Getty Steelers HC Mike Tomlin stands on the field before a game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t admit it, but they’re a franchise in the early stages of a rebuild — something that Mike Tomlin isn’t accustomed to and one that could take years. Gathering draft capital is key to making that transition as painless as possible.
In 2023, Pittsburgh currently only owns five picks, two short of a full slate. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 for a 2023 fifth-round pick and linebacker Malik Reed from the Denver Broncos for a sixth-rounder.
It appears that the Steelers aren’t interested in trading wide receiver Chase Claypool, or at least they haven’t liked whatever offers they may have gotten for him.
It could be a backup quarterback — just collecting dust at this point — that the Steelers trade to recoup one of those two 2023 picks.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler pointed out that team captain Mitch Trubisky isn’t the likely signal-caller to go and that Mason Rudolph seems a more likely candidate.
“The Steelers always have kept three quarterbacks on the active roster, but they will field calls on third-stringer Mason Rudolph if teams show interest around the deadline,” Fowler wrote.
“The QB market has been quiet as teams such as the Dallas Cowboys used practice-squad options to fill short-term needs. But injuries can always change the equation, and with Kenny Pickett entrenched as the starter, Rudolph would probably welcome the change. Mitch Trubisky, as a team captain, will probably stay on for the season.”
Fowler suggests shipping Rudolph west to the Los Angeles Rams ahead of tomorrow’s November 1 trade deadline.
“Rudolph’s best bet might be as a high-level backup for a West Coast team, such as the Rams (whose passing game coordinator, Zac Robinson, was an accomplished Oklahoma State quarterback like Rudolph) or the 49ers.”
Rudolph’s contract expires in March, and the chances of him returning are slim to none. If Pittsburgh can get something in return for him, it’s more than the nothing they would if he walks in free agency.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 NFL Draft
The way things are trending right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a top-10 selection in the 2023 NFL draft. The last time they naturally (no trading up) held a top-10 pick was 22 years ago, in the year 2000. With a 6-10 record in the 1999 season, the Steelers had the eighth overall selection and drafted wide receiver Plaxico Burress.
With a signal-caller off the table, which positions are the biggest need for the Steelers in April?
Pittsburgh has not used a first-round pick on an offensive lineman since David DeCastro in 2012 — and it shows. Kenny Pickett was sacked six times by the Philadelphia Eagles, and the run game continues to be abysmal. The entire line needs to be revamped from center to guard to tackle.
Cornerback is another position that the 2022 season has proved needs addressing. The Steelers are allowing too many big plays in the secondary. Talk of Joey Porter Jr. (son of Steelers legend Joey Porter) as a draft-day target is running rampant.
Additionally, Minkah Fitzpatrick could use a consistent counterpart at safety.
Lastly, Pittsburgh would be smart to draft a generational pass-rusher opposite T.J. Watt.
It’s never too early to start thinking about the upcoming draft — especially when the present-day Steelers are such a drag.