In light of their hectic offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers may have some leeway in this week’s NFL Draft At the pre-draft press conference on Monday, head coach Mike Tomlin stated as much, suggesting that Pittsburgh may be able to select the top player available on Thursday night when Round 1 begins.
“We’ve been very active in free agency and that makes you really comfortable as we lean in on draft weekend,” Tomlin stated. “so that we have taken care of several demands and are not experiencing excessive thirst in any one area. That feels positive to me as we approach the weekend.
The Steelers made a blockbuster trade for Justin Fields over the summer after trading away previous first-round pick Kenny Pickett and signing Russell Wilson. In order to cover a long-standing void at linebacker, Pittsburgh also acquired veteran cornerback Donte Jackson in a trade. To cap off a busy spring, the team signed Cordarrelle Patterson, Van Jefferson, and Quez Watkins, three players with excellent skill-position depth.
The Steelers appear to simply need a starting center going into the 2024 NFL Draft, but general manager Omar Khan stated on Monday that the team has offensive linemen who could play other positions full-time.
The intriguing place that remains when Pittsburgh is on the clock is at No. 20 overall. However, before examining the pro days the Steelers visited to try to focus in on potential targets, Tomlin hinted that it might be a ruse to confuse teams—or even the media—about Pittsburgh’s whereabouts.
“Sometimes at pro days, I’m looking at people I’m not interested in because I know everyone’s watching,” Tomlin stated. “To put it plainly, not many of my peers operate on the pro-day circuit in the same capacity as me. I now realize that my actions, the things I focus on, and the people I interact with all serve as media material. I therefore occasionally enjoy myself with you people.”
Does the Wilson trade affect the Broncos’ draft pick? The Broncos, who currently own the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 first round, were expected to select a quarterback in the first round. On Monday, they acquired Zach Wilson, a previous first-round pick, from the Jets. When draft day arrives, will the Wilson purchase have any impact? Tom Pelissero of NFL Network Insiders reported on Monday that Denver’s draft strategy isn’t anticipated to be much affected by the deal. Pelissero also believes the Broncos will probably trade down rather than up from No. 12.
Who gets drafted as the first defender? Few quarterback and wide receiver candidates are anticipated to dominate the first part of the draft.
In the NFL Draft of 2024, who will be the first defensive player selected? It’s hardly surprising that two of the most sought-after positions on the defensive side of the ball—cornerback and pass rusher—are among the names NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport mentions as potential answers to that intriguing question. Dallas Turner, an Alabama graduate, leads his count. Rapoport notes that the Atlanta Falcons (No. 8) and Chicago Bears (No. 9) might choose to select the pass-rushing talent in the top ten. Texas defensive end Byron Murphy II, who has drawn similarities to Aaron Donald, might also make it into the top 10, according to Rapoport. Quinyon Mitchell, a cornerback for Toledo, is a UCLA graduate who edges over Laiatu Latu Come Thursday night, Jared Verse of Florida State, an edge, and Terrion Arnold of Alabama, a CB, are still contenders to be the first defender selected.
