Steelers First-Round Plans Coming to Life Weeks From NFL Draft
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers' draft board is coming to life with under a month until the first pick. With Pro Days winding down, head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert are leaving clues to which direction they'll go with pick No. 24.
It started with leaving out North Carolina. The only representative of the Steelers during the Tar Heels' Pro Day was running backs coach Eddie Faulkner. Meanwhile, Tomlin was attending Ohio State.
While many believed the Steelers could hit the sweet spot and land UNC running back Javonte Williams, it seems their interest isn't as strong as we thought. Buckeyes running back Trey Sermon may have caught their attention.
At the same time, Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins seems to have made his way to Pittsburgh's list of options.
Left tackle is certainly on the Steelers' board as they have Chuks Okorafor and Zach Banner, but little to no experience on the roster at the left side of the line. While Alex Leatherwood and Jackson Carman are options after the Steelers attended Alabama and Clemson's Pro Days, there seems to be some buzz around the 6'6 OSU man.
Zaven Collins of Tulsa has made an appearance around the Steelers pick a number of times. Some believe Pittsburgh has interest in a linebacker, either outside or inside, with the 24th pick. Truthfully, the draft is too deep for the Steelers to concern themselves with smaller needs in the first round when the jump between top tier and second-tier running backs and tackles is a wide gap.
With weeks before the Steelers take the stage and add their newest member to the team, it appears the two positions to watch are tackle and running back. Najee Harris and Travis Etienne have impressed, and the Steelers' lack of attendance at North Carolina could point to them eyeing one of the two in the first round.
Continue to follow AllSteelers as we close the gap on who the Steelers are looking to draft on opening night.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
