There were definite trends to the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.
There was the early run on quarterbacks, with three -- Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert -- going in the first six picks as expected. Then, the run on offensive tackles started. After that, it was receivers and corners taking center stage in the mid-to-late portion of the round.
The Steelers, of course, didn't have a selection in the first round, trading it as part of the deal with the Dolphins to acquire All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
That pick, which was 18th overall, was used by the Dolphins to take USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson.
There were six receivers selected, as one of the draft's deepest positions was hit hard. Henry Ruggs of Alabama was the first selected at pick No. 12 by the Raiders. After that, it was Ruggs' teammate Jerry Jeudy going to the Broncos at 15, CeeDee Lamb (17) to the Cowboys, Jalen Reagor (21) to the Eagles, Justin Jefferson (22) to the Vikings and Brandon Aiyuk (25) to the 49ers.
Surprisingly, there were no trades in the top 10 picks of the draft, the first time that has happened since 2015. But they were more prevalent in the latter part of the round, including the Packers moving up to take Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.
Just one running back was taken in the first round, that coming with the last pick of the night, as the Chiefs selected LSU's Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It's the first time in his lengthy career Andy Reid has used a first-round pick on a running back.
Edwards-Helaire was the fifth LSU player selected, a record for that school, and the 15th player selected from the SEC in the first round of the draft, also a record.
The Steelers have their first selection at pick No. 49, meaning there will be 16 picks on Friday before they make their pick. But there's still a lot of talent available.
Here are the top-25 players still remaining who fit the Steelers. Remember, these aren't just the best remaining players, but ones who would fit into the Steelers' plans:
- Zack Baun, LB, Wisconsin -- Can play inside or come off the edge. He's Chad Brown and the only defensive player still on the board I would take above an offensive skill player for the Steelers.
- Joshua Jones, OT, Houston -- Has to be on this list, but there's no way he makes it to pick No. 49. If he did, the Steelers would get a legit left tackle to eventually replace Alejandro Villanueva.
- Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor -- A size-speed guy. In most years, an athlete such as Mims who is 6-foot-3 and ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine goes in the first round.
- Michael Pittman, WR, USC -- Like Mims, Pittman has first-round talent but slipped a bit because this draft is so deep at the receiver position.
- J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State -- Dobbins, my top-rated running back, remains available. If he falls to the Steelers, they would be ecstatic.
- D'Andre Swift, RB, Georgia -- He's the top back on some people's draft boards. He was No. 2 on mine. But he's a difference maker.
- Cam Akers, RB, Florida State -- I've changed my mind on him as the process has gone on and have moved him ahead of Jonathan Taylor because of Taylor's fumbling issues.
- Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin -- Had 18 career fumbles at Wisconsin, losing 15. Also doesn't catch the ball as well as the backs ahead of him. But he's a workhorse.
- Antoine Winfield Jr. -- Winfield is my top-rated safety in this draft. He's a dynamic playmaker.
- Lavishka Shenault, WR, Colorado -- He's a good player, but his injury history scares me a bit. Because of his physical style of play, he gets nicked up.
- Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson -- Didn't test well at his pro day, but he's a very good player when you turn on the tape, with some DeAndre Hopkins-like ability to make plays with defenders draped on him.
- Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama -- Can play all over the defense, but McKinney is lacking in top-end speed. But he's a good football player.
- Grant Delpit, S, LSU -- Delpit's 2018 tape was much better than what he put out in 2019. But he played through some injuries. He's ultra-talented and shouldn't last long.
- Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State -- Has outstanding size and athletic ability but wasn't tested much playing at Boise State. He could start early, but he needs to get stronger.
- Josh Uche, LB, Michigan -- Not sure where he fits in. He can play on the edge, but that's not his strength. Looks more like an off-ball linebacker to me, which is what he did a lot of at Michigan.
- Lloyd Cushenberry, C, LSU -- The draft's second-best center, Cushenberry has some nice leadership qualities, as well.
- Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois -- Will be making a big step up in competition, but his size and speed are undeniable. Might be better off playing linebacker in the NFL.
- A.J. Epenesa, DE, Iowa -- This is a projection, but I would ask Epenesa to put on 15 pounds and play defensive tackle in the Steelers' 3-4. But it's not a big need, which is why he's so low on this list.
- Ross Blacklock, DL, TCU -- Blacklock is more of a 3-4 defensive end instead of a nose tackle, which is why he's this low on this list. Could probably play on the nose in a pinch, but isn't ideally suited to play there.
- Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State -- Has the size and speed to be a three-down linebacker.
- K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State -- Sorry Penn State fans, his injury history and drops scare me off him. We know that he's fast, but not exactly how fast because he didn't work out at the combine. He's also strictly a slot receiver.
- Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame -- Is he a receiver or a tight end? Though he timed at sub-4.5 in the 40 at the combine, he doesn't play quite that fast. At 6-4, 238 pounds, he's also not as physical as you'd like, but he's a chess piece.
- Logan Wilson, ILB, Wyoming -- A quality football player who runs well enough to be a three-down linebacker.
- Lucas Niang, OT, TCU -- Played most of his junior year and the first part of his senior season with a labrum tear in his hip before shutting things down and getting surgery. If not for that, he might be higher on this list.
- Justin Madubuike, DT, Texas A&M -- Another player who's probably best suited to play defensive end in the Steelers' 3-4 scheme, but could play nose in a pinch.
