Without a first-round pick, there could be a sense of panic among NFL draft pundits when it pertains to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the 2020 draft. But with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick as the consolation prize for the lack of a first-round pick, no one should be too concerned.
In a new mock draft by The Draft Network, they opt to simulate a trade by the Steelers with the Denver Broncos where Pittsburgh trades away their second-round pick for a pair of thirds. Before we talk about how that went, here are the picks.
With the No. 77 pick overall, they have the Steelers draft former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet. Considering the likelihood Vance McDonald will be a salary cap casualty, replacing him with a player like Kmet makes sense.
Then with the No. 95 overall pick, the Steelers take former Utah edge rusher Bradlee Anae. I like Anae as a prospect even if he does lack ideal athleticism.
Where’s the problem with this scenario? In fairness, without compensatory picks officially announced, it’s easy to omit that third-round pick Pittsburgh will be getting. Nevertheless, just looking at the players the Steelers leave on the board to trade back is hard to take.
The pick Denver makes with the Steelers choice, wide receiver Jalen Reagor would be a tremendous value. And just as you slide through the next four or five picks you see several guys who should have significant rookie impacts including offensive guard Jonah Jackson and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike.
