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By the time the 2021 NFL draft rolls around, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a pretty clear picture of what their future holds in terms of the current roster. This team has a long list of pending free agents and unfortunately there just isn’t enough salary cap to go around.
This means it is vitally important the Steelers hit with their early picks in the 2021 NFL draft. Our friends over at Draft Wire have a brand new two-round mock draft out and we wanted to give the picks a look and see where they fit with the Steelers future plans.
Right off the bat, this one will be controversial among Steelers fans. Draft Wire has Pittsburgh taking Alabama running back Najee Harris with North Dakota State offensive tackle Dillon Radunz still on the board. There’s no doubt running back is a need. This is especially true if the Steelers don’t re-sign James Conner.
Harris is a great player. Much more than a power back, Harris would instantly be the best running back on the roster, even if Conner stays. His skill set is unique and his mix of size and elusiveness would give the Steelers a weapon they haven’t had in the run game in a long time.
Passing on a top offensive tackle prospect would mean one of two things happened. Either Pittsburgh decided to re-sign Alejandro Villanueva to a fiscally responsible contract, locking in the left tackle spot once again. Or, the healthy return of Zach Banner means he and Chuks Okorafor are the futre out the edges for the Steelers.
Moving to the second round, Draft Wire gives the Steelers Miami edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. By the time the draft actually gets here, it’s highly unlikely Phillips is still on the board at the end of the second round but for this scenario this pick is a huge steal. The similarities between Phillips and current Steeler T.J. Watt are striking and can’t be ignored.
Overall, this would be a fairly ideal draft for Pittsburgh as it would give the Steelers a franchise running back and an ideal replacement for Bud Dupree. Let us know in the comments what you think of this mock draft for the Steelers.
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