With a potential huge cut in the 2021 NFL salary cap, the 2021 NFL draft could be hugely important for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This means the Steelers have to nail those first three picks and get players who can come in and help the team immediately in spots where they are more likely to lose stars in free agency.
Our friends over at Draft Wire have a new three-round mock draft out for 2021 and we decided to break down the Pittsburgh Steelers picks and see if they would fit the team’s immediate needs for next season.
First round-OT Samuel Cosmi | Texas
Picking Cosmi in the first round would be a very Steelers thing to do. With Matt Feiler moving inside there is going to be a lot of shuffling on the offensive line this season. There’s a lot of hope around Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner but we have no idea if either guy can handle being a full-time starter.
Plan B: Wake Forest EDGE Carl Basham Jr. would make a ton of sense here. Pittsburgh is entering salary-cap purgatory and it could mean losing more than one top player. Basham is a dynamic edge rusher who could be in the starting lineup from day one.
Second round-RB Zamir White \ Georgia
Despite having multiple running backs on the roster who can play, we keep coming back to whether or not the Steelers need to upgrade the position. Under any other circumstances, I’d be completely on board with Pittsburgh drafting Zamir White. He’s a do-it-all back who should be able to carry a heavy workload. But again, is this a pick that helps the team next season?
Plan B: Iowa’s Alric Jackson is a great option here, especially if the Steelers pass on an offensive lineman in the first round. He’s not quite as NFL-ready as Cosmi but his NFL ceiling is just as high.
Third round-QB Tanner Morgan | Minnesota
There’s no denying the Steelers have to prepare for the inevitable future of life without Ben Roethlisberger. Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan is an interesting case. He’s a solid athlete and has all the physical tools but makes his living on the field with a throw it up and have his receivers go get it philosophy.
Plan B: Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. just sitting there would be tempting. Mike Hilton could be leaving as could Cameron Sutton and Joe Haden isn’t getting any younger.
