The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to stay put and get the player of their choice via Troy Fautanu on night one of the NFL Draft.
But as we know, it takes a team to win in this league, and there are still some glaring needs for Pittsburgh.
They can solve them with a mock draft similar to this one:
Round 2, No. 51 overall: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
Why it's him: Need for Speed
Pittsburgh will have to address the WR position on day two. That much is a given. And with the team already breaking tendency by drafting a player in the first round that went to school west of the Mississippi, why not do it again with a dynamic WR threat?
More on what makes Franklin special:
Strengths
- Release Specialist: Separates with grace off the line utilizing rapid foot fire into a tight vertical stem
- Vertical Speed: Easy boost to push past DBs and create big play opportunities
- YAC: Great after the catch with an excellent feel for space and an ability to generate extensive yardage gains
Evaluation:
Franklin is a superb athlete who can thrive in the NFL via vertical patterns where he releases off the line of scrimmage into a blaze, scorching everything in his wake. With the body nuance to become a detailed route runner, Franklin will have to add to his route type and gain a greater degree of physicality in order to excel as a viable, every-down option in the NFL.
Round 3, No. 84 overall: Kris Abrams-Draine, CB Missouri
Why it's him: Slot Corner Need
Pittsburgh will have to add more depth and utility in their secondary, and if they decide to take a WR with their first pick on day two, the board sets up better for them to address CB first, then center, especially when analyzing Kris Abrams-Draine's profile:
Strengths
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Hand usage
Gets his hands up fast and latches on to redirect the WR off his landmark -
Sticky coverage
Excels in underneath areas, playing with tight coverage and forcing pass breakups -
Tackling fundamentals
Well coached player who would bring his pads with him and wrap up on contact
Evaluation:
Abrams-Draine plays one of the toughest positions in football as slot corner in a predominantly single high defense. His ability to play underneath man coverage is notable but he must work on his ability to contain defenders and prevent down-field targets.
Round 3, No. 98 overall: Tanner Bortolini, Center, Wisconsin
Why it's him: Bang for your buck
Good luck finding a player that has the upside and day one starter potential that Bortolini does, even if he is still projected to be a top 100 pick. Ending day two on a high note, Bortolini would be the perfect pick to close out the meat of the Steelers draft.
Final word
Day two of the draft is the meat of where teams are built. And with Pittsburgh armed with two third-round picks, they have a chance to leave the first two days of the draft with four starters if they pick like this.
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