Which players should the Steelers host for pre-draft visits?
With the draft fast approaching, the Steelers should start ramping up their pre-draft visits. Which names should we be hearing? Thus far, we know the names of 16 of the 30 eligible prospects, excluding local prospects. As you might guess, quarterbacks, wide receivers, and offensive linemen are present. Interestingly, while they have hosted three cornerbacks, they haven’t looked at safety yet.
So we might as well start there. The Steelers should be bringing in some safeties for pre-draft visits at this point. Somebody like Caleb Downs might be a waste of time, but Dillon Thieneman and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren should be on the list.
While the Steelers have had pre-draft visits with several wide receivers, perhaps only one is a plausible first-round option: Denzel Boston. With plenty of slots left to go, they should probably add to that list before they’re through.
While the Steelers don’t need to exclusively host potential first-round picks for pre-draft visits, it has been pretty important. In Omar Khan’s first three drafts, they have taken a pre-draft visitor every time. Now, that’s a small sample size, and they have a different head coach and coaching staff. A lot of variables have changed.
But given the Steelers’ softer Pro Day circuit this year, their pre-draft visitor list might be even more important than it has been in the past. A first-round pick is a major investment, and you want some facetime first. At least, that has been Pittsburgh’s overwhelming preference, barring just falling in love with somebody.
But we also can’t lose sight of the fact that the Steelers have five draft picks between the third and fourth rounds, so they would really want to host a cluster of mid-range prospects for pre-draft visits as well. If that is to be the bulk of their resources, they want to get it right. There, we might see a cornerback, which is already well represented, but it really opens up the box. Tight ends are thus far absent, for example, as are edge rushers.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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