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Ray Fittipaldo's Steelers chat: 04.23.24
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Ray Fittipaldo
1:56
Welcome draft fans. Let's start the chat!
Stairway to seventh seed
1:56
Ray:  I love your mock draft, mainly because it doesn't reach for a center with injury concerns or that would be converting from tackle at 20, but why do you think that Roman Wilson can pull his John Stallworth imitation and fall to pick #84?  It is a huge risk to wait on a needed WR2 until 84.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:58
This is a very deep draft for WRs. There will be good ones available in the third round. You have to remember the Steelers got Emmanuel Sanders in the third round. They got Mike Wallace in the third round. Some teams simply won't have a major need to draft a WR in the first two days. They might need help at other positions.
TRX
1:58
True or false?  Nate Herbig will be the starting center to begin the regular season.
Ray Fittipaldo
1:59
We'll know by midnight Friday. But did you notice Omar Khan mentioned the internal options at center once again yesterday? He's been very consistent doing that.
Guest from VA
1:59
Hey Ray! Do you think they may pick a QB in the later rounds? I wouldn't mind seeing  them get Jordan Travis or Spencer Rattler. Thanks for your chats!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:00
Khan said he is open to the possibility of drafting a QB just not in the first round. And honestly, it's not a big need unless they know internally that they won't be doing business with Wilson or Fields beyond this season. And I just can't imagine that's the case.
Fake News
2:01
It has been said that one of Tomlin’s strengths is drafting receivers. We seem to draft receivers almost annually. If so, why does our position group have one talented guy who is a team cancer and then a bunch of nobodies?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:03
Because they just got rid of another bad apple in Diontae Johnson. Other teams have similar issues with WRs. Look at the Bills and Stephon Diggs. Courtland Sutton wants out of Denver. Brandon Aiyuk wants out of San Francisco. It's not just a Steelers-centric problem. The Steelers will address their holes at WR this weekend.
Mocking It Up
2:03
Hey Ray. Lots of mock drafts these days. I have a real challenge if you are up for it. Instead of guessing who the Steelers will pick, can you guess which player will go in the first round, turn out to be a bust with the team that drafted him, then sign with the Steelers in the next 4-6 years? Tomlin loves those guys!
Ray Fittipaldo
2:04
Ha ha. You pay attention. I could go down the list, but he did it with Justin Gilbert and Taco Charlton just to name two. There are many more.
Children or Adults
2:04
Forget about the talent and stats for a minute, what does the maturity level of the wide receiver class look like? Are there a lot of guys with red flags such as laziness, selfishness, etc.? This has been a blind spot with the organization recently. It seems like this year it more critical to get a character receiver than a fantasy league receiver.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:05
You make a great point. That's why the scouts do all that leg work in the fall when they go onto campuses. You have to rely on your scouts to get that feedback from people around college programs.
Joe Friday
2:05
Hey Ray - If Mims and Barton are both available at 20, who do you pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:06
I'd go Barton. They need to get starters early and let them play. Barton is more qualified to do that than Mims, who only started eight games at Georgia.
the real guest
2:06
Ray, Re your mock draft, if Frazier is on the board at 51 do you take him or do you stick with your Melton pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
I didn't expect him to be available at 51 when I did my final mock.
AA
2:07
With there being far fewer underclassmen in this draft, do you think the later rounds will be lower in talent than normal?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:07
Yes and teams are aware of that.
MajorRick
2:07
Good afternoon, Ray. I loved your final mock draft. Would the Steelers keep Fautanu at Right Tackle or move him to Center, where some sites say he could excel?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
I think he'd play tackle as a rookie. But as you mention he does have versatility to play other positions on the line, which is nice if the team deals with injuries.
SteelFanInJax
2:08
We have ONE position without a starter and you wait until 4th round?  Doesn't make sense.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:08
Can't reach.
JPinIndy
2:09
Thanks as always for the chats Ray! Fill in the blank please. If the Steelers don't come away from the 2024 draft with ______ it will be considered a failure.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:09
a longtime quality starter on the offensive line
George Thorogood
2:10
Is there any defensive player the Steelers should jump at, if said player fell so as to be available with the 20th pick?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:10
Maybe a corner or a defensive tackle, but honestly, I doubt it.
MajorRick
2:10
Good afternoon, Ray. Is Nourzad in the 2d group of Center prospects? I know very little about him.
Ray Fittipaldo
2:11
Yes he's in that group with Sedrick Van Pran-Granger.
He played at Cornell for a few years and then played the past two seasons at Penn State. Made 8 starts at guard in 2022 and 13 at center in 2023.
7 year drought
2:12
Ray, in your mock draft article you mention how Khan continues to declare that Nate Herbig and others can play Center. If they had starter capable Centers on the roster last year why did Tomlin stubbornly stick with Cole even though his play was far below par? This seems like a common theme with MT. Why does he anoint starters in the spring and stick with them seemingly too long?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:13
It's a good question. Sometimes, coaches are hesitant to make major changes in the middle of the season. And I think they were hoping Cole would come along. They did sign him to a three-year, $16 million contract. It's a distasteful part of the business, but sometimes these contracts do come into play when these decisions are made.
Mike from NY
2:14
Hi Ray. Thanks for the chats. What do you think is the most unexpected but realistic pick the Steelers can make in round one?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
WR
mrbig
2:14
when the draft is over... what position do you think they will still be thin on the depth chart?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:14
If you mean thin because they don't address until Day 3 I might say DL or ILB.
Tampa
2:16
Ray, going back the last 10 to 15 years or so and in your opinion which was the best draft the Steelers had
Ray Fittipaldo
2:17
Just off the top of my head, 2017. TJ Watt is a future Hall of Famer. They also got JuJu Smith-Schuster in the second round, and he was a quality player for them for five years. James Conner and Cam Sutton in the third round. Both really good for the Steelers who signed good free-agent deals elsewhere. And let's not forget Josh Dobbs in Round 4. He's been a good backup in this league.
dpreble001
2:18
Ray, I believe the tackle position is deeper than the center position, shouldn't the Steelers take the best center available, even though your mock, says otherwise?
Ray Fittipaldo
2:18
But what if they have a WR or T higher rated on their board at the time? You don't want to reach in the first round for a position of need.
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