2019 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers prepare for life without Le’Veon Bell in Round 1

With the 2018 NFL Draft just wrapping up, it makes sense to focus on the talent added to the roster and not look too far ahead, right?

Wrong.

The draft hasn’t even been dead for 3 days and 2019 Mock Drafts are flying off the shelves like they are going out of style. I’m not one to buck trends, so of course I checked out the 2019 mock from Dan Kadar, of SB Nation, to see what he has in store for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season.

What I found was his pick was directly related to the impending doom which is Le’Veon Bell’s free agency after the 2018 season concludes.

Check out the pick, and explanation:

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State

The drama surrounding Le’Veon Bell in Pittsburgh isn’t going away. In Montgomery the Steelers may see a running back who can do some of the same things as Bell. At Iowa State last season he had 1,094 yards rushing and 35 receptions for 288 yards.

There should be absolutely zero surprise with the Steelers looking to add a running back to the mix next season, but the question will become whether or not a first round pick will need to be spent in order to do so.

Lately, big-name running backs have been selected seemingly in every round except the first. Heck, even Le’Veon Bell was a second round selection out of Michigan State. So, will the team need to spend a first round pick on the position? It will be interesting to see.

Will there be other needs which should be addressed? Inside linebacker certainly was overlooked in the 2018 draft, and assuming Joe Haden won’t be coming back cornerback could be a necessary selection. Will Bud Dupree breakout and prove his 5th year option well worth the cost of admission? Maybe.

In other words, there could be a lot of directions the Steelers could head when the 2019 NFL Draft rolls around...but that is too far on the horizon to even see a blip on the NFL radar. If you are someone who pays attention, you will also notice the Steelers have the 30th pick in the 1st round, and the 31st pick goes to the Philadelphia Eagles and the 32nd pick to the New England Patriots.

Yep, Kadar has Pittsburgh losing to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game...again.