A Steelers Depot daily segment. A quick hit of some Pittsburgh Steelers-related stories that may not require a complete article but nuggets worth mentioning and passing on to you guys.
Your Depot After Dark for April 22.
New OT Name
It’s draft week, which makes it mock draft week. There are a ton of them coming out this week from us and the national media. A relatively uncommon name was linked to the Steelers in Eric Edholm’s NFL.com final mock draft, giving Pittsburgh Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton at No. 20.
“It’s not clear whether or not they would try Guyton at right tackle, which is where he played the majority of the time in college and where last year’s first-rounder, Broderick Jones, spent most of his rookie season. Guyton’s Day 1 readiness will be tested as he competes for a starting job in Pittsburgh, but even if he has to spend some time as a backup like Jones did a year ago, he has the rare tools to develop into a star.”
Guyton is a big and athletic right tackle viewed as a later first-round pick. But the Steelers have shown interest, bringing him in for a pre-draft visit, and he can’t be discounted as the team’s pick.
Pickens Hosts Football Camp
Pittsburgh Steelers WR George Pickens is giving back, hosting a football camp at Hoover High School in Georgia, where he played his high school ball.
WVTM 13 interviewed Pickens and asked about the importance of being able to give back to the community he grew up in.
“That means a lot to me because like you said, they look like me, they from where I’m from,” Pickens told the station. “So it’s kind of like I’m talking to myself. You see what I mean, that means a lot to me just to make kids dreams and, you know, give them a lane to where they could do anything. You see what I mean? So that’s kind of what the foundation is about, just for kids, you know, to find a way in life.”
Pickens is entering his third season with the Steelers, ending 2023 with 1,140 yards and 18 YPC, the latter leading the entire NFL.
Jeremiah’s Top 150
NFL Network lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah unveiled his final list of the Top 150 prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Staying at No. 1 is USC QB Caleb Williams, with a trio of receivers to follow: Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Washington’s Rome Odunze.
Notable Steelers’ targets include Georgia OT Amarius Mims at No. 23, Duke OL Graham Barton at No. 22, Oregon’s C Jackson Powers-Johnson at No. 34, and West Virginia C Zach Frazier at No. 37. Check out the whole list at the link above.
Medical Concerns
To round out the draft content, The MMQB’s Albert Breer ran through a list of prospects with medical concerns heading into draft weekend. Two notable names include Washington LT Troy Fautanu and LSU WR Brian Thomas.
Breer notes Fautanu has a knee issue while Thomas has battled a bad shoulder.
“Washington OT Troy Fautanu’s knee was flagged. That one was described to me as the sort of issue that shouldn’t be a problem in the short term but could wind up impacting his longevity in the pros.”
“Both of LSU’s star receivers, Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers, have issues with their left shoulders. The risk here is considered relatively minimal—in both cases, there’s a chance the player may have to have the shoulder surgically repaired after the 2024 season.”
Pittsburgh brought Fautanu in for a pre-draft visit while there’s been draftnik buzz about Thomas in connection to the Steelers even if he doesn’t check the boxes as well as others.
