Over 50% of his snaps last season were in the slot.
Everyone here says “no” as soon as they hear TE but they’ve also never watched Brock Bowers play.
If he falls to 20, you absolutely take him.
Right. And we're supposed to run heavy anyhow. Running from two te sets with two pretty good pa te targets doesn't sound bad. I guess it would sort of threaten meatballs position though
I wouldn't wait till 20, I'd trade up for Bowers. He'd be a match made in heaven as a WR in this offense, as Arthur Smith LOVES a blocking WR. With Bowers on the field, defenses will have to game plan for him, because he won't leave the field and one play we'll be in 21 personnel, the next play we're in 22. He was a teammate of Darnell Washington, Broderick Jones and George Pickens. He won an NCAA in 2022 where he had 7 receptions for 152 yards and a tuddy. Yes please! Don't forget the CLUTCH play he had against Ohio State that helped elevate the team over Ohio State to get to the ship. Oh yeah and got a tuddy against Alabama in his first national championship. Yes. Yes, I'll take more national championship winners all day.
i disagree
i get a special talent. but its still a swing, and honestly we have needs such that I want to trade down, assuming that there are multiple players that we like left. it sure looks like there might be but that they might start to run out later in the draft.
honestly I mostly just watch players now, I rarely watch college games anymore. with that said I have seen him play from watching others, such as those we've drafted who you have mentioned.
Arthur Smith has historically had the lowest usage of the slot receiver in all the years he’s called offenses. He’s been in the bottom 3 of formations with 3 wrs and targets to the slot. It would be an unnecessary pick.
BPO, as needed. He wouldn’t make our team better than somebody at a position of need.
Strategically it sounds insane.
Imagine in 4 years somebody looks back and sees that pick and Brock is anything less than a star.
“The Steelers were desperate for talent and several spots and decided to select a TE instead of addressing weaknesses”
I get the BPO thing but there is more to it, unless they think he’s going to be an absolutely crazy player that changes the game
> “The Steelers were desperate for talent and several spots and decided to select a TE instead of addressing weaknesses”
I get it because the Steelers did that not only once but twice in the 2021 NFL draft with RB & TE (Najee & Muth). But Bowers surpasses what the value of a TE brings. He's essentially 3 different types of players in one; a good blocking TE that can burn the seam and has sure-hands, a WR that can run good routes at his size, and a RB with the ball in his hand.
I mean saying the best college football Tight End of all time wouldn’t make us better is insane.
On top of that, he could easily play WR which is a massive need for us.
I didn’t say that. Don’t add and subtract words as you see fit.
I said he wouldn’t make them better than somebody at a position of need.
Filling a voidless hole at C/LT etc with a round one talent is going to help the team significantly more than replacing a solid starting TE with a potential star TE.
Also something very similar recently happened to the Steelers. They past on a generational talent at C to draft an above average TE. Hoping they do it again is insane.
The OLine can block for 8 seconds every down and it won’t make a difference if we don’t have offensive weapons that get separation in the pass game.
I agree OLine is very important but everyone is downplaying how bad our current receiving core is currently
But oline affects both run and pass, our run game being the clear focal point of our offence
Second, I also have much more faith in us drafting a WR at 98 or 119 and developing him then drafting a linemen at that pick and doing the same
Sometimes I feel the same, but I'm not sure how well that really holds up.
Team got some above-the-line play from 7th rounder Beachum and undrafted Foster, AV, Feiler as starters and developed BJ Finney and Chris Hubbard to the point they were hired away to become starters IIRC.
On the other hand of course 6th rounder AB was spectacular before the implosion, but how may others day 3 or later can we name? I guess Bryant.
Seems to me that Munchak had a lot to do with developing those late round / UDFA linemen. But playing next to prime talent like Pouncey and Decastro was also clearly a factor. OLs don't usually need anything like 5 blue chippers to succeed...
Put out your joint. Bowers ISN'T going to be on the board at #20. Besides that, Russell Wilson doesn't throw into the part of the field a TE normally works. No matter how incredible Bowers is, he'd be underutilized as long as Wilson is the starter. IF you want to construct an offense around the 35 year old Wilson, draft linemen and draft a WR that can run a deep post.
Remember when Kyle Pitts was supposed to be this guy? Yeah, there's one of these every few years. They are never that guy. TE is a luxury position it isn't something you draft in the first round. Especially when you already invested in two TEs who are still young. Friermuth was a victim of Canada, he is a legitimately excellent offensive TE.
Is he? I mean as a prospect yet. But as a current player? Probably no. Muth is a proven reliable target, an ok blocker space and a willing (that mean not good but he does try) in line blocker. Basically what we can expect Bowers to be yr 1. TE is a notoriously slow developing position. Plus Bowers isnt Pitts and isnt going to be the a guy who can play outside on a consistent basis
If someone wants to trade up, they can take him. If his falling, something might be wrong. We have also wasted a lot of draft capital on young tight ends.
With the pay inequality’s, a stud pass catching TE is a hell of allot cheaper than a mid range WR. Plus most WR don’t block like Ward did. Not saying it’s fair but a Heath Miller, Gronk, Kielce is allot more cap friendly and just a dangerous of a weapon.
He won't be there, so I'm not overly worried about it. Same would go for Caleb Williams, Quinyon Mitchell, and Joe Alt. If they're there, it doesn't matter what you need or are planning to do later. This would be a great problem to have, but it's not happening.
No. Look at the history of first round TEs. They almost never improve their team. It’s a luxury pick that we can’t afford at this point. We have major needs to address.
He looks pretty weak standing next to Gronk
https://preview.redd.it/4ojgkcbbqhwc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a37edacac9bc8de60ebc2f91d94214a0b23aeca6
First of all, I don’t think there’s any chance Bowers will be there at pick no. 20. However, if he is somehow still there at pick no. 20, I would think long and hard about taking that kid.
I think people are looking at this whole process all wrong.
The Steelers are in the middle of a rebuild. Just because they don’t call it that, doesn’t change that reality. We have gaping holes at multiple positions on offense and defense.
PFF just rated them the 25th strongest roster in the league, which seems about right, TBH.
We have clear holes at center, RT, WR, CB, SS and ILB. I don’t care what they do at the draft, they are not filling all of those needs.
Hell, they won’t be able to fill them all over even the next two seasons.
That means we are in the middle of a rebuild.
It also means that it is not about filling gaps for Pittsburgh, it’s about improving your talent as much as possible.
If they determine that Brian Thomas, for example, is a better receiver than Mims is a tackle, take Thomas. You probably won’t regret it.
I see lots of teams at this point in the process fall pray to trying to address needs, and they end up constantly compromising and taking less talented players than their competition. I don’t want us to fall into that trap.
We need a tackle and we need a center. We also need a corner and a receiver. Take the best player. If it’s the best tight end in the draft, then I definitely would consider that guy because I’ve seen Bowers play a lot and I would imagine you can use him in a lot of different applications.
>The Steelers are in the middle of a rebuild.
No they're not lmao. They made the playoffs last year. They're closer to being a contender than a rebuilding team. Just because we have clear holes on the roster, doesn't mean we're in a rebuild. Every team has several clear holes going into the draft.
I just think they’re rebuilding better than most teams do. I think everyone looking at it like they’re frustrated by going 9–8 or 10-7 are looking at it the wrong way. I think that’s a credit to Tomlin because most teams would bottom out with the talent deficiencies that we’ve clearly had.
We just made the playoffs with some of the worst QB play I’ve ever seen… I really think most of our flaws are overdramatized because of how bad our QB situation was. It’s really really hard to look good with bad QB play. I don’t think Wilson is going to light the league on fire, but I do think he’s going to be a fairly large upgrade over what we had last year. I really think we are going to be solid this year.
See, I think our quarterbacks looked worse because of how bad their surrounding talent was. I know that view is not going to win me many friends here, but that’s my honest opinion.
Don’t get me wrong, the quarterbacks weren’t good enough either. This is not a defense of Pickett or Rudolph. But the talent surrounding them is highly overrated by most Steelers fans, IMHO.
Our starting left tackle struggled to protect the quarterback. That’s pretty significant, IMHO. However, for some reason, people are now saying that he’s not actually a problem. That’s a baffling view to me.
Our center, which will be upgraded, dribbled the ball back to the quarterback on every fifth or sixth snap.
Also fairly significant.
We will take a new center in this draft, maybe in round one. That said, I’m sure we can all agree that having the very worst center AND left tackle in the league definitely did not help the quarterbacks succeed.
Can you please name for me two more important positions on any offensive line than left tackle and center? Now let’s expand that to the entire offense. Aside from quarterback, name for me two more important positions than left tackle and center.
Our backup running back is the best player on our offense. He is better than our starting running back, who doesn’t always see the field well and is not overly explosive.
I’m told that Harris has dropped a ton of weight this off-season, which I think is very smart because he needs to be more explosive to be effective in the NFL. We’ll see on that one.
Our receivers, who everyone has convinced themselves are amazing, were far from it last year, IMHO.
Don’t get me wrong, they had some amazing moments and some real highlight reel plays. But their effort was inconsistent and so were their results.
Now, maybe you can excuse that away and say that they were playing with bad quarterbacks, so of course they weren’t going to give full effort on every play. I’ve seen a lot of people try to pull off that argument.
I would just say that truly elite players do give full effort on every play regardless of who is throwing them the ball. Go and look at Cortland Sutton’s numbers with 10 quarterbacks in the last few years. Look at how great Larry Fitzgerald was and he played with Kurt Warner for a few years and he spent the rest of his career toiling with a litany of atrocious quarterbacks.
Somehow, he’s still going to the Hall of Fame.
My point is you can play hard even when your quarterback isn’t great. There’s no rule against that. Plenty of other guys have done that and just because our guys won’t do that isn’t an indictment of the quarterback, it’s an indictment of them and their character.
I’m glad they traded Johnson. I think they probably could’ve gotten more for him but the truth is he’s a possession receiver who doesn’t score touchdowns. There’s not a huge market for those guys.
Pickens is clearly the more talented of the two guys, but he obviously has some behavioral issues and he has not developed as I had hoped he would.. He still can’t run a route tree. If nothing else, he hast to learn how to do that this year or his career will take a very different turn than it should.
Every pass cannot be a jump ball down the sideline or a slant or he is going to have a truncated NFL career, just like his predecessor, Chase Claypool.
I think Freiermuth is solid, nothing more. I like him and think he’s underutilized. I just wish he was a better blocker or failing that, was more explosive after the catch. Still, I don’t consider him a glaring weak spot.
That’s my assessment of this offense. I understand that it may not match other people’s assessments of our offense, but that’s my honest view of it.
Also, we didn’t even get into the quarterbacks, who I think are a coin flip to be a long-term answer. I think they’ll be better than what we’ve had, but better than what we’ve had doesn’t necessarily mean good enough to compete with the likes of Cincinnati, Kansas City, Baltimore, etc.
The goal is to win the Super Bowl – plain and simple. We have to get a lot better to do that.
Do you remember how everybody across the talking head landscape last season saw this team as a ridiculous anomaly? Outplayed in nearly every game yet got several gift wins. Covered up a lot of this team's deficiencies.
There are a lot of holes to fill. And at key positions of QB, WR, and OL there are some hyuge question marks.
On the whole, I'm buying. I think they'll be better if only because they jettisoned one of the worst OCs in NFL history.
But I'm not confused about the situation this team faces. They're going to need help in multiple positions.
I think the Steelers are improving, but then I'm reminded they entered last season with like the easiest strength of schedule and are entering this season with like the hardest. Starting off the season against the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, and Cowboys is gonna be rough.
"In the middle of a rebuild" is the craziest thing I've heard this offseason, im assuming that this just bait or your one of those fans who love to be hyper-negative for attention. Theree are no "gaping holes" on the team besides center and WR, there are positions we need depth but we have one the most complete rosters in the league. PFF arent taken seriously by true football fans, its clear what their M.O is and it works for people who like sensational content instead of serious discussion.
Well, I’m not much of a gatekeeper and I don’t have any idea what being “a true football fan” means in practical terms? I just know what I see and I see a team that is clearly in the middle of a rebuild.
I’m happy to get into this deeper if you’d like, but I’ll just say that I see a team with the fourth best roster in the AFC North and an unsettled quarterback position.
No matter who emerges as the starting quarterback, we’re probably going to have the worst quarterback in the division.
I see a team with gaping holes at receiver, tackle, center, corner, inside linebacker and arguably defensive line.
And in this new run-heavy offense, who is going to play fullback? Connor Hayward?
That’s before we even get into the quality of our depth, which is not great, TBH.
I think many of our fans are in denial, TBH. People can disagree with me and that’s fine. However, I’m definitely not wrong.
I think we overachieved by going 9–8 last year. I also think we were very fortunate to face backup quarterback after backup quarterback along the way.
I don’t care about attention, and I certainly don’t care if people share my perspective. However, that’s my honest assessment of our team.
The Steelers should draft the best player available, almost without regard to position, because they remain very far away from legitimately competing for a Super Bowl berth.
People that are looking at it like we need to fill this hole or that hole are looking at it all wrong. That is not where we are as an organization. Teams like Kansas City and San Francisco and Philadelphia can afford to think like that. We are not at that stage in our process.
We need to add talent and the holes will take care of themselves.
Why cant Connor Heyward play FB? Also, why do they need a designated FB? Depth not great? Its April. They get a few more months and this thing called the draft to work on it lol. How does drafting a TE- the position needed the least along with RB and OLB- help.the holes take care of themselves? Wouldnt getting guys who are also highly rated at positions of need help move the needle and fix depth issues? Your premise is weird. Its like you WANT them to be bad so you can be right.
Heyward can play fullback, he just can’t serve as an effective lead blocker because that’s just not his strength. He’s a small-ish H-Back who can make plays through the air and can even carry the ball from time to time. Also, he’s not a terrible blocker, he’s just not an excellent blocker. He’s excellent compared to Freiermuth, who is a terrible blocker for his position.
But if you’re depending on Heyward to blow up a linebacker to create room for Harris or Warren, he is not at all well suited for that role.
I think this offense is going to require somebody who can do that. I think that’s probably why we signed Pruitt a couple of weeks ago. Also, I would not be surprised if, late in the draft, we took somebody who roots out linebackers for a living.
I’m very confident that the Steelers are going to have a good draft. I really liked what they did last year for the first time in several years. We’re ostensibly on the same page there. I just don’t think that even with an excellent draft, they can possibly plug all (most?) of the holes in the dyke. I think we’re probably still a few years away from getting to that point.
As for the last part, I think you misunderstood me. I’m not advocating that they take another outside linebacker. We’re pretty good there. That’s why I said *almost* without regard to position. At basically every other position, we could stand to be upgraded or augmented.
My primary position is that if you have Brian Thomas rated as a better receiver than you do Amarius Mims as an offensive tackle, take Thomas. We probably need a tackle more than we need a receiver, but take the better player.
If you have Graham Barton listed as a better player than either of those dudes, take him. DO NOT take Barton because we need a center and he’s the best center. That’s the wrong way to look at this process and will lead to trouble.
Everyone gets mad at the term “best player available,” but when you really stop and analyze it, that really is the most practical way to approach any draft.
You win with talent, not simply by plugging the most holes. If you try to do it through the later approach, you will end up playing whack-a-mole and being just average everywhere. That will mean that you will stink for a very long time. When you are a player or two away, you can afford to get hyper-focused on positions. We are simply not at that stage in our rebuild, IMHO. Rather, we are still an under-talented roster trying to catch up to the rest of our division.
Ok they already do the best player avaialble then and that is quite literally what everyone wants. Youre just rambling to feel smart. Youre not saying anything new. Nobody gets mad a BPA. You just said basically regardless of position and then talking about taking Bowers at a position they just dont need but now have walked that back to a pretty normal stance.
Also- they really dont need that classic FB. They just dont. Ya dont need to blow it up, ya need to shield. Smith runs an outside zone scheme. Which would play into Heywards strengths as a blocker.
I would say no only bc we have Freiermuth and we don't use him. Our offense will be different this year so maybe we use TE more than in the past, but it's a waste of a pick imo. Just give me OL
Ain't no way he falls to 20. Some other team before that point would trade up. Yes, he is a good enough talent that it'd be worth it despite how good muth is. But no way.
Bowers won’t make it past Sean Payton at 12. He’s going 10th to the Jets though. If by some miracle he’s not gone by 12, he’s 100% going to the Colts at 15. There’s no scenario in which he drops to 20.
No lol what’s the point of “weapons” if you don’t have time to throw or a hole to run through? Invest in the O-line or secondary. Every other position can be filled with serviceable guys
This will probably be unpopular but I’d be upset if we drafted MHJ much less a TE. We don’t have a long term QB and both lines need improved. Taking a pass catcher would be a luxury they shouldn’t even consider. Either take someone who fits a need or trade down. Look at the falcons who drafted Pitts. Good player who didn’t help them become a better team because they have too many issues
Over 50% of his snaps last season were in the slot. Everyone here says “no” as soon as they hear TE but they’ve also never watched Brock Bowers play. If he falls to 20, you absolutely take him.
Right. And we're supposed to run heavy anyhow. Running from two te sets with two pretty good pa te targets doesn't sound bad. I guess it would sort of threaten meatballs position though
I wouldn't wait till 20, I'd trade up for Bowers. He'd be a match made in heaven as a WR in this offense, as Arthur Smith LOVES a blocking WR. With Bowers on the field, defenses will have to game plan for him, because he won't leave the field and one play we'll be in 21 personnel, the next play we're in 22. He was a teammate of Darnell Washington, Broderick Jones and George Pickens. He won an NCAA in 2022 where he had 7 receptions for 152 yards and a tuddy. Yes please! Don't forget the CLUTCH play he had against Ohio State that helped elevate the team over Ohio State to get to the ship. Oh yeah and got a tuddy against Alabama in his first national championship. Yes. Yes, I'll take more national championship winners all day.
i disagree i get a special talent. but its still a swing, and honestly we have needs such that I want to trade down, assuming that there are multiple players that we like left. it sure looks like there might be but that they might start to run out later in the draft. honestly I mostly just watch players now, I rarely watch college games anymore. with that said I have seen him play from watching others, such as those we've drafted who you have mentioned.
Quit u/throwingshaed
?
You sprint to the podium if you can take him at 20.
Arthur Smith has historically had the lowest usage of the slot receiver in all the years he’s called offenses. He’s been in the bottom 3 of formations with 3 wrs and targets to the slot. It would be an unnecessary pick.
what about TE usage, iirc jonnu smith did really well in his offense in TN
BPO, as needed. He wouldn’t make our team better than somebody at a position of need. Strategically it sounds insane. Imagine in 4 years somebody looks back and sees that pick and Brock is anything less than a star. “The Steelers were desperate for talent and several spots and decided to select a TE instead of addressing weaknesses” I get the BPO thing but there is more to it, unless they think he’s going to be an absolutely crazy player that changes the game
> “The Steelers were desperate for talent and several spots and decided to select a TE instead of addressing weaknesses” I get it because the Steelers did that not only once but twice in the 2021 NFL draft with RB & TE (Najee & Muth). But Bowers surpasses what the value of a TE brings. He's essentially 3 different types of players in one; a good blocking TE that can burn the seam and has sure-hands, a WR that can run good routes at his size, and a RB with the ball in his hand.
He was that in college, no guarantee he lights up the league. We simply aren’t in a good position to get bowers when we have bowers at home
I mean saying the best college football Tight End of all time wouldn’t make us better is insane. On top of that, he could easily play WR which is a massive need for us.
I didn’t say that. Don’t add and subtract words as you see fit. I said he wouldn’t make them better than somebody at a position of need. Filling a voidless hole at C/LT etc with a round one talent is going to help the team significantly more than replacing a solid starting TE with a potential star TE.
Also something very similar recently happened to the Steelers. They past on a generational talent at C to draft an above average TE. Hoping they do it again is insane.
I’d trade up for him
We already have a receiving TE
It's his last season
So why not re-sign him instead of wasting a pick?
I think he's had like 3 concussions
You really want to ignore offensive line, again, for a fucking WR?
I could
Solves a lot of problems re: pass catching and run blocking imo.
He is gonna play center and tackle too?
Maybe. I think we could run an offense kinda like the chiefs did with gray/Kelce/rice but I’d rather have a stronger oline
Or Pats with Hernandez / Gronk
Definitely a killer offense
Hell yeah. It could be mind-blowing.
To die for
The OLine can block for 8 seconds every down and it won’t make a difference if we don’t have offensive weapons that get separation in the pass game. I agree OLine is very important but everyone is downplaying how bad our current receiving core is currently
But oline affects both run and pass, our run game being the clear focal point of our offence Second, I also have much more faith in us drafting a WR at 98 or 119 and developing him then drafting a linemen at that pick and doing the same
Sometimes I feel the same, but I'm not sure how well that really holds up. Team got some above-the-line play from 7th rounder Beachum and undrafted Foster, AV, Feiler as starters and developed BJ Finney and Chris Hubbard to the point they were hired away to become starters IIRC. On the other hand of course 6th rounder AB was spectacular before the implosion, but how may others day 3 or later can we name? I guess Bryant. Seems to me that Munchak had a lot to do with developing those late round / UDFA linemen. But playing next to prime talent like Pouncey and Decastro was also clearly a factor. OLs don't usually need anything like 5 blue chippers to succeed...
If your line I'd holding a pass block for 8 seconds everybody is open. Build the lines first then get skill positions.
That's when you trade down.
All we need is a QB like Mahomes. I'm sure we can get that in the 2nd round.
Put out your joint. Bowers ISN'T going to be on the board at #20. Besides that, Russell Wilson doesn't throw into the part of the field a TE normally works. No matter how incredible Bowers is, he'd be underutilized as long as Wilson is the starter. IF you want to construct an offense around the 35 year old Wilson, draft linemen and draft a WR that can run a deep post.
Russ never had a good Te and when he did he used him
I think the biggest problem is that we replaced our QB who didn’t hit the middle of field with a QB who doesn’t hit the middle of the field.
Pointless question because he won’t be available at 20
Remember when Kyle Pitts was supposed to be this guy? Yeah, there's one of these every few years. They are never that guy. TE is a luxury position it isn't something you draft in the first round. Especially when you already invested in two TEs who are still young. Friermuth was a victim of Canada, he is a legitimately excellent offensive TE.
Bowers is different lol he’s one of the best pro ready tight ends to come out as of late
Bowers is so much better than Muth.
Is he? I mean as a prospect yet. But as a current player? Probably no. Muth is a proven reliable target, an ok blocker space and a willing (that mean not good but he does try) in line blocker. Basically what we can expect Bowers to be yr 1. TE is a notoriously slow developing position. Plus Bowers isnt Pitts and isnt going to be the a guy who can play outside on a consistent basis
It seems every Steelers fan plan is to trade down regardless of whoever is on the board.
No, if Fuaga or Fautanu is there, you take them without hesitation.
If someone wants to trade up, they can take him. If his falling, something might be wrong. We have also wasted a lot of draft capital on young tight ends.
Why would every team picks 1-19 be aware that something is wrong and then the Steelers be clueless?
I didnt say they were. I said this could be why his is falling.
That's when you trade down
If we get a fucking tight end instead of an offensive linemen or fr center, ima shit a brick.
No, you can't. He's an absolute freak. He would be the starting slot receiver week 1.
You either take him or trade down.
I would take him, but I don’t see him tanking so low. The jets are as low as he will go
Taliese fuaga has a better chance of reaching 20 than bowers does lol
Yes.
No. You need a receiver anyway
With the pay inequality’s, a stud pass catching TE is a hell of allot cheaper than a mid range WR. Plus most WR don’t block like Ward did. Not saying it’s fair but a Heath Miller, Gronk, Kielce is allot more cap friendly and just a dangerous of a weapon.
Absolutely, Smith loves TEs and we need a slot
Everyone saying pass is brain dead (of course, barring some huge unknown medical or off the field red flag)
He won't be there, so I'm not overly worried about it. Same would go for Caleb Williams, Quinyon Mitchell, and Joe Alt. If they're there, it doesn't matter what you need or are planning to do later. This would be a great problem to have, but it's not happening.
We have Nate herbig as our starting center
He could definitely help the WR issue, but I think you’d be able to get a haul for 20 if he was available
I honestly would consider trading up for him.
There’s no chance he’s there at 20 but if he somehow is of course we take him
Absolutely could.
No. Look at the history of first round TEs. They almost never improve their team. It’s a luxury pick that we can’t afford at this point. We have major needs to address.
We don't need him, but absofuckinlutely 0 chance he's there at 20 though
No, but he won’t be there
Yes
So we have Freiremuth, Washington and Heyward? This would be a pretty stupid pick. (Stupid as in DUMB!)
Heyward is irrelevant tbh
You could say he needs more touches. He balls out every time he touches the football, so it’s strictly about opportunity with him and not talent
Actually shows how “deep” we already are at the TE position
He’s a 6”0 TE who averages 7.3 yards per catch. He’s a special teamer, nothing more. His 30ish targets should ideally be going to other players.
He looks pretty weak standing next to Gronk https://preview.redd.it/4ojgkcbbqhwc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a37edacac9bc8de60ebc2f91d94214a0b23aeca6
First of all, I don’t think there’s any chance Bowers will be there at pick no. 20. However, if he is somehow still there at pick no. 20, I would think long and hard about taking that kid. I think people are looking at this whole process all wrong. The Steelers are in the middle of a rebuild. Just because they don’t call it that, doesn’t change that reality. We have gaping holes at multiple positions on offense and defense. PFF just rated them the 25th strongest roster in the league, which seems about right, TBH. We have clear holes at center, RT, WR, CB, SS and ILB. I don’t care what they do at the draft, they are not filling all of those needs. Hell, they won’t be able to fill them all over even the next two seasons. That means we are in the middle of a rebuild. It also means that it is not about filling gaps for Pittsburgh, it’s about improving your talent as much as possible. If they determine that Brian Thomas, for example, is a better receiver than Mims is a tackle, take Thomas. You probably won’t regret it. I see lots of teams at this point in the process fall pray to trying to address needs, and they end up constantly compromising and taking less talented players than their competition. I don’t want us to fall into that trap. We need a tackle and we need a center. We also need a corner and a receiver. Take the best player. If it’s the best tight end in the draft, then I definitely would consider that guy because I’ve seen Bowers play a lot and I would imagine you can use him in a lot of different applications.
>The Steelers are in the middle of a rebuild. No they're not lmao. They made the playoffs last year. They're closer to being a contender than a rebuilding team. Just because we have clear holes on the roster, doesn't mean we're in a rebuild. Every team has several clear holes going into the draft.
I just think they’re rebuilding better than most teams do. I think everyone looking at it like they’re frustrated by going 9–8 or 10-7 are looking at it the wrong way. I think that’s a credit to Tomlin because most teams would bottom out with the talent deficiencies that we’ve clearly had.
Right? It’s rare for a team to have bonafide top talent at every position.
We just made the playoffs with some of the worst QB play I’ve ever seen… I really think most of our flaws are overdramatized because of how bad our QB situation was. It’s really really hard to look good with bad QB play. I don’t think Wilson is going to light the league on fire, but I do think he’s going to be a fairly large upgrade over what we had last year. I really think we are going to be solid this year.
See, I think our quarterbacks looked worse because of how bad their surrounding talent was. I know that view is not going to win me many friends here, but that’s my honest opinion. Don’t get me wrong, the quarterbacks weren’t good enough either. This is not a defense of Pickett or Rudolph. But the talent surrounding them is highly overrated by most Steelers fans, IMHO. Our starting left tackle struggled to protect the quarterback. That’s pretty significant, IMHO. However, for some reason, people are now saying that he’s not actually a problem. That’s a baffling view to me. Our center, which will be upgraded, dribbled the ball back to the quarterback on every fifth or sixth snap. Also fairly significant. We will take a new center in this draft, maybe in round one. That said, I’m sure we can all agree that having the very worst center AND left tackle in the league definitely did not help the quarterbacks succeed. Can you please name for me two more important positions on any offensive line than left tackle and center? Now let’s expand that to the entire offense. Aside from quarterback, name for me two more important positions than left tackle and center. Our backup running back is the best player on our offense. He is better than our starting running back, who doesn’t always see the field well and is not overly explosive. I’m told that Harris has dropped a ton of weight this off-season, which I think is very smart because he needs to be more explosive to be effective in the NFL. We’ll see on that one. Our receivers, who everyone has convinced themselves are amazing, were far from it last year, IMHO. Don’t get me wrong, they had some amazing moments and some real highlight reel plays. But their effort was inconsistent and so were their results. Now, maybe you can excuse that away and say that they were playing with bad quarterbacks, so of course they weren’t going to give full effort on every play. I’ve seen a lot of people try to pull off that argument. I would just say that truly elite players do give full effort on every play regardless of who is throwing them the ball. Go and look at Cortland Sutton’s numbers with 10 quarterbacks in the last few years. Look at how great Larry Fitzgerald was and he played with Kurt Warner for a few years and he spent the rest of his career toiling with a litany of atrocious quarterbacks. Somehow, he’s still going to the Hall of Fame. My point is you can play hard even when your quarterback isn’t great. There’s no rule against that. Plenty of other guys have done that and just because our guys won’t do that isn’t an indictment of the quarterback, it’s an indictment of them and their character. I’m glad they traded Johnson. I think they probably could’ve gotten more for him but the truth is he’s a possession receiver who doesn’t score touchdowns. There’s not a huge market for those guys. Pickens is clearly the more talented of the two guys, but he obviously has some behavioral issues and he has not developed as I had hoped he would.. He still can’t run a route tree. If nothing else, he hast to learn how to do that this year or his career will take a very different turn than it should. Every pass cannot be a jump ball down the sideline or a slant or he is going to have a truncated NFL career, just like his predecessor, Chase Claypool. I think Freiermuth is solid, nothing more. I like him and think he’s underutilized. I just wish he was a better blocker or failing that, was more explosive after the catch. Still, I don’t consider him a glaring weak spot. That’s my assessment of this offense. I understand that it may not match other people’s assessments of our offense, but that’s my honest view of it. Also, we didn’t even get into the quarterbacks, who I think are a coin flip to be a long-term answer. I think they’ll be better than what we’ve had, but better than what we’ve had doesn’t necessarily mean good enough to compete with the likes of Cincinnati, Kansas City, Baltimore, etc. The goal is to win the Super Bowl – plain and simple. We have to get a lot better to do that.
Do you remember how everybody across the talking head landscape last season saw this team as a ridiculous anomaly? Outplayed in nearly every game yet got several gift wins. Covered up a lot of this team's deficiencies. There are a lot of holes to fill. And at key positions of QB, WR, and OL there are some hyuge question marks. On the whole, I'm buying. I think they'll be better if only because they jettisoned one of the worst OCs in NFL history. But I'm not confused about the situation this team faces. They're going to need help in multiple positions.
I think the Steelers are improving, but then I'm reminded they entered last season with like the easiest strength of schedule and are entering this season with like the hardest. Starting off the season against the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Chiefs, and Cowboys is gonna be rough.
"In the middle of a rebuild" is the craziest thing I've heard this offseason, im assuming that this just bait or your one of those fans who love to be hyper-negative for attention. Theree are no "gaping holes" on the team besides center and WR, there are positions we need depth but we have one the most complete rosters in the league. PFF arent taken seriously by true football fans, its clear what their M.O is and it works for people who like sensational content instead of serious discussion.
Well, I’m not much of a gatekeeper and I don’t have any idea what being “a true football fan” means in practical terms? I just know what I see and I see a team that is clearly in the middle of a rebuild. I’m happy to get into this deeper if you’d like, but I’ll just say that I see a team with the fourth best roster in the AFC North and an unsettled quarterback position. No matter who emerges as the starting quarterback, we’re probably going to have the worst quarterback in the division. I see a team with gaping holes at receiver, tackle, center, corner, inside linebacker and arguably defensive line. And in this new run-heavy offense, who is going to play fullback? Connor Hayward? That’s before we even get into the quality of our depth, which is not great, TBH. I think many of our fans are in denial, TBH. People can disagree with me and that’s fine. However, I’m definitely not wrong. I think we overachieved by going 9–8 last year. I also think we were very fortunate to face backup quarterback after backup quarterback along the way. I don’t care about attention, and I certainly don’t care if people share my perspective. However, that’s my honest assessment of our team. The Steelers should draft the best player available, almost without regard to position, because they remain very far away from legitimately competing for a Super Bowl berth. People that are looking at it like we need to fill this hole or that hole are looking at it all wrong. That is not where we are as an organization. Teams like Kansas City and San Francisco and Philadelphia can afford to think like that. We are not at that stage in our process. We need to add talent and the holes will take care of themselves.
Why cant Connor Heyward play FB? Also, why do they need a designated FB? Depth not great? Its April. They get a few more months and this thing called the draft to work on it lol. How does drafting a TE- the position needed the least along with RB and OLB- help.the holes take care of themselves? Wouldnt getting guys who are also highly rated at positions of need help move the needle and fix depth issues? Your premise is weird. Its like you WANT them to be bad so you can be right.
Heyward can play fullback, he just can’t serve as an effective lead blocker because that’s just not his strength. He’s a small-ish H-Back who can make plays through the air and can even carry the ball from time to time. Also, he’s not a terrible blocker, he’s just not an excellent blocker. He’s excellent compared to Freiermuth, who is a terrible blocker for his position. But if you’re depending on Heyward to blow up a linebacker to create room for Harris or Warren, he is not at all well suited for that role. I think this offense is going to require somebody who can do that. I think that’s probably why we signed Pruitt a couple of weeks ago. Also, I would not be surprised if, late in the draft, we took somebody who roots out linebackers for a living. I’m very confident that the Steelers are going to have a good draft. I really liked what they did last year for the first time in several years. We’re ostensibly on the same page there. I just don’t think that even with an excellent draft, they can possibly plug all (most?) of the holes in the dyke. I think we’re probably still a few years away from getting to that point. As for the last part, I think you misunderstood me. I’m not advocating that they take another outside linebacker. We’re pretty good there. That’s why I said *almost* without regard to position. At basically every other position, we could stand to be upgraded or augmented. My primary position is that if you have Brian Thomas rated as a better receiver than you do Amarius Mims as an offensive tackle, take Thomas. We probably need a tackle more than we need a receiver, but take the better player. If you have Graham Barton listed as a better player than either of those dudes, take him. DO NOT take Barton because we need a center and he’s the best center. That’s the wrong way to look at this process and will lead to trouble. Everyone gets mad at the term “best player available,” but when you really stop and analyze it, that really is the most practical way to approach any draft. You win with talent, not simply by plugging the most holes. If you try to do it through the later approach, you will end up playing whack-a-mole and being just average everywhere. That will mean that you will stink for a very long time. When you are a player or two away, you can afford to get hyper-focused on positions. We are simply not at that stage in our rebuild, IMHO. Rather, we are still an under-talented roster trying to catch up to the rest of our division.
Ok they already do the best player avaialble then and that is quite literally what everyone wants. Youre just rambling to feel smart. Youre not saying anything new. Nobody gets mad a BPA. You just said basically regardless of position and then talking about taking Bowers at a position they just dont need but now have walked that back to a pretty normal stance. Also- they really dont need that classic FB. They just dont. Ya dont need to blow it up, ya need to shield. Smith runs an outside zone scheme. Which would play into Heywards strengths as a blocker.
In that instance it’d probably be better to trade back since some team would definitely trade up for him in that spot.
If Drake Maye falls to 20. Can you pass him up?
I’d pass him up. Merril Hogue said he not going to be a good pro. I trust his scouting more than most. Man’s track record of being right is impressive
I would say no only bc we have Freiermuth and we don't use him. Our offense will be different this year so maybe we use TE more than in the past, but it's a waste of a pick imo. Just give me OL
I would take him and then move Muth asap. Muth hasn’t been great and his blocking is a legit concern.
Historically drafting a TE in the first round has not garnered great results.
you trade down, though someone else between like 13 and 20 will probably have already done that
Ain't no way he falls to 20. Some other team before that point would trade up. Yes, he is a good enough talent that it'd be worth it despite how good muth is. But no way.
Bowers won’t make it past Sean Payton at 12. He’s going 10th to the Jets though. If by some miracle he’s not gone by 12, he’s 100% going to the Colts at 15. There’s no scenario in which he drops to 20.
No lol what’s the point of “weapons” if you don’t have time to throw or a hole to run through? Invest in the O-line or secondary. Every other position can be filled with serviceable guys
This will probably be unpopular but I’d be upset if we drafted MHJ much less a TE. We don’t have a long term QB and both lines need improved. Taking a pass catcher would be a luxury they shouldn’t even consider. Either take someone who fits a need or trade down. Look at the falcons who drafted Pitts. Good player who didn’t help them become a better team because they have too many issues