I never want to see another Duck Hodges/Mason Rudolph quarterbacked season for as long as I live. It is amazing the Pittsburgh Steelers even made it to .500 by the end of the year. The biggest reason their season did not end in a total collapse was because of how dominant their defense became after trading for S Minkah Fitzpatrick. This deal for the former Miami Dolphin has left Pittsburgh without a first-round pick, but they have very few needs going into 2020 as long as QB Ben Roethlisberger returns to form. Once again, I am using the Mock Draft Simulator from TheDraftNetwork.com to see if I can fortify the Steelers roster around their rehabbing quarterback.
Injuries decimated the Steelers offense in 2019 with Roethlisberger, RB James Conner and WR Juju Smith-Schuster all missing significant time. Conner has missed eleven games in his short career and is heading into the final year of his contract. While I do not see Pittsburgh adding a running back with their first pick at 49, I would not rule out them adding a back at some point. With everyone expected to return from injury, there is only one offensive starter from the beginning of last season who is no longer on the roster. LG Ramon Foster announced his retirement from the NFL after 11 seasons, resulting in the Steelers signing Stefan Wisniewski, a man who started every playoff game for the Super Bowl Champion Chiefs last year, but who has also been mostly a backup in recent seasons. Pittsburgh needs to add some youthful competition to what is a quickly aging offensive line while also adding depth at running back and wide receiver. Tight end is a position that may be addressed but I think it will ultimately be ignored after the team signed Eric Ebron in free agency.
Franchise-tagging EDGE Bud Dupree has kept most of last year’s starters in place on defense. Javon Hargrave is the only starter who left in free agency and while DE Stephon Tuitt returning from a season-ending bicep injury helps to soften this blow, Pittsburgh still needs to add a starting nose tackle at some point in this draft. They also need to plan ahead in case they cannot get a long-term deal done with Dupree, making EDGE depth, and specifically someone with the potential to start in 2021, a priority. Inside linebacker and safety are two other spots where the depth is a little bare if the Steelers chose to address it. So here goes my attempt to improve this roster:
Round 2, Pick 49: Matt Hennessy, OG/OC, Temple
Did anybody else all of a sudden get thirsty for cognac? Matt Hennessy is a super technical lineman who uses his hands extremely well in pass protection. He lined up at guard and center for the Temple Owls, playing the latter in 2019. He is tall for a center at 6’4” but sank his hips really well to not let opposing defenders gain leverage against him. Hennessy is quite mobile for a big dude, using strong footwork to move laterally and mirror rushers and also to execute reach blocks in the run game. He has a bit of a nasty streak once he gets a full head of steam like he does on this block against SMU, where is lined up at center:
Watching Hennessy shove that guy backwards for ten yards does my heart good. Hennessy should have no problem competing with Wisniewski for the starting left guard job, with the possibility of kicking back over to center in the future with Maurkice Pouncey heading into his age-31 season.
Round 3, Pick 102: Bradlee Anae, EDGE, Utah
Does anybody else think of the “Two Yutes” quote from My Cousin Vinny when talking about the Utah Utes? Just me? Cool. Bradlee Anae was one of the best pass rushers on the Utes in 2019. Anae may not be the most athletic EDGE player in the world but he makes up for it by being really polished. His hand usage is excellent as he uses club, rip and chop moves to get through offensive tackles. His biggest hurdle at the next level will be developing his counter moves. Anae has a problem with getting stood up on his initial rush move and not being able to counter it with something else. What encourages me though is how effective his inside moves are, showing that if he figures out how to string moves together and have a better plan of attack, he can be even better at attacking quarterbacks in the NFL. Here is an example of Anae’s initial chop move working against OT Austin Jackson of USC:
Anae is a stand up rusher on this rep, something he will be doing a lot in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense if that is indeed his destination. He will have to work on being more effective dropping back into zones, but the Steelers do not ask their outside linebackers to do this much any more. They really just need more impactful pass rushers and Anae has all the tools to be just that.
Round 4, Pick 124: Leki Fotu, NT, Utah
Ah yes, another Ute. Fotu is a large human at 6’5” and 330 lbs. and has all of the power and strength that you would expect to see from a man of his stature. His hands are heavy and he holds his own in the run game and against double teams, but it is his burst and hand usage that are intriguing. Fotu’s first step and ability to shoot gaps at his size are absurd. His consistency in doing so is lacking due to the fact that he’s so tall for a nose tackle and shorter offensive lineman will find ways to out-leverage him. If Steelers DL coach Karl Dunbar can improve Fotu’s pad level issues, Pittsburgh might have a gem on their hands. Leki’s bull rush is as effective as you would expect it to be, but he shows a prowess for more finesse moves like this swim move against USC:
Replacing Javon Hargrave will never be easy for Pittsburgh, and while I do not think Fotu will ever be as good of a run defender or pass rusher as Hargrave was, he might just be the closest thing to Javon that they can find at this point in the draft.
Round 4, Pick 135: Darrynton Evans, RB, Appalachian State
Evans is my favorite sleeper running back in this draft. The Steelers have favored big, plodding running backs in recent years but I would love for them to buck the trend just once. Evans is a dynamic and elusive runner who can create big plays on the ground with his raw speed. He has the type of speed that will make Steeler fans hearken back to the days of Fast Willie Parker. Evans and Benny Snell Jr. would make for an awesome thunder and lightning backfield if this is indeed James Conner’s last year as a Steeler.
Round 6, Pick 198: Shyheim Carter, S, Alabama
I wish this was a position I could have addressed earlier in the draft as Pittsburgh only has Jordan Dangerfield and Marcus Allen behind starting safeties Minkah Fitzpatrick and Terrell Edmunds. Carter is not a bad pick, but his best work will come on special teams. I am not sure how well he will play if he has to start on defense, although his experience playing corner and both safety spots at Alabama may come in handy.
Round 7, Pick 232: Joe Reed, WR, Virginia
Joe Reed will be a Steeler. Book it. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is a Virginia Beach guy and he loves to draft Virginia Beach guys. The Steelers need depth at wide receiver anyway and Reed would be a huge upgrade at both kick and punt returner. Fun fact, the Steelers have not had the same player lead the team in kick returns in back to back years since Rod Woodson in 1992-1993. Hopefully Reed can change that.
The Steelers really need to crush this draft to keep their championship window open. The Bengals are about to embark on the Joe Burrow era. Cleveland has had a strong offseason for the second year in a row and will be hoping to get a bounce-back season from Baker Mayfield. The Ravens are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson. The time to win is now for Pittsburgh and they have a strong enough roster to make it happen. I just hope they do not make me watch any more dudes named Mason or Duck throw the football again. Please never again.
Written by: Daniel Hower
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