Getty Fans line up outside of Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
After a tumultuous season that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose star players Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, they have a whopping ten draft picks to help them start to rebuild. While the Steelers should still be a decent team without Bell and Brown, they will have their work cut out contending in what looks to be a loaded AFC North.
Follow along here for live round by round updates of who the Steelers pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2019 NFL Draft Picks: Live Round By Round Updates
*TRADE* Round 1, Pick 10 – Devin Bush ILB, Michigan
Round 3, Pick 66 – Diontae Johnson, WR Toledo
Round 3, Pick 83 – Justin Layne, CB Michigan State
Round 4, Pick 122 – Benny Snell Jr., RB Kentucky
Round 5, Pick 141 – Zach Gentry, TE Michigan
Round 6, Pick 175 – Sutton Smith, OLB Northern Illinois
Round 6, Pick 192 – Isaiah Buggs, DT Alabama
Round 6, Pick 207 – Ulysees Gilbert III, ILB Akron
Round 7, Pick 219 – Derwin Gray, OG Maryland
Steelers Biggest NFL Draft Needs
Despite the departure of the two stars, the Steelers have what looks to be an heir apparent at running back in James Connor along with a decent receiving core headlined by Juju Smith-Schuster. As a result, the biggest needs for this football team lie on the other side of the ball.
The Steelers took a nice first step by signing Mark Barron to help fortify the secondary but expect the Steelers to look to add some talent from there draft here. The Steelers were gashed through the air last season and were unable to come up key stops through the air when they needed them. While they still finished 9-6-1, a stronger secondary might have made them a legitimate Lombardi Trophy contender.
Along with the secondary, ever since Ryan Shazier suffered his career-ending injury, the Steelers haven’t been able to find a suitable replacement. Linebackers have long been the heart and soul of the notorious Steel Curtain and this is likely an area that the front office is going to look to address in the draft.
While the Steelers should by no means reach for a wide receiver if they happen to find a receiver unexpectedly dropping to them, look for them to pull the trigger. The loss of Brown warrants bringing in help in SOME capacity but doesn’t pull rank over the team’s defensive needs. The Steelers can afford to draft a bit of a project here as they won’t necessarily need to fill an immediate need.