Steelers have high hopes for rookie DE Basham Jr.

by Crimsion | 4 years ago | 0 Comments

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 9-7 season, falling short of a playoff appearance and into a whirlwind of an off-season. Head coach and General Manager, Jordan Charles, found himself suddenly with a handful of needs with some key veteran pieces finding new homes. Long time Steelers' Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was cut for cap reasons and the city of Pittsburgh would have to find a new man under centre.

Exhausting all options, the Steelers finally settled in, deciding not to take their chances with the upcoming rookie draft they obtained veteran QB Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. With one of the major pieces now put into place Charles and company now looked to the SFL draft for more answers.

Here is how their draft shook out:

Round 1 - DE - Carlos Basham Jr - Wake Forest - 6'5" - 282 lbs

The Steelers were thin when it came to players within their front seven, selecting the man out of Wake Forest here gives them some flexibility to move players around the line in regards to TJ Watt, Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward. Although he wasn't the most talented defensive end in the draft, his combine numbers surely were enough to impress scouts around the NFL. He'll need work surely, but Pittsburgh has him surrounded with the talent to allow him to flourish.

Round 3 - OLB - Joseph Ossai - Texas - 6'4" - 253 lbs

Pittsburgh lost out on a key pass rusher in Bud Dupree this past off-season and looked to sure up that position by selecting Joseph Ossai out of Texas here. Ossai may not posess the same strength held by Dupree, but he's got time to develop. He'll have the luxury of playing alongside TJ Watt in pass rush situations, but could find himself behind the newly signed Christian Kirksey in most formations.

Round 4 - LG - Zion Johnson - Boston College - 6'4" - 315 lbs

Running thin when it comes to their guard position the Steelers decided it was time to pull the trigger, and while some may say they reached with this pick, Zion Johnson has a good chance to start week one for Pittsburgh. The path for the rookie to get significant playing time runs through veteran Stefen Wisniewski and second year man Kevin Dotson. While Johnson may not display the same strength as the aformentioned Dotson, his film does show a better understanding of blocking in both the pass and run games.

Round 5 - QB - Mac Jones - Alabama - 6'3"  -214 lbs

Slated to be a second-round pick early on in the draft process Alabama quarterback, Mac Jones, fell into the hands of the Steelers here in the 5th round. He won't be competing for a starting job right away, but following his 16 touchdown, 2 interception Junior season, Jones was looking good before his injury that kept him out the remainder of the year. He'll have time to learn behind a veteran such as Matt Stafford and this could be just what he needs to become a sure fire starter once Stafford is on his way out.

Round 6 - DT - Malik Herring - Georgia - 6'3" - 280 lbs

Herring will simply act as a depth piece in a defensive line room that is still looking for a true nose tackle to play alongside Stephon Tuitt and Cameron Heyward. He could carve out a role for himself in training camp however as this job is very much up in the air.

Round 7 - CB - Chase Lucas - Arizona State - 6'0" - 182 lbs

Pittsburgh needed some depth when it came to their secondary, specifically their cornerbacks room. Although they don't have a true CB2 it's unlikely that the Steelers will allow Lucas, or anyone else on their roster currently, to battle for that job.

Round 7 - RT - Dylan Wonnum - South Carolina - 6'5" - 312 lbs

Being draft just before Mr. Irrelevant can't be a good feeling, but for Dylan Wonnum it could be a blessing in disguise. The South Caorlina product is coming into a situation where he truly can compete for a starting job. Pittsburgh sured up a tackle spot by signing Marcus Gilbert in the off-season, however the other side of the line is still up in the air.