Tim Benz: Steelers draft might be more defensively oriented than predicted

When I think of how the Steelers will approach this month’s NFL Draft, I want to stand by one of my usual credos.

Don’t out-think the obvious.

In 2019, the Steelers defense was good. The offense was bad.

Hence, help the offense as much as you can, as soon as you can.

Especially since the Steelers don’t have a pick until the 49th spot on the board. And that’s the only one they have in the top 100.

But there’s a moment I can’t shake in my head from one of head coach Mike Tomlin’s press conferences back in November.

The Steelers were sitting at 4-4. They had just beaten the Indianapolis Colts. However, it was their sixth straight game in which the offense failed to score more than one touchdown in the red zone.

Tomlin was asked about the reasons for red-zone inefficiency after the team converted at a league-leading 73% clip in 2018.

“What do you think?” Tomlin joked.

Obviously, that was a reference to the fact that starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hadn’t played since Week 2.

I also go back to a comment Tomlin made during his season-ending press conference about JuJu Smith-Schuster’s regression in 2019, without Roethlisberger at the helm.

“At the receiver position, a lot of those things are defined by variables beyond your control,” Tomlin said on Dec. 31. “We aren’t going to worry about that. It was what it was.”

Gee. What do you think Tomlin was getting at there?

Here’s one more from team president Art Rooney II in January.

“When you wind up having three different starting quarterbacks over the course of the year, and particularly one who earned his way on the roster after starting out as a tryout in rookie minicamp, it’s an unusual season,” Rooney said on Jan. 15. “Maybe with a little more stability at the quarterback position, we could have gone a little further.”

There were also numerous times throughout the year when Tomlin — or offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner — talked about how Roethlisberger’s injury impacted:

• Line play, by way of making the right pre-snap checks at the line of scrimmage.

• The effectiveness of the run game, by way of not having quality passing balance.

• Consistency from other pass catchers besides Smith-Schuster, by way of not having a legitimate NFL starting quarterback getting them the ball.

Augmenting that thought, the Steelers have four offensive linemen, James Conner, Jaylen Samuels, James Washington, Vance McDonald and Smith-Schuster coming back from 2018. That year’s offense was sixth in points per game, fourth in yards per game, and second in passing yards per game.

Sprinkle in the additions of tight end Eric Ebron, guard Stefen Wisniewski, and last year’s rookies Benny Snell and Diontae Johnson, on top of the return of Roethlisberger, and the Steelers at least have volume and pieces offensively.

Furthermore, if an offensive player is drafted at No. 49, are they even assured to be a regular contributor? A rookie wide receiver may start out fourth on the depth chart. Fifth if you count Ebron as a de facto receiver.

The Steelers already dressed five running backs by the end of last year. If a running back is selected at No. 49, should they just trade Conner immediately thereafter? That’d make sense if you believe the team isn’t inclined to offer him a contract after 2020 anyway.

Along the offensive line, I wouldn’t be opposed to grooming a starter at any of the three positions for 2020. But, especially after signing Wisniewski, there isn’t a glaring hole at any single position.

There is at outside linebacker, though. After T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, Ola Adeniyi is the only OLB with experience. And Dupree is currently just a franchise-tagged player for 2020.

Who is going to replace Javon Hargrave as the run-stopping nose tackle? Dan McCullers? Isaiah Buggs?

Mark Barron absorbed 750 snaps last year. Vince Williams and Devin Bush can each soak up more. Sure. But a third guy is likely needed there. Especially with Tyler Matakevich going to Buffalo.

Sean Davis and Kameron Kelly are gone at safety. Artie Burns went to Chicago. Neither Justin Layne nor Marcus Allen took defensive snaps last year. If they aren’t ready to be more than special teamers, the Steelers need to draft people that are.

The Steelers were in the top 5 when it came to turnovers, sacks, passing yards allowed, points per game, passing yards per game and total yards per game. So adding to that unit while the offense was so bad last year may seem like a luxury.

Frankly, though, the holes to fill for 2020 are more obvious on defense. And potentially more pressing, if Keith Butler’s unit doesn’t enjoy the remarkable run of good health it enjoyed in 2019.

Especially if you buy into the “Big Ben fixes everything” theory. I do, to a degree. Not entirely, though.

And if the Steelers aren’t willing to move someone off the current roster for an additional pick — which wouldn’t be a terrible idea — then someone of value is getting very little playing time.

It’s rarely a surprise when the Steelers lean defense on draft day. It shouldn’t be in 2020 either.

Even if 2019’s stats suggest otherwise.