At the 21st overall pick, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have some options. While this draft class isn’t the greatest, there are a couple of positions deep in talent. In terms of first-round prospects, three positions the Steelers have been linked to recently are receiver, EDGE and offensive tackle.
Regarding receiver, a few are going to come off the board before the Steelers go on the clock. But one who might be available, Omar Cooper Jr., has been gaining momentum recently according to NFL insider Albert Breer.
“Teams I’ve talked to really, really like Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr,” Breer wrote in an article published Thursday. “Best known for the otherworldly catch he made to beat Penn State, he might be better than any receiver in the draft after the catch, and I think some teams have him right there with the best wideouts in the entire class.”
Cooper really is a victim of the draft class he’s in. While Breer mentions some teams considering him among the best in this class anyways, if it was a weaker year he’d certainly be more of a standout option.
He’s very dynamic after the catch, potentially the most in the entire class. He has a lot of athleticism which helps him separate quickly, and has a deep route tree which should translate to the NFL level. Cooper has been mocked to the Steelers in our own mock drafts, and would be a great fit on the offense.
At EDGE, Breer noted that Akheem Mesidor has been rising up draft boards recently.
“More teams than I thought actually prefer Akheem Mesidor to fellow Miami edge Rueben Bain Jr,” Breer wrote. “The problem is Mesidor just turned 25 and has an injury history. But he’s a really, really good player.”
Preferring Mesidor over Bain is a tall compliment, as Bain could come off the board in the first few picks. Although he’s already 25, Mesidor is a talented player. He’s quick and shifty with good bend, is comfortable winning with his hands, and has a plan for every rep.
Whether EDGE is a need for the Steelers or not is more questionable. The Steelers do have a lot of depth there and it doesn’t feel like the biggest need right now. But some draft analysts have started to point to the position this week.
On the offensive line, Breer thinks Max Iheanachor is starting to grow on teams as well.
“Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor has helped himself through the process,” Breer wrote. “There’s a ton of room for Iheanachor to grow, and he could become someone’s long-term left tackle, if they have the infrastructure to develop him the right way. Teams are most certainly intrigued.”
Iheanachor might be the most interesting player in the whole draft. He moved to the United States at age 13, and spent his early years playing basketball. He didn’t step onto a football field until junior college. So new to the sport, there are things he needs to clean up. But his potential is through the roof, and he showed a lot of promise at Arizona State.
Iheanachor is a right tackle, which makes it a little complicated. You probably want to keep him there, and avoid shuffling him around being so new to football. Troy Fautanu played left tackle in college, but it might be risky to move him after he settled in nicely at right tackle last year.
At the end of the day, all three of these may end up being first-round prospects. But they could come off the board sooner than most expect.
Recommended for you