Fansided

NFL mock draft: Don’t mess with Texas

By Brad Weiss

Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) passes against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
27 of 32
Next
Jun 13, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) runs during the San Francisco 49ers minicamp at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2017; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Vance McDonald (89) runs during the San Francisco 49ers minicamp at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports /
27

Vance McDonald

Tight End, Winnie, Texas

The Pittsburgh Steelers were once again one of the better teams in the AFC in 2017, as they nearly made a return trip to the AFC Championship Game. However, they were defeated by the Oakland Raiders, and will now head back to the drawing board this offseason. Ben Roethlisberger toyed with the idea of retiring after the 2017 NFL season, but he will return, and the team added another weapon to the team via the draft.

Vance McDonald has been a nice player for the San Francisco 49ers, showing flashes of some big-play ability. He heads to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he will join Jesse James to form a nice 1-2 punch at the tight end position. He has the ability to be a playmaker on a Steelers team that should have one of the more high-powered offenses in 2018.

James is a solid tight end, but has struggled to be a consistent producer for the Steelers. Sure, the team is loaded at wide receiver, but you can never give Big Ben too many weapons. The 2018 season could be his last in the NFL, so you can be sure that Roethlisberger will be looking to go out with a bang this season.

For McDonald, the move to Pittsburgh means he will get to play with the best quarterback of his career. Playing with Big Ben should see cause McDonald to see a spike in his numbers, and he is talented enough to be a 700-yard tight end. The Steelers should make another run this season, and McDonald will play a nice role in the offense.

Home/NFL