Steelers Mock 1.0: Offensive Needs Filled Early

See who the Pittsburgh Steelers look for as they enter the 2020 NFL Draft season.

Round	Noah	Donnie
Round 2, Pick 49	J.K. Dobbins - RB, Ohio State	Brycen Hopkins - TE, Purdue
Round 4, Pick 99	Hunter Bryant - TE, Washington	Anthony McFarland - RB, Maryland
Round 4, Pick 114	Shea Patterson - QB, Michigan	Nate Stanley - QB, Iowa
Round 6, Pick 179	Leki Fotu - DT, Utah	Chase Claypool - WR, Notre Dame
Round 7, Pick 210	Tremayne Anchrm - G, Clemson	Shyheim Carter - S, Alabama

Noah - The Steelers draft needs are greater than their draft picks. With only five picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh needs to prioritize where they spend their youth. 

This starts with helping a possible Mason Rudolph who could be sent back into the starting role if Ben Roethlisberger isn't ready to go by Week 1. Therefore, to help a young quarterback, the best thing to do is to improve the running game. 

James Conner is a feature back when healthy but until he's capable of completing a whole season, the Steelers need a backup option. Adding J.K. Dobbins fixes that. 

From there, their top priorities are to add depth to positions of need. Vance McDonald is a likely cap casuality this offseason leaving the Steelers with a need for a tight end. Nick Vannett should get a new contract and the team can then work off Zach Gentry and Hunter Bryant. 

Adding Shea Patterson, Leki Fotu and Tremayne Anchrm provides depth at quarterback (behind Mason Rudolph and Ben Roethlisberger), defensive tackle - however they decide to fill that role - and at the offensive line. 

Donnie - I think Noah nailed it on the head. With only five picks, the Steelers chances of finding impactful youth in the draft are less to their liking, but such is life when you wheel and deal picks to secure guys like Devin Bush and Nick Vannett. To quote the great Mike Tomlin, we embrace it. We're not going to get into hypothetical and things of that nature. 

Only that's exactly what we're doing here, and like Noah pointed out, Vance McDonald hypothetically could be released with a hefty $7 million cap hit in 2020. There's no secret that the tight end position hasn't been the same since Heath Miller stepped awar.

Enter Purdue's Brycen Hopkins, who fits the mold of a modern day NFL tight end with his athleticism and route-running. Hopkins is able to make plays all over the field, which would be a welcome sight for any Steelers quarterback in the future. The Steelers spend their first pick on securing the position for years to come with early round talent.

Running back is also a hot issue in Pittsburgh, as many are wondering if James Conner is still the feature back he once showed promise to be. With a limited Jaylen Samuels and still infant Benny Snell, the Steelers may very well look into adding another ball-carrier early on. 

Here, Maryland's Anthony McFarland is still on the board at pick #114. McFarland's burst and agility reminds me of a poor man's Dalvin Cook (this is not an official comp) with his running style. McFarland has the speed to make plays from the backfield, something the Steelers currently do not possess. 

From there, the draft is a crapshoot. When gunning for quarterback depth, Noah opted for Michigan's Shea Patterson, I believe Iowa's Nate Stanley may be a tad more pro-ready, although his services shouldn't be needed for a few years. Washington State's Anthony Gordon is another interesting project that you'll see for teams looking to develop quarterbacks. 

I took a flyer on Notre Dame's Chase Claypool at pick 178, although I don't think he lasts that long. Ben Roethlisberger loves his big-body receivers, and Claypool's 6'4" 229 lb frame fits the mold of a potetial red-zone target. Alabama's Shyheim Carter rounds out my mock as a nickel corner that makes plays in the backfield, which may be a needed fit should Mike Hilton escape Pittsburgh's grasp this off-season. 

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