Back in 1948, when the NFL Draft was last held in Pittsburgh, sportswriters would sit near team owners and advise them on their picks.
That might seem ridiculous nowadays, but maybe the Steelers could use the help.
Before taking offensive tackle Troy Fautanu as their first pick two years ago — an excellent pick, I might add — they were having real first-round troubles: five straight first-round picks and six of seven did not see their fifth-year options picked up. That’s horrifying.
I’m guessing Steelers president Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan — running his fourth draft — won’t have a seat reserved for me Thursday night, but I’ll pitch in, anyway, with a simple word of advice: Go get a stud.
You win with stars. Be aggressive, make a big splash in front of the home crowd and reel in something as close to a sure-fire star as possible. The Steelers have 12 picks. Use some of those and maybe one of next year’s (not a first-rounder, of course, because you still need a quarterback) to land one of these two players:
• Penn State guard Vega Ioane.
• Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
I laugh at the idea that those are “non-premium” positions. They sure looked premium when, say, Alan Faneca was playing guard for the Steelers or Troy Polamalu was roaming the field from his safety position.
I’m not saying those are the comps here, but surely you get the point. A great player at any position heavily impacts the game. Kyle Hamilton changes games from the safety position in Baltimore, does he not? Go look at the Chargers with and without safety Derwin James. He’s an offense-wrecker.
The right kind of player — definitely not Terrell Edmunds — can alter offensive plans from the safety spot. Think of rookie Nick Emmanwori in Seattle last season and then tell me it’s a “non-premium” position.
As for guard, do you think Indy’s Quenton Nelson impacts football games at a high level? I do. If you look at average salaries nowadays, guards rank ahead of cornerbacks, centers, safeties, running backs, tight ends and linebackers (not edge rushers).
But let’s not get bogged down in numbers. There is one premium position in this league, one position that can transform your team: quarterback. After that, you’re looking for stars anywhere you can find them.
I realize the Steelers have other needs, but I’m willing to address those in later rounds. Receiver is one. You can find receivers anywhere. Look at the All-Pro receivers from last year. As listed by Pro Football Reference, you had a fifth-round pick (Puka Nacua), a fourth-rounder (Amon-Ra St. Brown), a third-rounder (Nico Collins) and a second-rounder (George Pickens) among them.
Look at how many quality receivers the Steelers have found beyond Round 1 over the years.
Offensive tackle has also been thrust into the conversation because of the uncertainty surrounding Broderick Jones’ neck injury. I’m willing to live with Dylan Cook and a second- or third-round pick there, although it wouldn’t surprise me if the Steelers go tackle yet again.
Downs and Ioane will be stars. I took note when Fox insider Jay Glazer posted the following tweet the other day: “Talking to a tonnnnn of personnel people, coaches, etc. I always ask guys to give me their ‘sure thing’ guys they think will absolutely have double digit years in this league on a Pro Bowl level. This year there were FOUR in the majority: (Fernando) Mendoza, (Jeremiyah) Love, Downs and Vega Ioane.”
Downs, who wrecks plays from deep center field all the way to the line of scrimmage, might be the best player in the whole draft. It’ll take more capital to get him than Ioane. You might have to jump all the way into the top 10 (hey, if you can do it for Devin Bush, you can do it for Caleb Downs).
For what it’s worth, Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia called Downs the smartest player he has ever coached.
The Steelers seem OK at safety, but not great. I’d chase great. Jalen Ramsey isn’t getting any younger and might fit better as a moving piece while a younger player takes over as quarterback of the defense.
Ioane had a near-perfect career at Penn State. I heard one of my favorite NFL analysts, Brian Baldinger, say this about Ioane the other day, after pointing out that he stops interior pass rushers in their tracks: “Once he gets his hands on you, he’s either gonna put you on the ground or stop your feet from moving.”
I’d go as high as 13, right in front of the Baltimore Ravens, to snag Ioane.
Not that the Steelers asked.