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Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore scores a touchdown in front of Pitt defensive back Erick Hallett II in a 2021 game.
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NFL draft Day 2: Could Steelers stay local with their next pick?

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

NFL draft Day 2: Could Steelers stay local with their next pick?

After getting their quarterback of the future in the first round with the selection of Kenny Pickett, the Steelers still have a couple of glaring needs to fill on Day 2 of the draft. Pickett was a familiar face and a comfortable selection for the Steelers after watching him grow for four seasons at Pitt.

Could the Steelers take another local player on Day 2 of the draft?

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has known Skyy Moore even longer than he has known Pickett. Moore was the quarterback at Shady Side Academy. Tomlin watched Shady Side Academy play every Friday night for a few years because his son, Dino, was a receiver for the Bulldogs.

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Moore signed with Western Michigan and converted to receiver, and he’s one of the top players remaining at the position entering the second round.

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Receiver is certainly a need for the Steelers after losing JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington and Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency. The only Steelers receivers with significant NFL experience are Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool.

Moore projects as a slot receiver, where Smith-Schuster played for most of the past few seasons. If Moore is gone by the time the Steelers select with the 52nd pick they should have plenty of other appealing options.

The receiver group is among the deepest positions in this draft. In addition to Moore, Christian Watson of North Dakota State, John Metchie of Alabama, George Pickens of Georgia, Jalen Tolbert of South Alabama and Wandale Robinson are some of the players that could be there.

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Some believe this receiver class is so deep the Steelers could afford to wait until the third round. If they do that, the goal could be getting a defensive lineman in the second round.

With their starting trio of defensive linemen turning 35, 33 and 29 before the season begins – and with the NFL’s worst run defense – getting a versatile big body in the middle might be attractive for general manager Kevin Colbert.

The only problem for the Steelers is there could be a run on the remaining top defensive tackles when the second round begins.

The only defensive tackles selected in the first round were Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, both of whom had been linked to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process. Davis was first off the board to the Eagles and Wyatt was taken by the Packers.

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Top defensive linemen on the board heading into Friday are Travis Jones of Connecticut, Perrion Winfrey of Oklahoma and Phidarian Mathis of Alabama.

Jones might be gone by the time the Steelers select with the 52nd pick, but Winfrey and Mathis could be available.

Another possibility is the Steelers getting a defensive back in the second or third round. Cornerbacks Andrew Booth of Clemson, Kyler Gordon of Washington, Roger McCreary of Auburn and Marcus Jones are available.

The only safeties drafted in the first round were Kyle Hamilton, Dax Hill and Lewis Cine. The Steelers are looking for a long-term starter at strong safety after they brought back Terrell Edmunds on a cheap one-year deal.

Jalen Pitre of Baylor, Bryan Cook of Cincinnati and Jaquan Brisker of Penn State are the top-ranked safeties entering Day 2. Brisker is another local product having played at Penn State and Gateway High School. 

Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and Twitter @rayfitt1.

First Published: April 29, 2022, 9:00 a.m.
Updated: April 29, 2022, 3:06 p.m.

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