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Brian Batko's Steelers chat: 04.22.24
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Brian Batko
1:56
Hey everyone, I'm sitting at my computer ready to roll, so might as well start a few minutes early. Any final loose ends to tie up when it comes to the Steelers and the draft? Have at it
Mark J
1:57
Is there a sense of happiness in the locker room that Kenny Pickett is now gone? I know he was disliked by his teammates and was viewed as the leaders as a locker room cancer.
Brian Batko
1:58
I haven't been in the locker room since Kenny Pickett was traded, but from what I observed last season, it's way off base to refer to him as a cancer in any way. Now, are there some guys who may not have believed in him as a QB/captain/etc.? Sure, that's entirely possible. It'll be interesting to see the dynamic with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in that regard.
Lambert 58
1:58
Hello Bat! Graham Barton now the guy or do the Steelers get Mims if he’s there at 20? Or trade down and roll the dice you get either Barton or JPJ with a lower pick.
Brian Batko
2:00
Graham Barton seems to be getting a lot of late predictive push from pundits near and far. Coming in for a pre-draft visit on one of the final days for such box-checking probably helps with that. Barton very well could be the guy. I think he's more likely to make it to No. 20 than Amarius Mims. But I don't see them trading back.
Surly in Sheraden
2:00
Can Pickens be a number 1 WR?   He has made some amazing catches, but he doesn’t consistently get open and it seems like he isn’t particularly useful on shorter routes.  Shouldn’t a number 1 be able to handle types of routes?
Brian Batko
2:01
I believe so. Shorter/intermediate routes aren't necessarily the best aspect of his game, but he can still win on those, too. He'll probably never be an elite separation guy, and yet he's one of the best contested catchers in the league, so you give and take.
mats
2:02
A lot of speculation regarding draft, do you have any source regarding the draft intention of the steelers, maybe a credible hint? Your articles are very informative and very well written, also,  thank you for answering this question and keep the hard work!!
Brian Batko
2:03
Hopefully Mike Tomlin or Omar Khan will call me Thursday morning and read off their big board. But even without that, we can follow their actions to get a feel for the positions they're targeting, not just what but when/where. Thanks, Mats!
Michael in AZ
2:04
Hi Brian:  Those who say the Steelers should never try to convert anyone to center again due to the Kendrick Green experiment, might do well to remember that Dermontti Dawson was played guard his first season.
Brian Batko
2:06
You can't let past draft misses affect how you move forward. Whether that's using first-round picks on cornerbacks or taking guys from smaller schools or in this case projecting someone to center. Just learn from your past mistakes and use those lessons to improve your evaluation/development in the future. And consider each case individually rather than paint with a broad brush. There's no reason to work in absolutes come draft time
Gene
2:06
Do you think they will draft a ILB?
Brian Batko
2:09
Yes, and I'd say the range is anywhere from Round 2 to Round 7 (if they acquire a seventh-round pick). It would surprise me if they grab one with their first three picks, but they did bring in a couple good ones in Junior Colson and Payton Wilson for visits, so you never know. There could be a guy out there they really like, whether it's one of those two or perhaps someone they saw at a pro day.
Desert Steel
2:09
Hi Brian. At what point would you expect either Wilson or Fields gets an extension since their both on one-year deals?
Brian Batko
2:11
No reason to extend Wilson while he's playing on this dirt-cheap vet minimum one-year deal. Fields is  a more interesting situation, but I'm not necessarily expecting them to do that either.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
2:12
Will the Steelers trade back or trade up or stay put for the first and second rounds? I think if the OT is there that they want at 20, they should stay put and MAYBE trade up in the second round to grab a center then a WR in round 3. Thoughts? Thanks!
Brian Batko
2:14
The depth in this draft seems just right for them to stay put. Last year, it was fairly clear they'd need to move up at least a little bit to get one of those top tackles, and they did. This year, the plethora of O-linemen at both OT and C should allow No. 20 to be a good player a position of need. One interesting trend that might be worth keeping in mind: Two of the last three drafts, the Steelers ended up being the first to take a player at a certain position (Najee Harris RB, Kenny Pickett QB). They're comfortable doing that. Might be the case again this year at center.
Stairway to seventh seed
2:15
Brian:  would you rather have this combination:  1) Brian Thomas at WR2 (1st round), Zach Frazier at C (2nd round), Dan Moore at OT or 2) Malachi Corley (2nd round) who ran a disappointing 4.56 at WR2, Herbig at C, and Mims at OT (1st round)?  Feel free to insert Keon Coleman (4.61) for Corley.
Brian Batko
2:16
I don't think there's any chance of Brian Thomas lasting to No. 20 but of those two I'd go with that option. Mainly because I trust Dan Moore at LT more than I'd trust Nate Herbig at C.
Joe Friday
2:16
Brian - The Steelers already have a #1 WR. I would assume that they would not draft any of the top receivers available - but a top receiver they think complements GP. Do you agree? What type of WR would you see being a good match with GP?
Brian Batko
2:19
Agreed. On-field, the ideal complement would be someone who can get open quickly underneath, much like Diontae Johnson, but more willing to block in a run-based offense. Off-field, to me you want a guy who's aware that's his role for now rather than someone who's gonna complain about targets, expect a bunch of production, etc. If I'm the Steelers I simply want less drama in my receiver room than we've had in the last 6-7 years.
steve
2:19
If a starter ready center is not drafted, who do you think is week 1 starter? Any good free agent center possibilities?
Brian Batko
2:20
I don't mind Nate Herbig as a guard and he's a great locker room guy. But I don't see him being the Week 1 starting center, regardless of who ends up here in the draft. The Steelers might need to look to free agency if they strike out on centers for whatever reason, perhaps former Rams starter Brian Allen or former Dolphins starter Connor Williams, if he's healthy.
406 guy
2:21
What will we see from Calvin Austin this year?
Brian Batko
2:23
Some innovative offensive coaching to utilize his speed and quickness, hopefully. Unless that rookie year foot injury sapped him of his burst and first-step - and the touchdown catch in Vegas would suggest it didn't - I still think he can be a useful piece for Arthur Smith and co.
BPOS
2:23
We all love Cam. But is this a case of keeping a player to long? We moved on from Troy at the right time, but kept Ben at least 1 year too long, maybe 2.  Do they really think he has enough left at that huge price?
Brian Batko
2:24
Hard to say but you can make the case that it was just the injuries that slowed him last year and he still has the ability to be a game-changer up front. We will see. Unfortunately for them, because of their D-line drafting, it's not as if there are a bunch of young bucks pushing him for playing time.
JPinIndy
2:25
Happy Draft Week Bats! What's more exciting for you? This week's draft or all the post-draft analysis, over excitement and  teeth gnashing to come from this community of excitable fans?
Brian Batko
2:26
This week, particularly being down there at the team facility Thursday-Friday-Saturday, is pretty exciting. I'd say the post-draft analysis is more, well, analytical. You go from familiarizing yourself with 100-some players to really zeroing in on 7, more or less (plus UDFAs). It's kind of sad, in a way.
AK
2:26
Is it a real possibility or just paranoia that the three top centers will be gone before the Steelers draft in the second, let alone the first?
Brian Batko
2:27
It's a real possibility that Graham Barton, Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier are gone before No. 51.
Anudjango
2:27
Is Brian Thomas a compliment to George Pickens, or just more of the same thing, and if so, is that necessarily a bad thing??
Brian Batko
2:28
There'd be some overlapping traits there for sure but having two 6-3 wideouts with freakish speed, body control and jumping ability is not necessarily a bad thing, no.
Burghfan007
2:29
Hi Brian, any chance the Steelers just draft a C, DT and RT #1, #2 & #3 whichever order they feel has the best value, trade up if they need to add a second #2 to get the triple done with. I know they have Moore Jr for one more year so RT is not as urgent. Basically just finish the trenches this year, use the rest of the draft on WRs and DBs. They are most likely going to be drafting a QB and skill players in the next 2-3 years anyway (unless they stumbled upon a Fields of gold), so why not complete the trenches and then focus on the skill players?
Brian Batko
2:30
I can't see them waiting that long to bring in a new WR but you never know. It would be an extreme vote of confidence in the WR depth in this draft, and you could still get one with your second third-rounder. Probably not that outlandish if your first three picks end up being, say, C Graham Barton-DL Braden Fiske-OT Blake Fisher. We'll see!
Jay
2:30
Hello Brian, always enjoy your coverage.  1st round T seem to be the best value, which makes it very hard to fill needs at C and WR in round 2 and 3.  If we have to go C, WR, and CB with top three picks, then the value become greatly diminished.  It is known as a deep draft for Ts and WRs but doesnt seem like we are able to take advantage.
Brian Batko
2:33
Hey Jay, thank you. I'd sort of group the Steelers' positional needs like this

Tier 1: Center (no starter (in my opinion))
Tier 2: Tackle, WR (starter upgrade would be good)
Tier 3: DL, CB, ILB (infusion of talent needed eventually)
Tier 4: OLB4, QB4, S4
Tier 5: RB, TE, G
Silly in Philly
2:33
Sup Bats.  Why does CA3 get dismissed as an option at WR when everyone else seemed to get a free “pass” due to an unimaginative OC led by the Ring leader known as Tiny Hands? He’s got 2 years in and one playing season under his belt- seems like he’d be a real threat to catch Russ’s rainbow ball.  Other local guys say, Pitt not counting on him but shouldn’t they be-  at least in part…
Brian Batko
2:35
I wouldn't say they were ever counting on a fourth-round pick who was always going to face something of an uphill battle in the NFL because of his size, but yeah, I've always been a Calvin Austin believer going back to when they picked him. Not selling my stock just yet.
Mike
2:36
Tomlin has a history of bringing in former first rounders and former stars that have fizzled with other teams.  That has given us the likes of Melvin Ingram, Mark Barron, Taco Charlton, Mitch Trubisky, Dwayne Haskins, Karl Joseph, Keanu Neal, Patrick Peterson and others.  Not only didn't he get anything out of these guys, he may have gotten less than the previous teams did.  So now he does it again with Fields and Patterson.  Is he ever going to learn?  Or will he keep making the same mistakes he makes every year for the past decade?  Wilson may not have been a first rounder, but he too is a has been like Peterson was last year.
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