Official Pittsburgh Steelers Thread

[DelPen]

It would be interesting if Mims is there when we are up in the first round, if he is you take him as it solves the tackle issue completely, and then Van Pran is still there for C in the 3rd round. I don’t know if Jones played with both of them at all or how much but having three young OL all from the same college program which has been one of the best in country would be good.

[Daniel]

It would be interesting if Mims is there when we are up in the first round, if he is you take him as it solves the tackle issue completely, and then Van Pran is still there for C in the 3rd round. I don’t know if Jones played with both of them at all or how much but having three young OL all from the same college program which has been one of the best in country would be good.

Mims, Frazier or Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (60% of the Georgia offensive line?) and find a good WR and Safety to complete your top 4 picks and the draft is a win for the Steelers.

Not sure how good Frazier is compared to Pran-Granger but either should be available.

One of these 4 will be available in the 2nd round.

-- Jackson Powers-Johnson. Oregon. 6'3" 328. ...
-- Graham Barton. Duke. 6'5" 311. ...
-- Zach Frazier. West Virginia. 6'2" 306. ...
-- Sedrick Van Pran. Georgia. 6'3" 310. .

Heck, if JPJ drops into the 2nd Kahn can trade one of his 3rd round picks plus the 2nd to move up and get him. JPJ on offense and defense in the 2nd round in consecutive years would be pretty sweet.

[Badger Bob]

According to reports, Tyler Boyd won't be signing a FA contract with his hometown team. Mark Kaboly is reporting that the Steelers offered him a 2-year $10M contract, which is in line with what the team likes to pay slot receivers. Evidently, it's not enough to satisfy what Boyd and his agent think he is worth. Good luck finding your new team Tyler.

[Daniel]

According to reports, Tyler Boyd won't be signing a FA contract with his hometown team. Mark Kaboly is reporting that the Steelers offered him a 2-year $10M contract, which is in line with what the team likes to pay slot receivers. Evidently, it's not enough to satisfy what Boyd and his agent think he is worth. Good luck finding your new team Tyler.

Maybe he comes around but I doubt it, especially if the Steelers get a WR in the draft. I guess he didn’t want to sign with the Steelers that much.

[DelPen]

I’m all for trading next year’s 1st for Aiyuk but I don’t know how you can pass up a chance to establish a dominant O-line with a chance to have Mims in the 1st and then one of the three centers in the 2nd which we need to get the QB not killed.

Even if a huge splash can’t happen for a WR, with a better line that can actually pass protect and improve the running game that will feee up the TE’s to catch more instead of block. That will open up the field a lot compared to the last 3 seasons.

[Admin]

Definitely agree. Time to get the o-line sorted before anything else.

[Daniel]

I’m all for trading next year’s 1st for Aiyuk but I don’t know how you can pass up a chance to establish a dominant O-line with a chance to have Mims in the 1st and then one of the three centers in the 2nd which we need to get the QB not killed.

Even if a huge splash can’t happen for a WR, with a better line that can actually pass protect and improve the running game that will feee up the TE’s to catch more instead of block. That will open up the field a lot compared to the last 3 seasons.

I'm not for two reasons, biggest being the Steelers tend to draft really well for that position and also I think Aiyuk will want a really big contract. The Steelers tend to get really good production from the WR first and second contract, so I am not sure it's necessary to hold up that much cap space for Aiyuk.

Not that I wouldn't want to see him, I just don't see the value since the Steelers can get good production in this years draft with a deep WR class.

[Badger Bob]

What a circus they've turned the draft into. When the Steelers had one of the best drafts of all time in 1974, it wasn't even televised.

[DelPen]

**** Bengals taking Mims two picks before us. Oh well. Another year of Jones on the wrong side.

[Daniel]

**** Bengals taking Mims two picks before us. Oh well. Another year of Jones on the wrong side.

He really reads like a RT and he has played all 5 positions so maybe guard with Daniels as center?

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/troy-faut ... e263b92b33

Overview
Ready-made brawler without an ounce of finesse in his game. Fautanu has starting experience at tackle and guard and is well-coached, but he will default to unruly hand-fighting when his technique gets away from him. He plays with average hand placement and can be beaten by length, but his tenacity and footwork keep him connected to base blocks. He’s capable of getting to reach blocks in zone and chaperoning running backs wide as a pulling guard on the next level. He’s a pop-and-reset pass puncher who uses active hands and feet to help with extended mirroring he’s forced into. Fautanu needs to prove he has the leverage and hand quickness to play inside, but all signs point toward him becoming a good future starter.

Strengths
Plays with lateral hustle to make back-side and play-side zone blocks.
Works to center and land with firmness post-contact.
Generates push from lower half on down blocks and double-teams.
Sets out to rusher with good lateral quickness and knee bend.
Maintains active hands and feet to stay in front of the rusher.
Keeps weight back to avoid being countered off-balance in protection.
Weaknesses
Longer opponents gain extension and rid him of block sustain.
Run-blocking technique eventually gets away from him.
Has issues with hand slippage due to inconsistent placement.
Slow to fire his pass punch and rarely closes rusher down with hand latch.
Gets beaten inside when he’s too eager and oversets the edge.

[DelPen]

Hoping the plan is Fautanu on the right to let Jones play the left. And still hoping we can land a center in the 2nd even if it means trading up.

[Badger Bob]

I don't like Fautanu's injury history, but maybe Steelers training/medical staff will be helpful and positional coaching could help his technique to help avoid injury. Had ACL surgery and Lisfranc issues. He was rated the 3rd best tackle in the draft but was the 6th chosen, probably because of the injury issues.

I see Tampa grabbed "generational" center Graham Barton out of Duke. Many had him going to the Steelers in mock drafts. Would be nice if they could trade up to get Center Jackson-Powers, but we'll see. Gotta get a decent WR yet. Keep hearing the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors with the 49ers, but nothing happening. Tyler Boyd still out there as a FA, but it really seems that ship has sailed.

[Daniel]

I don't like Fautanu's injury history, but maybe Steelers training/medical staff will be helpful and positional coaching could help his technique to help avoid injury. Had ACL surgery and Lisfranc issues. He was rated the 3rd best tackle in the draft but was the 6th chosen, probably because of the injury issues.

I see Tampa grabbed "generational" center Graham Barton out of Duke. Many had him going to the Steelers in mock drafts. Would be nice if they could trade up to get Center Jackson-Powers, but we'll see. Gotta get a decent WR yet. Keep hearing the Brandon Aiyuk trade rumors with the 49ers, but nothing happening. Tyler Boyd still out there as a FA, but it really seems that ship has sailed.

The only thing I don't like about the pick is getting LTs in consecutive years. Granted Jones did really well at RT and Fautanu can play any position so hopefully we won't see another Dotson situation with someone playing out of position then wondering why he fails. Curious to see what the plan is for Fautanu, for all we know he could be the center of the future.

I'd like to see Jackson-Powers but Van Pran would be a really good value in round 3 and they can get a top WR in the 2nd so we'll see.

[DelPen]

Fautanu seems like he would run through a brick wall for the Steelers. I love it as a fan but I hope that really didn’t influence the pick because we did that with Kenny and it was a bad idea. Thankfully nothing I have read or seen so far tells me that.

I would still explore moving up if possible to get JPJ and then take best WR in the 3rd that’s there whenever we pick. Not sure who needs what between 33 and 51 but the OL is so much more important than adding a rookie WR right now. Doesn’t matter how good your receiving corp is if you don’t have time to throw the ball, if you can’t establish dominance to run the ball and if your center can’t even snap a ball and we had issues in all of those for a while. Every time the Steelers were in the elite class of teams it all started with a great OL. Need that to start now and receiving will sort itself out with a sleeper draft pick, a player cut near camp or rely on the TE’s to catch instead of needing to block all the time.

[Daniel]

Fautanu seems like he would run through a brick wall for the Steelers. I love it as a fan but I hope that really didn’t influence the pick because we did that with Kenny and it was a bad idea. Thankfully nothing I have read or seen so far tells me that.

I would still explore moving up if possible to get JPJ and then take best WR in the 3rd that’s there whenever we pick. Not sure who needs what between 33 and 51 but the OL is so much more important than adding a rookie WR right now. Doesn’t matter how good your receiving corp is if you don’t have time to throw the ball, if you can’t establish dominance to run the ball and if your center can’t even snap a ball and we had issues in all of those for a while. Every time the Steelers were in the elite class of teams it all started with a great OL. Need that to start now and receiving will sort itself out with a sleeper draft pick, a player cut near camp or rely on the TE’s to catch instead of needing to block all the time.

My thought process is that JPJ will be a great center, but Van Pran will be as well. Van Pran seems more the meaner player that the Steelers seem to be getting for the OL. I also think the dropoff from JPJ to Van Pran is less than a 2nd round WR to a 3rd round WR, but we'll see about that.

Either way, I think JPJ or Van Pran should be the next Steelers center and either of them will be studs. Not so sure about Frazier to be honest with you.

[DelPen]

Frazier is good at 51.

[Badger Bob]

Frazier is good at 51.

Yeah, I'm good with the pick. Love the wrestling background. And now he gets to play pro ball almost in his hometown.

[Daniel]

Frazier is good at 51.

I'll bet you've watched Payton Wilson over the years. His film looks like what Devon Bush should have been. He might have been the steal of the draft, if he stays healthy.

[DelPen]

Both Wilson’s look like the exact type of players we need at each of these positions.

This is looking like a very good draft. If Khan can find a sleeper DB in R4 that would be icing on the cake.

[Badger Bob]

Not blown away by Roman Wilson pick, but yeah he'll probably be OK at slot receiver. Still hoping they can swing a trade for a proven WR, but those hoopes are fading.

Interesting that all the guys from Friday are older. Fazier and Roman Wilson will be 23 when the season starts. Payton Wilson just turned 24.

EDIT: Just read that Roman Wilson expected to be picked higher than what he was. So maybe he'll be highly motivated with a chip on his shoulder.

[Daniel]

Not blown away by Roman Wilson pick, but yeah he'll probably be OK at slot receiver. Still hoping they can swing a trade for a proven WR, but those hoopes are fading.

Interesting that all the guys from Friday are older. Fazier and Roman Wilson will be 23 when the season starts. Payton Wilson just turned 24.

EDIT: Just read that Roman Wilson expected to be picked higher than what he was. So maybe he'll be highly motivated with a chip on his shoulder.

The more I read about Roman Wilson and watched video the more I liked him. He seems like a Diontae Johnson clone than anything else (maybe a bit tougher) with good route running and good hands, which wouldn't be a bad thing at all. I wouldn't mind Troy Franklin in the 4th round and feel they really don't need secondary help.

Donte Jackson, Joey Porter Jr, Cory Trice, Darius Rush ought to be sufficient. I can see the other Wilson playing a hybrid ILB/SS position, he has the speed and coverage ability to handle it.