Mock draft season is in full swing, and the predictions are coming fast and furious.
As the calendar draws closer to April, needs for each team and names that could fill those needs are becoming clearer. That’s the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers at the moment.
Offensive line, wide receiver, quarterback and even the secondary defensively are big needs for Pittsburgh. ESPN’s Field Yates addressed two big needs in his latest mock draft, pairing the Steelers with Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane and Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson in the first two rounds.
Appearing on the First Draft podcast with Mel Kiper Jr. and host Mike Greenberg earlier in the week, Yates doubled down on the picks and explained his reasoning for both.
“The Steelers kind of get their dream scenario. It’s Vega Ioane, the guard from Penn State, who clearly the best guard on the board, Mel, and a gigantic need for Pittsburgh as well,” Yates said of the Ioane selection, according to video via ESPN on YouTube. “Not sure he actually gets there, but in this scenario he does.”
There’s a lot of debate about Ioane and the Steelers. The debate centers around if he’ll actually be on the board at No. 21 overall, and if that’s the best path forward for the Steelers.
Considering he’s the best lineman in the draft class and largely considered a top 10 talent overall, it would be a great path forward for the Steelers and would be similar to the David DeCastro selection out of Stanford in the 2012 draft. That year, DeCastro was considered one of the top talents in the class, but he slid down the board due to position value and some injury concerns. The Steelers took advantage.
After losing Isaac Seumalo in free agency and with Broderick Jones’ health up in the air, the left side of the offensive line needs some help. Ioane would be a plug-and-play starter and would elevate the group overall.
Thompson in the second round is a bit more controversial and led to some pushback despite him being the fastest player in the class.
“Let’s play fast. And we do so by adding Brenen Thompson to the Steelers wide receiver room. The fastest player at the Combine, Mel, ran a 4.26, wideout out of Mississippi State,” Yates said of Thompson. “I loved the move the Steelers made to get Michael Pittman Jr. But I love me some Brenen Thompson to get younger in this wideout room.”
Thompson had a terrific combine, and the testing numbers are jaw-dropping. He has some good moments on tape, too, but he appears just a bit undersized and might be profiled as more of a one-trick pony.
The Steelers need that speed element in the wide receiver room, though, taking some pressure off DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. There’s no denying that. But adding that speed element in the second round with a player like Thompson seems like a bit of a reach.
Kiper thinks Thompson could go in the back half of the first round due to his speed.
“You knew he would run. He was always considered…nobody’s been faster on that field down at Starkville than Brendan Thompson. So hey, Pittsburgh, whoever the quarterback is gonna be, get a weapon like that,” Kiper said of Thompson. “Even I was thinking even maybe first-round wide receiver Pittsburgh, but then maybe not. Put him into the second. They got Pittman and we’ll see. But I think Brenen Thompson…you want speed. And guess what? He’s not just a speed guy, Field, that’s gonna drop balls.
“This guy can catch the football and he can do some dynamic things with the ball in his hands.”
The Steelers need that speed element, and they need a guy who can make plays after the catch. Thompson could be that guy, but maybe he’s more of a third-round talent outside of his speed.
In our scouting report, Ryan Paglia graded Thompson as a late Day 2, early Day 3 receiver, putting him in that range in the third round for the Steelers with their three picks. A second-round pick on him feels rich.
But speed kills, and the Steelers need it. Thompson is the fastest player in the class. We’ll see what happens.
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