Fansided

5 ways to fix the broken Pittsburgh Steelers

By Rucker Haringey

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 25: Head caoch Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches from the sidelines as his team plays the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 25, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 25: Head caoch Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches from the sidelines as his team plays the Denver Broncos at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on November 25, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 09: Wide receiver Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Artie Burns #25 slap hands before the game against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – DECEMBER 09: Wide receiver Antonio Brown #84 of the Pittsburgh Steelers and cornerback Artie Burns #25 slap hands before the game against the Oakland Raiders at the Oakland Coliseum on December 9, 2018 in Oakland, California. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-21. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images) /

4. Nail the 2019 NFL Draft

No matter what you think about Pittsburgh’s decision to ship Brown to the Raiders, it does leave the Steelers with extra draft capital this season. GM Kevin Colbert has to make sure those extra picks count if he wants to improve his team’s future outlook.

The first pick at the Steelers’ disposal is scheduled to be the No. 20 overall selection. The team almost certainly has to take one of the draft’s best cornerbacks at that slot. Guys like Greedy Williams, Deandre Baker and Byron Murphy all have a great chance of being available. Look for Pittsburgh to pounce on the highest rated defensive back on their board in the first round.

The full measure of their draft success or failure won’t be fully contained in Round 1 though. The Steelers need to find some impact guys in later rounds too. The extra third and fifth round selections they received from Oakland will give the team’s front office extra chances to bring in high-impact guys.

Day 2 and 3 should see the Steelers try to find players who can help make an immediate impact on their front seven. Marc Barron is a decent short-term fix, but this team still needs an athletic linebacker to replace Ryan Shazier. Pittsburgh could also benefit from getting younger options on their offensive line later in the draft.

Having a high quality draft is a great way for the Steelers to change the negative narrative hanging over their franchise. That puts a lot of pressure on Colbert and his front office to get it right this year.

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