What is the Steelers' round one backup plan? The position to watch if Pittsburgh's top prospects are off the board
The Pittsburgh Steelers have all options on the table in round one of this week's NFL Draft. The top three, in some order that we don't have locked down, are DL, WR, and Shedeur Sanders. But if he's gone, and their highest-graded players at the DL and WR spots are taken; they will likely pivot […]
The Pittsburgh Steelers have all options on the table in round one of this week's NFL Draft.
The top three, in some order that we don't have locked down, are DL, WR, and Shedeur Sanders.
But if he's gone, and their highest-graded players at the DL and WR spots are taken; they will likely pivot to another need.
Here's that need and three players to watch for Pittsburgh…
Watch for Round 1 Running Back Selection by Pittsburgh
Option #1: Omarion Hampton
The RB position has been one that the Steelers have done a ton of research on this offseason, and for good reason. As promising as Jaylen Warren has been as a former UDFA, he's not the Steelers' workhorse.
Mike Tomlin won't have a 5-8 back as his bell cow. He will, however, gladly draft a player like Hampton, who is over 6-0, 220+ pounds, runs a 4.4, and has yet to turn 21 years old.
There was a time when Hampton lasting to picj 21 seemed absurd, as he's widely believed to be the second-best back in the class. But as of late, he's seen a slight dip in his estimated draft position, and it could lead to him falling into the Steelers' lap.
Option #2: TreVeyon Henderson
TreVeyon Henderson was one of the last players that the Steelers hosted for a pre-draft visit in Pittsburgh. He's a tad shorter than what they have started in the past decade with Najee Harris, James Conner, and Le'Veon Bell, but you can't tell by the way he plays.
Unlike Hampton however, Henderson has seen a steady rise in estimated draft positioning, with some believing he could go as high as the first half of round one. He's certainly on the Steelers' radar and could be their feature back by the end of the weekend.
Option 3: Quinshon Judkins, OSU
The least likely of the three to go round one, we always hear that it only takes one team to like a player enough to make him a first-round pick, and that could be the case with the Steelers and Quinshon Judkins.
There are a lot of Najee Harris vibes to Judkins, only in a more explosive frame. One of the few critics of Harris, along with his vision (which Judkins also carries), was his ability to get vertical and hit home runs.
That's not the case with Jukdins, or anyone on this list, makinbg them all vibale candiates if the Steelers' top options are off the board.