NFL Draft

Can the Steelers Find an Impact Player at #49?

Published

4 years ago

April 3, 2020

Mike Asti

The Steelers first round pick in 2020 is Minkah Fitzpatrick. Kevin Colbert has made that line of thinking canon with his recent remarks on the matter.

So where does that leave the team as they head into the 2020 NFL Draft?

Round number two, pick number 49; that’s when the Steelers will get to work trying to acquire an impact player for this season and beyond.

NFL front offices are, for the most part, excellent at evaluating and identifying talent coming out of college. By the time the Steelers draft, roughly half of the NFL franchises will get not one, but two cracks at finding “their” player. Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin in the meantime will just have to wait to see which remaining players on the board fulfill their team’s needs.

So, what kind of player will be available when Colbert and company finally make their selection? Pro Football Reference keeps track of each pick’s value as it relates to trading and impact. The first pick in any draft is worth 3000. The final pick of the first round is worth 590. For the Steelers at #49, the pick is worth 410.

Yes, there will be good players available, but they’re going to have to have the magic touch if they want someone who can step in in year one.

Here are the last 10 years of draft picks from #44-#54, a +/- spread of five from the Steelers’ first pick.

Pick	Team	Name	Position	Age	Draft Year	All-Pro	Pro Bowl	Starter	Career AV	Games
44	GNB	Elgton Jenkins	C	23	2019	0	0	1	7	16
45	NWE	Joejuan Williams	CB	21	2019	0	0	0	1	9
46	CLE	Greedy Williams	CB	21	2019	0	0	1	4	12
47	SEA	Marquise Blair	S	22	2019	0	0	0	2	14
48	NOR	Erik McCoy	C	22	2019	0	0	1	7	16
49	IND	Ben Banogu	LB	23	2019	0	0	0	1	16
50	MIN	Irv Smith Jr.	TE	21	2019	0	0	0	3	16
51	TEN	A.J. Brown	WR	22	2019	0	0	1	10	16
52	CIN	Drew Sample	TE	23	2019	0	0	0	0	9
53	PHI	Miles Sanders	RB	22	2019	0	0	1	9	16
54	HOU	Lonnie Johnson	CB	22	2019	0	0	0	3	14
44	SFO	Dante Pettis	WR	22	2018	0	0	0	4	23
45	GNB	Josh Jackson	CB	22	2018	0	0	1	5	30
46	KAN	Breeland Speaks	DE	22	2018	0	0	0	3	16
47	ARI	Christian Kirk	WR	21	2018	0	0	1	11	25
48	LAC	Uchenna Nwosu	OLB	21	2018	0	0	0	6	32
49	PHI	Dallas Goedert	TE	23	2018	0	0	2	8	31
50	DAL	Connor Williams	T	21	2018	0	0	2	9	24
51	CHI	Anthony Miller	WR	23	2018	0	0	0	9	31
52	IND	Kemoko Turay	OLB	23	2018	0	0	0	3	18
53	TAM	M.J. Stewart	CB	22	2018	0	0	0	3	21
54	CIN	Jessie Bates	S	21	2018	0	0	2	11	32
44	LAR	Gerald Everett	TE	23	2017	0	0	0	9	45
45	CHI	Adam Shaheen	TE	22	2017	0	0	0	2	27
46	IND	Quincy Wilson	CB	21	2017	0	0	0	5	29
47	BAL	Tyus Bowser	OLB	22	2017	0	0	0	6	47
48	CIN	Joe Mixon	RB	21	2017	0	0	2	24	44
49	WAS	Ryan Anderson	OLB	23	2017	0	0	0	5	43
50	TAM	Justin Evans	S	22	2017	0	0	2	7	24
51	DEN	DeMarcus Walker	DE	22	2017	0	0	0	4	23
52	CLE	DeShone Kizer	QB	21	2017	0	0	1	6	18
53	DET	Teez Tabor	CB	21	2017	0	0	0	3	22
54	MIA	Raekwon McMillan	LB	21	2017	0	0	2	11	29
44	OAK	Jihad Ward	DE	22	2016	0	0	1	9	41
45	TEN	Derrick Henry	RB	22	2016	0	1	2	27	62
46	DET	A'Shawn Robinson	DT	21	2016	0	0	1	20	58
47	NOR	Michael Thomas	WR	23	2016	2	3	4	54	63
48	GNB	Jason Spriggs	T	22	2016	0	0	0	8	36
49	SEA	Jarran Reed	DT	23	2016	0	0	3	22	56
50	HOU	Nick Martin	G	23	2016	0	0	3	20	46
51	NYJ	Christian Hackenberg	QB	21	2016	0	0	0
52	ATL	Deion Jones	OLB	21	2016	0	1	3	27	53
53	WAS	Su'a Cravens	OLB	21	2016	0	0	0	3	16
54	MIN	Mackensie Alexander	CB	22	2016	0	0	0	7	55
44	NOR	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	23	2015	0	0	1	5	27
45	MIN	Eric Kendricks	ILB	23	2015	1	1	5	42	74
46	SFO	Jaquiski Tartt	S	23	2015	0	0	2	16	59
47	PHI	Eric Rowe	CB	22	2015	0	0	1	10	53
48	SDG	Denzel Perryman	ILB	22	2015	0	0	4	21	56
49	KAN	Mitch Morse	G	23	2015	0	0	4	28	65
50	BUF	Ronald Darby	CB	21	2015	0	0	4	20	57
51	CLE	Nate Orchard	DE	22	2015	0	0	1	10	43
52	MIA	Jordan Phillips	NT	22	2015	0	0	3	21	76
53	CIN	Jake Fisher	T	22	2015	0	0	0	6	48
54	DET	Ameer Abdullah	RB	22	2015	0	0	2	12	58
44	BUF	Cyrus Kouandjio	T	21	2014	0	0	0	7	30
45	SEA	Paul Richardson	WR	22	2014	0	0	1	14	64
46	PIT	Stephon Tuitt	DE	21	2014	0	0	4	30	76
47	WAS	Trent Murphy	LB	23	2014	0	0	4	29	76
48	BAL	Timmy Jernigan	DT	21	2014	0	0	4	25	71
49	NYJ	Jace Amaro	TE	22	2014	0	0	0	4	17
50	SDG	Jeremiah Attaochu	LB	21	2014	0	0	1	12	61
51	CHI	Ego Ferguson	DT	22	2014	0	0	0	2	20
52	ARI	Troy Niklas	TE	21	2014	0	0	1	1	41
53	GNB	Davante Adams	WR	21	2014	0	3	6	41	86
54	TEN	Bishop Sankey	RB	21	2014	0	0	1	6	29
44	CAR	Kawann Short	DT	24	2013	0	2	4	40	96
45	ARI	Kevin Minter	LB	22	2013	0	0	2	25	91
46	BUF	Kiko Alonso	LB	23	2013	0	0	4	32	86
47	DAL	Gavin Escobar	TE	22	2013	0	0	0	2	64
48	PIT	Le'Veon Bell	RB	21	2013	2	3	5	59	77
49	NYG	Johnathan Hankins	DT	21	2013	0	0	6	39	98
50	CHI	Jonathan Bostic	LB	22	2013	0	0	5	25	86
51	WAS	David Amerson	DB	21	2013	0	0	4	21	74
52	NWE	Jamie Collins	LB	23	2013	0	1	6	55	96
53	CIN	Margus Hunt	DE	26	2013	0	0	1	17	91
54	MIA	Jamar Taylor	DB	22	2013	0	0	2	15	90
44	KAN	Jeff Allen	T	22	2012	0	0	4	25	84
45	CHI	Alshon Jeffery	WR	22	2012	0	1	7	49	102
46	PHI	Mychal Kendricks	LB	21	2012	0	0	7	38	103
47	SEA	Bobby Wagner	LB	22	2012	5	6	8	95	119
48	NWE	Tavon Wilson	DB	22	2012	0	0	3	18	110
49	SDG	Kendall Reyes	DT	22	2012	0	0	3	22	76
50	STL	Isaiah Pead	RB	22	2012	0	0	0	1	30
51	GNB	Jerel Worthy	DT	22	2012	0	0	0	4	40
52	TEN	Zach Brown	LB	22	2012	0	1	5	40	100
53	CIN	Devon Still	DT	23	2012	0	0	0	3	33
54	DET	Ryan Broyles	WR	24	2012	0	0	0	3	21
44	DET	Titus Young	WR	22	2011	0	0	2	8	26
45	DEN	Rahim Moore	DB	21	2011	0	0	3	20	64
46	DEN	Orlando Franklin	T	23	2011	0	0	6	40	90
47	STL	Lance Kendricks	TE	23	2011	0	0	7	16	137
48	OAK	Stefen Wisniewski	C	22	2011	0	0	6	41	134
49	IND	Ben Ijalana	T	22	2011	0	0	1	7	34
50	SDG	Marcus Gilchrist	DB	22	2011	0	0	6	32	126
51	TAM	Da'Quan Bowers	DE	21	2011	0	0	0	7	53
52	NYG	Marvin Austin	DT	22	2011	0	0	0	2	26
53	CHI	Stephen Paea	DT	23	2011	0	0	3	22	83
54	PHI	Jaiquawn Jarrett	DB	21	2011	0	0	0	5	47
44	OAK	Lamarr Houston	DE	23	2010	0	0	4	32	100
45	DEN	Zane Beadles	G	23	2010	0	1	7	51	137
46	NYG	Linval Joseph	DT	21	2010	0	2	9	62	141
47	ARI	Daryl Washington	LB	23	2010	0	1	4	36	59
48	CAR	Jimmy Clausen	QB	22	2010	0	0	1	3	22
49	SFO	Taylor Mays	DB	22	2010	0	0	0	9	80
50	KAN	Javier Arenas	DB	22	2010	0	0	1	8	69
51	MIN	Toby Gerhart	RB	23	2010	0	0	0	16	82
52	PIT	Jason Worilds	DE	22	2010	0	0	1	21	73
53	NWE	Jermaine Cunningham	LB	22	2010	0	0	1	8	38
54	CIN	Carlos Dunlap	DE	21	2010	0	2	7	61	148

Let’s take a closer look at the players who standout from each year.

2019 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Two skill position guys, Miles Sanders and A.J. Brown and two centers are the clear choices from this grouping. Brown had over 1,000 yards of receiving and Sanders was a threat on the ground (800+ yards) and through the air (50 catches). Other than that, not much there.

Best player taken after pick #54: D.K. Metcalf, Seattle (Rd. 2, Pick 64)

2018 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

2018 was not a great draft for value in this range of picks. Only Dallas Goedert, Connor Williams and Jessie Bates were able to start for their teams both seasons.

Best player taken after pick #54: Orlando Brown, Baltimore (Rd. 3, Pick 83)

2017 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Another bad year for the mid to late 2nd rounders. Joe Mixon and Raekwon McMillan have been the only impact players.

Best player taken after pick #54: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans (Rd. 3, Pick 67)

2016 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

The 2016 NFL Draft class was home to the only 2nd round pick in the last ten years to never see the field, Christian Hackenberg. But 2016 also had Michael Thomas, who’s developed into one of the best receivers in the league and Derrick Henry, who finally showed what he can do this past season. Atlanta linebacker Deion Jones also made a Pro Bowl from this group. Center Nick Martin stepped in from day one and been a reliable starter and Jarran Jones has had limited success with the Seahawks.

Best player taken after pick #54: Tyreek Hill, Kansas City (Rd. 5, Pick 165)

2015 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Eric Kendricks come on down, you’re the only star player from the 2015 group! The Minnesota linebacker has one Pro Bowl and one All-Pro team to his name. Center Mitch Morse has been a solid player since being drafted and has started every game since being drafted for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. LA Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman has started a majority of his games since being drafted.

Best player taken after pick #54: Joe Thunney, New England (Rd. 3, Pick 78)

2014 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Steeler Stephon Tuitt is one of two standouts from this grouping along with Green Bay wideout Davante Adams. Timmy Jernigan and Trent Murphy have also had success as well.

Best player taken after pick #54: Telvin Smith, Jacksonville (Rd. 5, Pick 144)

2013 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

A former Steeler you may recognize, Le’Veon Bell joins Jamie Collins in being two highly talented, All-Pro caliber players from 2013’s grouping. A fair amount of other names on the list have had success including Kiko Alonso, Johnathan Hankins, and Kawann Short. Another former Steeler, Jon Bostic has had three consecutive years starting and had one of his best year as a pro in 2019 with the Redskins.

Best player taken after pick #54: David Bakhtiari, Green Bay (Rd. 4, Pick 109)

2012 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Bobby Wagner is the stud selection for this group with 5 All-Pro selections, he’s almost guaranteed a future bust in Canton. Alshon Jeffery, Mychal Kendricks and Zach Brown have also had lots of NFL success.

Best player taken after pick #54: Russell Wilson, Seattle (Rd. 3, Pick 75)

2011 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

New Steeler Stefen Wisniewski leads this list, although none from this group has ever made a Pro Bowl.

Best player taken after pick #54: Richard Sherman, Seattle (Rd. 5, Pick 154)

2010 NFL Draft Class #44-#54

Only two players from 2010 are still in the league, Linval Joseph and Carlos Dunlop. Both have had very good careers with each making the Pro Bowl twice.

Best player taken after pick #54: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh (Rd. 6, Pick 195)

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Can the Steelers Find an Impact Player at #49?

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