3 best moves that Steelers made in the NFL Draft

Quincy Roche was the former AAC Defensive Player of the Year while at Temple

Easily the best pick made by the Steelers on day three of the 2021 NFL Draft was taking former Miami Hurricanes pass rusher Quincy Roche at No. 216 overall in the sixth round. While he was only an All-ACC Third Team performer in his lone season with the ‘Canes, keep in mind that he was the best defensive player in the AAC the year prior when he was a member of the Temple Owls.

Yes, it might be Group of 5 level, but Temple regularly produces some of the best players out of The American. Though Miami had a strong second season under head coach Manny Diaz, the year was not without turmoil. Top pass rusher Gregory Rousseau opted out and that left Roche without the key defensive line piece he was going to play off. It did help Jaelen Phillips emerge in 2020.

What you have to like about Roche falling to the Steelers in the sixth round is he is a low-risk, high-reward pass-rushing replacement for Bud Dupree, who now plays for former Steeler Mike Vrabel on the Tennessee Titans. Are there some expectations for Roche coming out of Miami to help offset the loss of Dupree in free agency? Yes, but they are not of the insurmountable variety.

The other great part in taking Roche this late is he will be coming into Pittsburgh with quite the chip on his shoulder. Yes, he may have made his name playing for a school in the state’s other big city, but the guy could really ball when he was at Temple. In truth, his draft selection does not mean he is the successor to Dupree in the trenches. However, he could thrive next to T.J. Watt.