Steelers Draft and Mel Kiper sucks thread!!

???? What happened notacos4U?? dude?

 

On Depot, I learned something, read the article by Korzoa of what he likes about each pick, scroll to the bottom to get to this nugget.

FBS CB top tackle leaders, minimum of 100 in the FBS. In itallics I added where they were drafted so you can see the value The Steelers got a tackling machine at 229.

1. Donte Kent 263 pick 229 One note here, Kent's hometown is Harrisburg, PA grew up 200 miles East of Pittsburgh.
2. Jahade Barron 226 pick 20
3. Nohl Williams 203 pick 85
4. Jaylin Smith 182 pick 97
5. Upton Stout 166 pick 100
6.Trikweze Bridges 163 pick 256 one short of Mr. Irrelevant
7. Justin Walley 155 pick 80
8. Robert Longerbeam 154 pick 212
9. Denzel Burke 143 pick 174
10. Mac McWilliams 133 pick 145
11. Trey Amos 121 pick 61
12. Caleb Ransaw 115 pick 88
13. Dorian Strong 112 pick 177
14. Bilhal Kone 112 pick 178
15. Quincy Riley 109 pick 131
16. Jacob Parrish 108 pick 84
17. Korie Black 100 pick 246

 

2025 saw only 3 of the 7 picks came in for a visit. You can split hairs on Carson Bruener since he grew up around the Steelers being the son of Mark Breuner.
Jack Sawyer, Kent McCord, Donte Kent did not come in for visits. Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, and Yahya Black all came in.
bottom line is it was split on visit clout. Getting Metcalf was huge, so although it sucked during the draft not picking forever, they got a true WR1.
2026 we have to see how 2025 unfolds but again I think it is more than obvious QB1 is top of their board.

I think Pittsburgh needs to use Darnell Washington more, not just on running plays but on Screen passes. Let the big fella get out in space and pancake people.
Some of the better TE that went undrafted Jake Bringingstool Clemson, Josh Simon South Carolina, CJ Dipree Alabama. I guess Connor Heyward offers ST value, but still could we not upgrade or replace Pruitt? Before I get too excited, maybe the kid out of South Dakota State, JJ Galbreath, has something. Nothing on NFL.com but he is 6-4 240 and runs a 4.6 forty. 38" vertical and a 10' 3" broad jump. I read the Saints were scouting him pretty hard and put him through drills.

 

Way too early 2026 Steelers Mock Draft.

• 16
  
  Nico Iamaleava
  QB | UCLA
• 48
  
  Denzel Boston
  WR | Washington
• 80
  
  Gennings Dunker
  OT | Iowa
• 98
  
  Domani Jackson
  CB | Alabama
• 116
  
  Jack Endries
  TE | California
• 133
  
  Isaac Smith
  S | Mississippi State

 

well let's see if there's fire where there's smoke... ESPN reporting close to trading Pickens to the Cowboys for a 3rd... hope it's not true.... I think they might get that if he walks after the season as compensation, so why not at least utilize him to see how him and DK work out together

 

I have said this all along, let him play his final season as a Steeler under his rookie deal. People forget Pickens favorite QB was actually Rudolph of the pool of mediocrity after Roethlisberger.
At the minimum his deal with land them a 4th rd. compensatory, probably a 3rd. Beach is better at the financial shit, I am just a draft guy. But a disgruntled Pickens was not worth the headache, hence the trade to the Cowboys for a 3rd in 2026 and a 5th in 2027. Steelers are also looking at trading for Alan Lazard, which leads me to believe His Royal Asshole, Rodgers, is coming to town.

• Projected compensatory picks: one in Round 3; one in Round 4; one in Round 5; one in Round 6.
• Key free-agent losses: Dan Moore Jr. (Titans), Justin Fields (Jets), Russell Wilson (Giants), James Daniels (Dolphins), Donte Jackson (Chargers), Najee Harris (Chargers)
• Key free-agent additions: Malik Harrison, Mason Rudolph

So minus 6 players, plus 4 players. Rodgers if he ever friggin shows up, will not count since the Jets flat out released him.

 

Breaking down the draft strategy from 2025. Big Dudes, tough dudes, players from the Big 10.
With the exception of pick 229, all the players taken were from the Big Ten.
Admittedly I had Sawyer in the range he was taken, because I don't think he can cover TEs. But They have Queen and Wilson for that. Plus I have to agree he upgrades Jerimiah Moon.
When your pick at 229 made 263 tackles, even in the MAC, you got yourself a gunner on special teams. Donte Kent offers more than some of the players they have on the roster.
This was a QB class full of guys who were marginally sized, except a few, one of which being Howard.
Steelers went back to the well, and I think some of the current and selected players were spoken to about who they liked in the draft as teammates or rivals. Troy Fantanu played against Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer I am sure had some good things to say about Howard, especially when Ohio State could not get over the hump. Yahya Black and Logan Lee played on the same D line in Iowa and practiced against Kaleb Johnson. Skylar Thompson was a Senior when Howard came in at Kansas State. Mason McCormick and JJ Galbreath played each other, one at South Dakota, one at South Dakota State. People forget players are also scouts, they can tell coaches who they saw live or played with or against who would make good teammates. This is added info, not the scouting report, but a smart GM, Coach listens to their players. I think we all knew that Connor Heyward, Derrick Watt, and Nick Herbig were brought in with family connections.

 

• 16
  
  Nico Iamaleava
  QB | UCLA
  A
• 48
  
  Eric Singleton Jr.
  WR | Auburn
  A+
• 80
  
  Blake Miller
  OT | Clemson
  A+
• 98
  
  Jyaire Hill
  CB | Michigan
  A+
• 116
  
  Whit Weeks
  LB | LSU
  A
• 133
  
  Logan Jones
  IOL | Iowa
  A
• 156
  
  Elliot Washington II
  S | Penn State
  A+
• 178
  
  Braylan Shelby
  EDGE | USC
  A+
• 197
  
  D.J. Hicks
  DL | Texas A&M
  A+
• 214
  
  Germie Bernard
  WR | Alabama
  B+
• 230
  
  R.J. Maryland
  TE | SMU

 

we're right back to where we were last year in the WR room, 1 really good, and the rest are fodder... don't think Lazard will turn the WR room around and we're making the same mistakes the Jets did catering their personnel around Roger's wishes, except they brought in Adam's who i thought was a good pick up for them.

Hopefully Wislon and Austin continue to grow, but not sure how much with the other WR being brought in. Definitely not a fan of the trade, nor the compensation we received for him. Would have expected a 2nd in order to actually pull the trigger on him being traded. I actually think Pickens will have a big year in Dallas this year, at least he has a QB to better utilize his talents

 

Once they know a team is going to unload a player, it's a buyers market. They probably took what they could get.

I do too.

 

Word coming out of Steelers coaches they think Roman Wilson is going to surprise a lot of people. they had enough confident in his ability to contribute in 2025, they let a disgruntled WR out the door. Steelers have a pattern of letting diva WR out the exit. Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool, Dionte Johnson, Mike Wallace, and a course a few RB who wanted out, Bell, Harris.

 

More of my thoughts on the Pickens trade. They were trading him, make no mistake about it.
During the 2025 draft, the best offer they got was a 4th.
After the draft they got a 3rd in 2026, and 5th in 2027, losing a 6th in 2027.
Other than Cam Ward there was no other QB with a first round grade. Why trade for capital in poor QB draft?
Right now there will be 5 QB with a first round grade in 2026.
Kirk Cousins is done, not sure what Atlanta will be asking, but he's not worth it.
They plan on Rodgers for one season until they draft their future. If they go with Rudolph Tomlin will suffer his first losing season. But they are not going to be drafting in the top 5, maybe the top 12 if in fact Rudolph struggles.
Are we better off than Cleveland? Other than Flacco, they got shit. I still think Pittsburgh finishes ahead of them and in the draft that will be stumbling block because even though they gook 2 QB in 2025, both project as backups and at some point, Flacco just goes to the Happy Valley Retirement Home. So Cleveland could be drafting higher than Pittsburgh again, they are 100% in the market for a franchise quarterback. I am not even sure if Pickett is on the roster in September, if he is he is the Emergency QB and not on the active roster.
One more thought on the Draft. I found it hard to take another Warren, all these good RB were like 5'8", at least with Kaleb Johnson they are replacing Najee Harris with someone with similar size.
This whole season is going to be decided by the OT and QB play . How well Rodgers or Rudolph will be protected by Jones and Fantanu.

 

Depot is saying what I said already. Draft capital for next April and Cleveland will be an obstacle

 

Cleveland also owns an extra 1st. round pick, so yeah, going to be hard to jump them in the draft if they really want one of the top ones. Totally agree with their QB room as well, they don't have anything there.

Like you, I prefer not to bring in Rogers, but I think they'll perform better with him, then without him. Once again, like you said, comes down to how well our offensive line performs. Another season of 1 score games, and hope to be able to pull it out in the end.

 

According to sources via The Athletic , teams were not interested in Pickens for a day 2 draft pick for Pickens during the draft.
In fact when asked several teams laughed about
bringing Pickens into their locker room. The deal they got with Dallas was the best they could have done. Pickens is on a growing list of former malcontentSteelers WR .
The full article is on Depot.

 

this was from September 19th. I got Johnson, Sawyer right, and I had Ward, Grant, Collins on my radar although we took Harmon, I was on the right track.