(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
The Steelers received mostly mediocre grades for their 2021 draft haul, but it really doesn't matter since we won't know how good a draft class is until at least three years from now.
There's a belief by many that there's not great value in selecting a running back in the first round, being that their shelve lives tend to be short, so that played a big part in the numerous C grades that the Steelers received. Draftniks also thought the Steelers should have addressed the center or offensive tackle position earlier instead of selecting tight end Pat Freiermuth out of Penn State in the second round.
Initially, I thought the Steelers should have gone with Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey in the second round, as I felt that he would be more of a plug-and-play option than Kendrick Green. However, the more I watch Green the more I like the pick. The Steelers had to address the tight end position and the class wasn't that deep this year, so they would have missed out on a tight end that can run routes and catch the ball along with being a solid blocker if they didn't select Freiermuth in the second round. There was more depth at center and offensive tackle, so that's why the Steelers selected Green in the third round and Texas A&M offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. in the fourth round.
Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network basically said the Steelers got a steal by drafting Moore in the fourth round.
"This is a good football player in a very deep tackle draft. I think in some other years you're talking about this player being a second-round-type guy," Jeremiah said.
Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review posted an interesting hypothetical situation on Twitter this morning if the Steelers were to select Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins in the first round, Ohio State center Josh Myers in the second round, Georgia tight end Tre' McKity in the third round and Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell in the fourth round.
The Steelers would have addressed all the same positions that they did but just in a different order in Adamski's hypothetical draft, especially by selecting a running back in the fourth round instead of at 24th overall. I think some Steelers fans would have been pleased with this draft, but drafting a running back in the fourth round would be worrisome as the Steelers have had not had success lately when drafting mid-round running backs.
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