INDIANAPOLIS -- A few weeks back, I posted my pre-combine mock draft for the Steelers. As I wrote then, I feel the team will look to add touchdown makers early in the draft process, then look to fill in some depth needs later.
That's still the way I'm leaning here.
But some of the picks are a little different now than they were prior to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where I spent all of the past week.
I listen. I learn. I digest.
Because of the overall lackluster performance of the tight ends at the combine, I think the Steelers will keep Vance McDonald and look to add a No. 2 tight end in free agency to pair with Zach Gentry for depth. This just isn't a good group of tight ends, and because of that, the few with even moderate talent will be overdrafted.
Thus, it's time for my post-combine mock. Let's dig in.
• Round 2, pick 49 -- Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU (previous pick, Zack Moss, RB, Utah): I still like Moss as a prospect. Some will bang him for his 4.70 40-yard dash at the combine, but speed isn't his game and he tweaked something in his leg doing his vertical jump before running. He's faster than 4.70. Edwards-Helaire, however, is a little more dynamic. No, he isn't going to run away from a lot of people. He ran a 4.60 40 on Friday night. But if you watched his footwork in the drills, you saw why he was special. His feet are dynamic. And at 5-7, 208 pounds, he's well put together. He's vertically challenged, but like Darren Sproles or Maurice Jones-Drew before him, I don't think that will matter. He can be a huge weapon. And he's closer to Jones-Drew than he is Sproles. He's a tough inside runner who can get lost behind the offensive line before patiently picking his hole. There's a reason why Joe Burrow called him LSU's best player. He'll make an immediate impact at the NFL level as a third-down back at the very least. He catches the ball well, is a willing blocker. And he has the talent to be a starter. He also returns kicks. With the NFL moving to a 17-game schedule sooner rather than later, you can't have enough talented running backs on your roster. Edwards-Helaire would be a good fit in that mix.
• Round 3, compensatory -- Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech (previous pick, Rashard Lawrence, DT, LSU): The Steelers can expect this pick to be in the 95-100 range. A corner? Yeah. The Steelers were sniffing around too many cornerbacks at the combine for the interest to not be there. That tells me they feel like there's a chance they might not pick up the option on Mike Hilton, choosing to go with Cam Sutton as the starting nickel this season. At 5-8, 187 pounds, Robertson is slated to be a slot corner. He had 14 career interceptions at Louisiana Tech and held his own, even against big wideouts. Robertson, in fact, has that scrappy quality that has made Hilton so good. But he'll be a younger, cheaper version. The secondary finally became a strength for the Steelers in 2019. And to keep a strength a strength, you have to keep adding bodies, especially since so many defensive backs see playing time.
• Round 4A -- Benito Jones, NT, Mississippi (previous pick, Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford): Even if the NFL salary cap does increase as expected with the new CBA, it might not be enough for the Steelers to keep Javon Hargrave. And they need a developmental nose tackle to replace Daniel McCullers even if they do keep Hargrave. I expect them to sign a mid-level veteran on a short-term deal if Hargrave leaves, opening the door to add a young nose. Jones (6-1, 316 pounds) has the size to anchor the middle. But he's not a great pass rusher, which will push him down some boards. It wouldn't be a sexy pick, but it would be one that has been needed for a while.
• Round 4B --Antonio Gibson, WR, Memphis (previous pick, John Runyan, OL, Michigan) Gibson is a developmental piece. He played RB and WR at Memphis, so he's had limited work at both. Last season, he was primarily at wide receiver (38 receptions, 735 yards, 19.3 average, eight touchdowns) but also earned midseason reps at running back (33 carries, 369 yards, four touchdowns). At 6-0, 228 pounds, he's put together. The Steelers could use him as a chess piece. He timed at 4.39 in the 40 at the combine. He's scary good on jet sweeps and can line up outside and stretch a defense with his speed. He also had a kick return for a score last season, averaging 28 yards in that role. It added up to 15 touchdowns the past two seasons on just 101 touches. Gibson could have a Martavis Bryant-like impact as a rookie.
• Round 6 -- Keith Ismael, C/G, San Diego State (previous pick, D.J. Wonnum, Edge, South Carolina): If the Steelers make a run at keeping B.J. Finney, as I expect they will, it will be because Finney is going to be the starting left guard once Ramon Foster is released. That means they'll need a solid backup center. Ismael started at both guard and center for the Aztecs. He's a reliable interior blocker who could slip a bit in this very deep OT draft. He has starter potential down the road.
• Round 7 -- Derek Tuszka, Edge, North Dakota State (previous pick, Michael Turk, P, Arizona State) I liked the Turk pick in the previous mock, but he showed enough athleticism that he could very well be gone before the Steelers pick in the seventh round. Tuszka is an interesting pass rushing prospect. He had 29 1/2 sacks in three seasons as a starter. It was at a lower level, but the Steelers haven't been afraid to go after lower-level defensive ends to convert to OLB. If the Steelers tag Bud Dupree, they'll need a developmental guy who could turn into a starter. Even if they sign him to a long-term deal, they need somebody to push Anthony Chickillo off the roster. Tuszka has the potential to do either.
