Steelers 3 Biggest NFL Draft Needs Following Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Steelers will get their starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger back in 2020, after missing nearly all of 2019 with an injury. They went 8-8 last year with Mason Rudolph at the helm, so you have to assume there will be an instant improvement there. However, thats not to say Pittsburgh doesn't still have needs.

Pittsburgh was a bit limited in free agency due to their lower cap level compared to other teams, so the NFL Draft will be a major focus for them in filling any remaining holes or addressing ones that might arise in the future.

With that in mind, let's take a look at three areas the Steelers need to target in the NFL Draft.

1. Wide Receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster will be the Steelers No. 1 wideout in 2020. / Steven Ryan/Getty Images

Ben Roethlisberger has JuJu Smith-Schuster, but beyond that, not much else at receiver. There have also been rumblings that the Steelers are considering not re-signing JuJu when his contract is up after this season, which would make drafting a receiver an even higher priority than it already is. Pittsburgh doesn't have a first-round pick this year, but luckily it's the deepest wide receiver class in recent memory, so they could wait on this and get great value in Round 2, 3 or even 4.

2. Interior Defensive Lineman

Neville Gallimore is a projected second-round pick. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

While Pittsburgh has done a bit to mitigate the loss of Javon Hargrave, it still remains an area of need. Banking on an XFL player's five-game performance isn't exactly reassuring. Pittsburgh could target a talented defensive tackle like Oklahoma's Neville Gallimore in the second round and make sure they have plenty of depth and talent for the long haul at that spot.

3. Backup QB/ QB of the Future

Jalen Hurts could be a Draft Day steal for the Steelers. / Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

While they already have Mason Rudolph in house, he didn't exactly give the Steelers a huge amount of reasons to be hopeful for him as the long-term starter. Even so, Roethlisberger looks like he's going to be around for at least a couple more years, which would bring Rudolph past the age of someone you would ideally like to hand the keys to the franchise to. Pittsburgh could target a guy like Jalen Hurts, who could potentially be had in the third or fourth round. He has all the physical attributes and talent you could hope for, but is expected to need a couple years of coaching in order to be an NFL starter, which is exactly what the Steelers should be looking for. He could be an ultimate low-risk, high-reward pick.

Get $20 FREE when you sign up for FanDuel Racing, plus we’ll match your first deposit in site credit up to $50!

David Kaestle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username davekaestle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.