Steelers could find Pro Bowler’s successor in the NFL Draft

While the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of holes to fill on their roster, the best teams do two things in the draft.  They build on their strengths, and they plan for the future.  There is one prospect slated to go on day two of the draft that can check both boxes for Pittsburgh: Braden Fiske […]

Rob Gregson NFL News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Jan 15, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks the field with defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97) before the game against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of holes to fill on their roster, the best teams do two things in the draft. 

They build on their strengths, and they plan for the future. 

There is one prospect slated to go on day two of the draft that can check both boxes for Pittsburgh:

Braden Fiske can be the next Cam Heyward

Fiske is no Cam Heyward from a length perspective, seeing as Heyward was 6-5 and boasted 34-inch arms during his pre-draft process but Fiske's athleticism, build and playstyle scream Cam Heyward when watching him on film:

And if you're Pittsburgh, while you likely believe Heward can bounce back off the groin injury that required multiple surgeries and forced him to miss a good chunk of the season, you can't bank your future on hope. 

Even if Heyward does rebound, he's going to be 35 and on the last year of his contract. I've seen no drop-off in Heyward's play, even after returning from groin surgery, in a condition that he called, "playing on one leg."

But Fiske could be the next Heyward. A scrappy player with similar traits, if he had the year to sit and watch Heyward, while simultaneously learning from him every day, it would do wonders for a player that already projects as a tenured starter and set Pittsburgh up for the long haul.