Grade: B-
Best pick: James Washington (WR, Oklahoma State)
Questionable pick: Mason Rudolph (QB, Oklahoma State)
Sleeper pick: Terrell Edmunds (S, Virginia Tech)
The Steelers were part of one of the Draft’s best moments, with linebacker Ryan Shazier walking out to the stage on his own power to announce the club’s first-round selection. That pick, Virginia Tech safety Terrell Edmunds, was surprising at that spot but Edmunds’ athleticism and upside could wind up paying off dividends for Mike Tomlin’s defense.
After trading Martavis Bryant to the Raiders, the Steelers found his replacement in the second round in Oklahoma State standout James Washington. Washington was one of my favorite receivers in the class and he will fit in nicely with a receiving corps that already includes JuJu Smith-Schuster and Antonio Brown. It remains to be seen how the club will resolve the Le’Veon Bell situation, but they will at the very least have plenty of weapons on the outside.
The uncertainty of Ben Roethlisberger’s long-term future left many speculating that the Steelers could look at a quarterback in this draft, and they did so by selecting James Washington’s teammate, Mason Rudolph. While Rudolph has the prototypical size, I’m not sure he’ll wind up being anything more than a backup in the NFL, as he lacks mobility and struggles to throw accurate deep balls. If Roethlisberger ends up retiring sooner than expected, Pittsburgh may be scrambling to find a long-term replacement.