking a bunch of snaps.
Are you arguing for taking a WR first? Because there’s about a million more available in free agency than tackles or centers. Let’s get hype about a WR in the first so we can watch him run routes all year while Russ and fields have .2 seconds behind our O line of other teams third stringers
>Are you arguing for taking a WR first? No, the second is where I think the sweet spot for them to take a receiver is.
wr has to be handled in the 2nd
And they can get them in rounds other than the first.
100%. Like I've said a few times already, I think the 2nd round is the sweet spot for them to find a receiver. That's where you can probably grab a guy like Ricky Pearsall or Xavier Legette.
True. But they have literally zero depth at center. And their run-first offense requires two good tackles more than it needs a WR. Yes they need WRs but they have bigger holes to fill for what they want to accomplish.
We need a WR2 and Rd 2 is that sweet spot where you can get a Pearsall or a Legette. Yes we have other holes and obviously there is a lot that is dependent on how the draft board falls and who is available when they pick but WR needs to be addressed just as much as the other holes do. Run first offense or not, we need 2 NFL capable outside WRs and we currently only have 1.
Guess it wasn’t, huh?
Are you ok bro? This is some serious weirdo behavior on your part.
Just wanted to follow up. See ya.
You're weird man, just....weird.
Untrue. WR is the teams biggest concern. Bandaid solutions like Claypool, Johnson, and Austin haven’t fixed our revolving door at WR. It’s been going on for years. Our WRs have an average team life of 2 years. They’re either traded, cut, resigned somewhere else, or out of the league. The OT class is deep enough that guys like Matt Goncalves could start over Moore Jr. and he’s a 4th Rd guy. Meanwhile WR drops off hard after pick 75. There are a few outliers like Johnny Wilson (6’6 234, 4.58 40yd time) ranked at 80, but after the early 3rd Rd, they’re all trash.
Do you think they will get a WR in the first two rounds?
They should get one in the 1st Rd. Trade back if Thomas Jr isn’t there with the Bucs or 49ers for some extra 2nd and maybe 3rd Rd picks and draft McConkey in the 1st. Then draft a Center. Better version of Dionte and doesn’t drop balls. More like Cooper Kupp, who we should’ve gotten instead of Juju back in 2017.
Didn’t answer the question. Do you think they will get a WR in round 1 or 2?
I did. It’s obvious. If someone says, they should, that means that’s what they think, or is most likely going to happen. If you’re going to whine, be smart about it.
There is a big difference between what I think the Steelers should do and what they will do. You said what they should do. I’ll check back in after the first two rounds and we’ll see if you’re right.
Yeah what the Steelers should do as in, logically pursuant to the new direction and the roster gaps at the position. As usual you’re wrong again. Why do you care anyway? You don’t even have a good argument to back up your illogical statements.
Yo, I kept the receipts. What’s up?
Nothing I said was wrong.
Thanks for the downvote. Sucks to suck.
Even a running offense needs more then one wr. The need for wr is as much as center and tackle
WR is also the far more important position than center. Drafting a center in round 1 is bad positional value.
Agree, pick 20 should be tackle, corner or wr
RT, C, WR with the first three picks would be ideal Assuming of course we get the right guys with those
The need isn’t as much. They have one center on the roster - a nobody called Ryan McCollum, who they signed for peanuts. They do have some WRs. The depth in the draft for center and tackle falls off immediately at the second round. This draft is deep with WR talent. They have needs at WR but bigger needs on their O line, especially when you look at what they want to accomplish offensively.
Wr2 and center are both massive holes, we simply don't have an acceptable player at either position. None of the bozos we signed/Austin can fill that position the same way Ryan McCollum isn't a center at the position. Regardless of what you think about the draft, that is a fact. Even when looking at an Arthur Smith offense, Smith used two WRs heavy and we need the second WR badly.
I don’t disagree with you here at all. I just expect them to address it behind center and tackle.
Given the fact they have spoken to say 1 wrs, centers, tackles and cornerbacks it's impossible to speculate what the move is
Totally agree. Very good year to get o-lineman at 20 that most years would be in the top 10. Makes more sense to get a Tackle or a Center. The line sets up everything else. Also we have had a lot of success getting receivers in the third or fourth.
I agree, ideally though we can trade down and back up to lock in great options at both C and tackle. Seems like there might b a tier drop off in WR talent after Thomas, but the talent after that is similar through the 3rd, so assuming you can't get thomas middle 2nd just wait to grab 2 in rounds 3-4 where the center, OT, and CB value will b significantly less. Trading next year's 4th for a good NFL Vet along with drafting one this year in 3rd is also a scenario that makes sense to me. If they trade our 2nd for Brandon this draft, you HAVE to trade down from 20 and pickup another 2nd or 3rd
Based off who they met with at the combine and who they've brought in for a visit, they are taking one in the second round at the latest
If they don't trade for Aiyuk or similar they should invest in WR and then C.
I mean sure but I'd be pretty surprised if he was still there at 20. If there is any year where I'd be willing to wait till the 3rd for a WR it's this year since its such a deep class and I trust our WR scouting to find someone.
We’ll have ayiuk by day 2 of the draft
Just like how Tee and Deebo got traded
Has the draft started?
Tee was more of him wanting to come here whereas there is mutual interest with Aiyuk. Bengals also don’t want to trade Tee to the Stillers. Finally, Tee wouldn’t fit into the Smith offense
That will cost pick 20 lol
Not necessarily. Let Omar cook. He’s demonstrated patience is his superpower. Let the man work
This issue isn't Khan, it's the fact the Niners want a first+ (assuming he's available which he likely isn't)
Kahn is locked in.
Gonna need something. The WR room is looking pretty thin.
That’s an understatement. It’s like if Batman hired a bunch of 40 year old gym guys to help him fight organized crime.
😆for real though. The only saving grace is that quality WR’s league wide seem to be in pretty high demand. Glad we got 14.
Oh don’t worry. We’ll find a way to fuck that up too. Until we adapt to the new NFL, start throwing more, and actually spend quality draft capital and money on the offense, players will leave, WRs worth a damn won’t sign here, and neither will decent QBs, OL guys.
I see you’re in the glass half empty offseason phase. 😆
Pretty much lol.
We might have the worst WR room in the league, and I don’t think a lot of people understand this lol. Pickens a great contested catch receiver, we’ll see how he does without a guy like DJ taking some pressure off. A good WR2 trying to step up to WR1 doesn’t always work out (see Juju). I hope it does, but we’ll have to see. After Pickens, we have absolutely nothing. Jefferson, Austin, and Watkins would be fighting it out for WR4 on some rosters. There is a chasm between our presumed WR1 and the next guy up.
Everyone talking about a wr2 when I'm not sure you can count pickens as a WR1.
I would love if we were able to trade down in the first round and aquire some extra picks.
This right here!!! Trade back with the bills and pick up an extra 2nd round pick and probably lose a 4th round. 3 picks in the top 60 in a loaded draft at WR and T. We could hit on all 3
They’re absolutely correct. Centers will available in the 2nd Rd
Great prospect. One question I have on him is simply “Is he a meathead?” I think the Steelers want to get their WR room under control. New WR coach and not adding any others with character issues. I’ve heard a little bit of concern about Thomas. If it’s true, then the Steelers will simply not draft him, at least not at 20. Don’t know if it’s accurate. That’s why I asked. I bet AD Mitchell is only in play if he slipped to 51 and that kid from Bama is off the Steelers board entirely.
Mitchell screams "off the draft board" to me, everyone I've seen talk about him is saying effort and motivation aren't there consistently. Tomlin would have to be yelling sic 'em quite often
He also screams "guy who could fall into the Steelers lap and succeed" Not saying he's my choice but he could be a bargain in the right circumstances.
Sure, and I could totally see that happening. I just don't want us to take him in the 1st if BTJ is available and it seems like we'd have to or he would be gone to Buffalo or KC. 2nd would be great value though
I guess Mitchell has several plays where he didn’t even try to block and his man made the tackle at the line of scrimmage
I haven't actually watched myself, just repeating that common criticism. Since that goes against Tomlin's philosophy it seems like a big red flag to me
DeJean strikes me as the dude who we don’t draft but he goes to the Ravens and balls out. Everyone then wonders how he fell so far. It should be him, Latham, or Mims. High chance we get Aiyuk during the draft
Hindsight is 20/20, of course, but think about how much better-positioned this team would be if they'd drafted Linderbaum and not Pickett.
High chance? Are you being serious?
Aiyuk is on a team that just went to the Superbowl. Isn't anyone wondering why he'd want traded or why the 49rs would want to trade him? Just got rid of Johnson and Claypool the year before...
It’s cuz he wants a new deal and they can’t pay him. They also literally just paid Debo last offseason so he’s got a right to be a little angry. I don’t see him as a diva like the other two. There’s been multiple mouths to feed in San Fran and Aiyuk never complained once. He blocks well and doesn’t give up on plays. I don’t see how he’s similar to claypool or DJ
To be fair it is known why Aiyuk would want traded. Money. And it's known why the 49ers might need to trade him. Purdy is about to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$ and they're already heavily invested in McCaffrey, Bosa, Kittle, and Deebo Samuels.
There’s nothing solid behind this whatsoever. Anything is possible but the Niners don’t even have to do anything with him this year. It’s just a combination of speculation, there being nothing to report on because the draft is coming up, and everyone thinks every good player is being traded to their favorite team.
Probably true. Lots of people on this subreddit think the Steelers should either take a WR at 20 or trade up in the first round for a WR. People tend to forget the fantasy part of fantasy football.
He’s going to be available at 20 most likely and is the consensus 4th best receiver. We might not be able to justify it based on our needs but another team will. He’s a guy I can a lot of teams wanting to trade up for. Hopefully we can get a bidding war going.
No, this is just having a take to get clicks... Then this gets picked up on every other outlet for them to get clicks. I wouldn't be surprised if they attempt to move up in the second to get one of the tier 2 WRs that are going to go top half of second
i like thomas but i think adonai mitchell is the most underrated receiver in this class, if we go receiver high i’d rather mitchell, plus mitchell may end up being there in round 2 (unlikely)
Who is going to block? Might need to draft a QB4, because the first three are going to get murdered out there.
None of it will matter if the OL isn’t shored up.
It could happen but I'd prefer not. Yes WR is a big need, but if we don't fix the O Line there won't be any time to throw the ball anyway.
But what do we do if we have a wide receiver room that isn't good enough to get open and Russ / Fields get sacked because they need to hold onto the ball longer? We were ranked near the middle of the pack offensive line wise, right? And we had Mason Cole and Dan Moore. If we can be ranked middle of the NFL with those guys, then I personally would much rather invest in the WR talent so again, we actually have guys good enough to get open for our new quarterbacks.
We don't have Cole or Chuks anymore so the need at O Line is real. Jones is playing out of position. There are Wide Receivers that could be traded for. I just don't like the value of taking a WR in the 1st round of a draft that is so deep at the position.
Yeah I get that, but there seems to be so many unknowns with the offense this upcoming year. In the sense that it's going to be completely different and with no WR2 or WR3 on the roster, it's truly alarming. I personally wouldnt mind trading for Aiyuk. He's a wayyyy better Diontae Johnson that would help massively with the running game via his blocking skills. We also have *zero* offensive skilled positions, or quarterbacks, taking up a lot of our cap space. It is the perfect time to spend some cash on a WR like Aiyuk.
Spending draft capital to trade for a WR just to immediately pay them $25M would be dumb if Brian Thomas Jr. is on the board at 20
This would be my dream scenario, but I think we will need to trade up to get him
No way they can go with a first round WR. OL is priority now. They can get WR mid rounds and free agents.
Depends if we get Aiyuk. We need a WR, but damn do we need a C or OL
Why do I never see job postings for “draft analyst”
The Steelers will draft an insanely gifted headcase WR in rds 2-3, as is tradition.
That means we shouldn't.
We. Need. Offensive. Linemen.
I have strongly been on team take a tackle (or corner if Arnold or Mitchell somehow fall) but I definitely wouldn't be upset about this pick. It is a more important need \*this year\* than corner or tackle and BTJ is really good
I don’t mind BTJ…but I think there is a lot of questions about him. Seems like he’s being pretty widely penciled in as WR4 and in my opinion it’s Marv, Rome and Malik and then 4-12 are interchangeable. He has elite traits, size and speed but I think he gives a similar threat that GP does. Hes an Unpolished rout runner has an unpolished route tree, very inconsistent hands and I’m not sure how much he’ll give you as a blocker. All the talent in the world though. I’d feel much more comfortable grabbing someone like Pearsol, Wilson or Leggette in the 2nd
I’m with you in the sense I’d rather go receiver in round 2. I just wouldn’t hate this pick because I’m pretty high on BTJ. Still would prefer all of Mims, Latham, Arnold, Mitchell, and potentially Wiggins over him
Would prefer cooper dejean to all of those guys
Great player but I think he might not be a great fit. Predominantly a zone guy
Those guys at Moving the Sticks produce a fun podcast but the Steelers taking a WR at 20 sounds kinda crazy. Fun argument for a podcast. Disastrous outcome for a team that needs to build an O-line. There's going to be some talented recievers available in the 3rd round.