The Steelers' Next First-Round Pick May Not Have Arrived Yet

At this point, the Pittsburgh Steelers have either made or scheduled pre-Draft visits with at least 29 different prospects, including quarterback Shedeur Sanders on Thursday, who many deem a potential Top-10 pick. Despite this, we still get the impression that the team's next first-round pick hasn't come through the door just yet.

This brings us to the team's last two first-round picks, Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. What do they have in common? Both are offensive linemen who made pre-Draft visits around the third week of April. For Jones, it was April 17th, 2023; for Fautanu, it was April 15th, 2024. Perhaps it is a coincidence that both came around the same time, or this could represent a pattern where they wait until the week before the Draft to entertain the player they plan on taking in the first round.

So, the pending question is, who could it be? The general consensus since the Senior Bowl in January has been a defensive tackle, which is arguably the deepest position group in this year's draft class. Though the team has only held visits for five of them, they have met with one major player, Oregon's Derrick Harmon. Included in this group are Walter Nolen from Ole Miss and Kenneth Grant from Michigan. One can speculate that one or both of these players could come through at some point next week.

Then, there is the quarterback position, which has been a question mark for the Steelers this off-season. Though the team has committed to signing veteran Aaron Rodgers, it hasn't stopped them from doing their due diligence by evaluating all their options at the position. So far, they've met with Tyler Shough from Louisville and Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss. The news of Sanders' arrival on Thursday is likely to spark the idea of the team potentially trading up to grab him on Day 1. The wild card that should not be ignored is Jalen Milroe from Alabama, who is one of two prospects the team has met with on three different occasions this off-season; the other being Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II.

When it comes to the draft, nothing is certain. Despite their focus on the defensive line throughout much of the off-season, circumstances may lead them to pivot in a different direction. If they remain consistent, however, the team's next first-round pick could be arriving next week. Who that person will be, we'll find out on Draft day.