The GBN Report gets a lot of traffic from STEELERS fans, so at the risk of upsetting too many of them, here is my Draft projection for their beloved team.
Round1 Pick30 OBI MELIFONWU/FS UCONN 6’4/224 PPR#38
A while back the STEELERS used their 1st Round Pick on an undersized, super active S, by the name of TROY. OBI is the polar opposite from a size standpoint, but he was incredibly athletic and productive as a collegian. He should make a great defensive weapon to scheme with for DC Keith Butler. Had 118 tackles, along with 4 INT last season for the Huskies.
Round2 Pick62 RYAN ANDERSON/ER/DE ALABAMA 6’2/253 PPR#62
The search is still on to find an adequate replacement for JAMES HARRISON. ANDERSON is an explosive edge-rusher and a very physical player in general. And a productive HARRISON is still around to mentor him and possibly rotate at the position. A productive player, with natural edge-rush tools. Reminds me of a young & healthy LAMARR WOODLEY.
Round3 Pick94 MONTRAVIOUS ADAMS/DL AUBURN 6’3/304. PPR#96
The D-Line in Pittsburgh is talented but not terribly deep right now. ADAMS will help fix that. He’s a good candidate to play as both an E & Nose, and allow for more DL rotation on game day. When he plays hard he can dominate a game. MIKE TOMLIN should be a big factor in helping to motivate ADAMS to play at a high energy level.
Round3 Pick105 MIKE ROBERTS/TE TOLEDO 6’4/270 PPR#105
The team likes Jesse James as their starting TE, but would like to get even more out of their TE slot. A Late bloomer, ROBERTS is a red zone threat with his length and sure hands. He will develop as a blocker. This Pick could secure their TE position for the foreseeable future.
Round4 Pick135 JEREMY McNICHOLS/RB BOISE STATE 5’9/214 PPR#133
The team needs some quality depth behind Le’Veon Bell. He’s a workhorse, but at his current workload rate he’ll he used up this decade. McNICHOLS is short but not small. He’s a tough., elusive runner, who can also catch the ball. He rushed for over 1300 yards last season, and also caught 37 balls, scoring 27 total TD. He should make a nice replacement for DeAngelo Williams, who is flat out old for an NFL RB.
Round5 Pick173 MARQUEZ WHITE/CB FLORIDA STATE 6’0/194. PPR#163
Underrated player, IMO, due to talent logjam in FSU secondary. But when he played he was quite effective. Very good size, with 32’+ arm length. Instinctive to the ball in the air. Caught some eyes at the Senior Bowl with his practice work. Sub-Package player right away, with chance to fight for starting job in a few years.
Round6 Pick213 JEROD EVANS/QB VIRGINIA TECH 6’3/232. PPR#228
Not NFL ready after only 1-year of D1 play, but upside could be quite high, while Big Ben finishes out his great career. His 63.5% completion rate last season was higher than KIZER, PETERMAN, KAAYA, WEBB & DOBBS. 29TD/8INT ratio is also impressive. He is also a natural athlete and good speed and can scramble and/or extend plays.
Round7 Pick248 SHAAN WASHINGTON/ILB TEXAS A&M 6’3/235 PPR#249
Very productive defender for the Aggies. Nice value at the Pick. He’s very active and finds the ball. Can drop into coverage a bit. Should shine on Special Teams units while developing into an NFL LB.
That’s it folks. I think these Picks represent a nice blend of football talent and pro potential, with every one of them helping fill needs on the team’s roster.
