There are two key offensive positions that the Steelers need to address in the 2020 NFL Draft: Running back and wide receiver.
It’s been said that the Steelers will not be renewing RB James Conner’s contract at the end of the season, and the same could be said for WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
This is what CBS Sports has Pittsburgh doing in their latest mock draft. In Round 2, the Steelers select WR Laviska Shenault.
In 2018, Shenault made himself a household name among college football fans. The do-it-all receiver logged 86 catches for 1,011 yards and six receiving touchdowns and led the entire FBS with 9.6 catches per game. He was the only player in the country to have five receiving and five rushing touchdowns. He was a big-play threat on the ground as well, carrying the ball for 17 times for 115 yards and five touchdowns.
But in 2019, Shenault was nagged by injuries and was unable to duplicate that success, averaging just 11 yards per reception.
According to this mock draft, WR Tee Higgins is still available to Pittsburgh at No. 49. I would rather see the Steelers go with Higgins as he appears to be the more reliable prospect. Higgins possesses the ability to play from all three WR positions and is a deep-ball threat.
In the third round, Pittsburgh selected elusive RB Antonio Gibson. Gibson is not a traditional RB, and defenses would have a hard time with him on the field. In 2019, he posted 38 catches for 735 yards and eight touchdowns and added 33 carries for 369 yards (11 yards per carry) with four more scores. With all-purpose talent, there’s no telling what Gibson will do with the ball in his hands, but it will all be good.
