Is it too soon to talk about the 2021 NFL draft? Not to us and not to our friends over at Draft Wire. They put out a new two-round mock draft and you know we had to break down the picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the first round with the No. 22 overall pick they have the Steelers selecting Tennessee offensive tackle Trey Smith. In terms of talent, Smith is as good as any offensive lineman in this draft. And if he’s healthy, would represent a huge value this late in the round.
After missing most of 2018 with blood clots in his lungs, Smith finally worked himself back into shape and into the starting lineup late in the 2019 season. A full season healthy in 2020 will be an excellent test for his draft stock.
Moving to the second round, the Steelers select Georgia running back Zamir White. Similar to Smith, White just needs to be healthy. The skills are all there with his impressive blend of size and speed but he has yet to finish a full season healthy. His draft stock will hang heavily on if he can play a full season.
Drafting two guys with serious injury histories are worrisome. The safety picks in this scenario are Michigan offensive tackle Jaylen Mayfield in the first round and perhaps Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy in the second. But sticking to the theme of a running back, Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell went just a few picks later.
