I don’t know about you but I actually enjoyed the virtual NFL Draft even more than the ones we’ve seen the last few decades. Kudos to the NFL and ESPN for a tremendous job. How they pulled it off is beyond belief. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell looked like your favorite uncle from his mancave outside of New York City. It wasn’t a bad look for the commish. I also enjoyed seeing the NFL people, surrounded by their kids and dogs, from their homes. Was Bill Belichick’s dog making the picks from his chair in front of the Patriots’ head coach’s computer? I hope that going forward the NFL can find a way to incorporate more of the virtual elements. They were a hit, and so were the ratings, which were through the roof. Well done, NFL.
· The Steelers only had six picks entering the draft, and it will take time to grade their draft class. While they didn’t have a number one, the Steelers already hit a home run by trading that number one to Miami for Minkah Fitzpatrick. I didn’t like the trade when it first happened last year, but soon realized the Steelers hit a home run. Unlike teams who just made their number one pick, the Steelers know what they have, and that is one terrific football player.
· While they can say that they went with the best player on their board, it was pretty obvious that the Steelers again selected for need. I was hoping they would take Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins when he was on the board when the Steelers picked at spot 49 in the second round. If you had told me that he would be there at that point I would have made the selection in a second. Instead, the Steelers went for big receiver Chase Claypool of Notre Dame. It wasn’t a surprise that the Steelers picked a receiver, but no one had Claypool going to Pittsburgh. He’s a big and fast target for Ben Roethlisberger and should help the Steelers in the red zone. But right or wrong, he’ll always be compared to Dobbins, who ended up with the hated Baltimore Ravens. Only time will tell if the Steelers struck gold or passed on a future star.
· Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson from Louisiana is a guy to keep an eye on. While he didn’t play for a big school, he is a big guy who fills a need and could play an important role for the Steelers this season. I’m intrigued by the pick.
· The rest of the guys are players who could be backups, should they make the roster. Charlotte linebacker Alex Highsmith was a star at a small school, so it’s hard to say how he will stack up against the big boys. Running back Anthony McFarland from Maryland is a guy who can take it to the house every time he touches the ball. He just needs to prove that he can stay healthy, something that has plagued James Conner since he put on the Black and Gold.
· While I was intrigued with the idea of the Steelers going after a quarterback, most notably Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts, I never thought the Steelers would draft one in the early rounds of the draft. I would have been tempted to take Georgia’s Jake Fromm when he was slipping. I think he would be a far better third stringer than Duck Hodges.
· Congratulations to Indiana’s Dylan Stapleton, who signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent once the draft ended. I’m really happy for this fine young man. I just hope that older brother Riley gets a shot as well. I’m very surprised that he hasn’t been signed by anyone yet.
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