Who will be on Steelers' radar on 2nd day of draft? A look at top WR and D-line candidates

After getting their quarterback of the future, the Pittsburgh Steelers will seek players that perhaps can be immediate impact players on the second day of the NFL Draft.

General manager Kevin Colbert said that in the team’s business model, the top three draft picks need to develop into starters.

With vacancies at wide receiver and defensive line that is getting long in the tooth, those could be the two target areas when the Steelers pick No. 52 overall and No. 84 overall on Friday.

The Steelers lost three wide receivers to free agency and had a defensive line that was limited to two games between Tyson Alualu and Stephon Tuitt in 2021.

Here are the top players available at each position:

Wide receiver

Skyy Moore, Western Michigan: The New Kensington native and Shady Side Academy graduate ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the NFL Combine. He’s a 5-foot-10, 195-pound threat who could fill a void in the slot for the Steelers. As a junior in 2021, he caught 95 passes for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 starts.

Christian Watson, North Dakota State: At 6-4, 208 pounds, he’s a tall target who ran a 4.36 40 at the NFL Combine. He averaged 18.6 yards per catch and totaled 801 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021.

George Pickens, Georgia: Another tall threat at 6-3, 195 pounds, Pickens played in the last four games of the 2021 season after tearing his ACL in spring practice. He led Georgia receivers with eight touchdown catches in 2020.

John Metchie III, Alabama: At 5-11, 187 pounds, he could be another option for the slot. Before tearing his ACL in the SEC championship game, he led the Crimson Tide with 96 catches, and he totaled 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns.

Alec Pierce, Cincinnati: He used his 6-3, 211-pound size and 4.41 speed to lead all FBS players with 13 catches for 521 yards on go-routes since 2019, according to ESPN Stats & Info. In 2021, he led Cincinnati with 52 catches for 884 yards and seven touchdowns.

Defensive line

Travis Jones, Connecticut: He is 6-foot-4, 325 pounds and excelled at nose tackle for the Huskies. A three-year starter who didn’t play in 2020 because of the pandemic, Jones had 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season.

Logan Hall, Houston: At 6-6, 283 pounds, he may be a bit undersized for the Steelers system, but he lined up at defensive end/tackle in the Cougars’ 3-4 defense. He had a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss to go with 6.5 sacks in 2021.

Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma: The 6-4, 290-pound Winfrey had 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 12 starts last season. Before enrolling at Oklahoma, he was the No. 1 overall junior college recruit in the country.

Phidarian Mathis, Alabama: Mathis (6-4, 310) had a career-high 53 tackles in 2021, including 12 for a loss and nine sacks. He also broke up two passes.

Others to watch

Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan: A 6-6, 303-pound tackle and native of Austria, Raimann is a converted tight end who moved to the offensive line in 2020.

Drake Jackson, USC: The 6-3, 254-pound Jackson moved from defensive end to outside linebacker in 2020 and was an effective pass rusher for the Trojans. He totaled 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his final two seasons.

David Ojabo, Michigan: The outside linebacker was considered a first-round pick until he tore his Achilles at Michigan’s pro day in March. He’s 6-4, 250 with 4.55 speed. As a redshirt sophomore in 2021, Ojabo had 12 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and a school-record five forced fumbles.

Jalen Pitre, Baylor: He became a hybrid linebacker/safety in 2020, and that could make him attractive to the Steelers in subpackages. He was the Big 12 defensive player of the year in 2021 when he led Baylor with 18 tackles for loss. He also chipped in three sacks, intercepted two passes and broke up seven others.

Jaquan Brisker, Penn State: The Nittany Lions defender was all over the field in 2021, logging over 400 snaps at safety, 100 at inside linebacker and 100 at slot corner, according to ESPN Stats & Info. He was one of only two FBS players to show such versatility.