Tim Benz: In quantity vs. quality draft debate, Steelers should try to move up
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For months, it seems like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft decision has come down to a debate between offensive tackle or cornerback in the first round.
The bigger picture debate, though, is really quantity versus quality.
On the one hand, the Steelers have four picks in the top 80 selections in the draft. If they stand pat without any trades, that will give the Steelers a good chance of finding a player (in whatever order they desire) that could help them this year at tackle, corner, defensive line and pass rusher.
All before Day 2 is over.
Having made some late veteran acquisitions, such as Keanu Neal at safety and Allen Robinson at wide receiver, those positions have at least been fortified if the team can’t add to those spots on the depth chart until Saturday.
The Steelers could increase their volume even more and address those positions — or get creative by adding a running mate for Pat Freiermuth at tight end from an extremely deep class at the position — by perhaps trading back with the 17th or 32nd selections that they have.
“Overall, this is really a good draft. I think — when you look at the talent, just position by position, we feel like we’re going to be in a position to draft some good players,” general manager Omar Khan said Monday. “The phrase I always use, it’s always at a priority-need position. I think we’re going to have the ability to address those needs.”
On the other hand, boy, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. or Georgia’s Broderick Jones sure could look great at left tackle. As would Georgia’s Jalen Carter along the defenisve line. Or, what if one of the top two cornerbacks (Oregon’s Christian Gonzales or Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon) slips toward the back half of the top 10?
A trade-up in the first round will seem like a worthy option if that’s what the Steelers chose to do in order to obtain one of those four players.
“We’re not opposed to moving up in an effort to pinpoint someone that might be special,” coach Mike Tomlin said Monday. “But we do truly believe there’s great depth in this draft. We’re ready and comfortable for whatever.”
There has been speculation for weeks about the Steelers potentially working out a trade with the Chicago Bears to get the No. 9 pick. Based on some projections and a little recent history, the cost of climbing the draft ladder seven to 10 spots shouldn’t be prohibitive.
NFL.com’s analytics expert, Cynthia Frelund, is one who proposed that exact trade. In order to execute that deal, she suggested the Steelers would only have to sacrifice their own first- and second-round picks (No. 17 and No. 49), not the top pick in the second round (No. 32) that they acquired from the Bears back in November for Chase Claypool.
That would give Chicago three second-round picks (49, 53, 61) along with the Steelers’ No. 17 selection. Or, if they wanted to create a package to get back into Round 1 for a second pick, that ammunition would help.
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In 2019, the Steelers traded up from slot 20 to 10 in order to draft Devin Bush. As a sweetener for swapping picks that year, the Steelers gave the Denver Broncos pick No. 52 and a third-rounder the next year. When they traded up 11 spots with Kansas City to get Troy Polamalu at No. 16, it only cost a swap of first rounders, a third and a sixth (27, 92, 200).
For one of the top two cornerbacks or one of the top three tackles in the draft, all of those models sound good to me. Sign me up.
For a long time, I had been someone who leaned toward volume. Given all the Steelers’ needs, I felt like the smartest thing to do was bulk up by using as many of those picks as possible in the draft.
But now, after adding Robinson, Neal, three offensive linemen (Isaac Seumalo, Nate Herbig, Le’Raven Clark), two defensive linemen (Armon Watts, Breiden Fehoko) and two inside linebackers (Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts), the Steelers have mitigated the need to draft a body at all of those positions over the first three or four rounds. Retaining the likes of Larry Ogunjobi (DL), Demontae Kazee (S) and Zach Gentry (TE) helped in that regard as well.
So, yeah, go up into the top 10 and swing for a home run.
“We’ve been able to do some things in free agency that I feel like provides a clean slate for us from a draft perspective,” Tomlin said. “We don’t have any glaring needs. We’re able to look at the board in totality and not be swayed inappropriately in any specific way.”
I think corner and tackle are more of a need than how Tomlin is characterizing things. But I get his greater point.
Here’s another option. Let’s say the Steelers can’t find a top 10 dance partner, and they stay at No. 17 to draft a corner or a tackle. For instance, assume they take Joey Porter Jr. (CB/Penn State). Maybe they use No. 32 as part of a package to get back into the late first round and get a worthy tackle who is still on the board or a defensive lineman such as Clemson’s Bryan Bresee or Michigan’s Mazi Smith.
Or, you can flip it. Let’s say Porter Jr. goes at 16 to Washington (as has been rumored), and the Steelers take Wright at No. 17. Perhaps the Steelers can package No. 32 to move up into the mid-20s if Maryland cornerback Deonte Banks or Alabama safety/slot Brian Branch is still available.
The Steelers still need quantity. No doubt. But their mid-tier veteran acquisitions this spring may have accomplished the same goal as multiple second-and third-round picks would do.
At least for 2023, anyway.
I’ve come around to the more popular opinion of late. Go big. Move up. Get the quality talents this team needs for now and the future.