Two weeks later, there are questions that may never be answered regarding the Steelers’ 2019 NFL Draft

With minicamps starting and second-guessing having gone on for two weeks after the 2019 NFL Draft, some questions will start being answered about the validity of the Steelers’ decisions. But some queries regarding the events surrounding each selection will never be satisfied. Here is a look at some of them.

Had the Seahawks not traded up and selected D. K. Metcalf two picks earlier, would the Steelers have still selected Diontae Johnson over him?

While that would have been the fan’s choice, the WR Toledo seemed to fit the identity of Darryl Drake’s stable of wideouts. It would have been tempting, but I’m thinking Johnson would have still gotten the nod over the shirtless wonder from Ole Miss.

Was Zach Gentry’s selection a knee jerk reaction to the Raiders trading up to get TE Foster Moreau ?

The Steelers seemed to covet the TE from LSU as a ready-now player. The Raiders seemed to also, hence trading up to nab him. I’m deducing that Gentry was next on Pittsburgh’s big board and the combination off enormous size and position need triggered the pick. It’s my assertion that any player picked at that position would have been nothing but a TE.

Did the Steeler Front Office have interest in Chase Winovich or was the outcry for him purely fan or media manufactured?

The big plans for living on the edge with Ola Adenyi have not wavered. The golden-haired Wolverine, while still a possible priority for the Steelers, was bigger for the fans. The wideout position loomed larger on the big board, much more than rush OLB. Had Chase still been there at their next pick, it would have been a tossup between Winovich and Justin Layne.

With Cincinnati reportedly set to select Devin Bush at No. 11, did Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin enjoy the experience more knowing that they traded up and snatched the linebacker right out from under them?

They will never admit that rivalries and emotions don’t play a factor in their decision on who they select. But I think the selection of Bush (a player that the Bengals reportedly coveted along with other teams) was sweeter knowing that they will wrest them away from Cincy.

Who would have been the selection at 20, had the deal never come into fruition?

My thought is that CB Rock Ya Sin or TE Noah Fant would have gone with the 20th pick at the original draft position. While the rest of the draft would have looked much different from what we know.

Once again, these questions will never be answered and my speculation could be way off base. But the most important answers will be provided by the newly-minted players in the upcoming weeks, months and years.