Will the Steelers be free to draft the best player available in the 2022 draft?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have put together a nice little offseason for themselves thus far. With numerous signings and keeping other players at home, the roster already looks better on paper. But has the team done enough where they can enter the 2022 draft and simply take the best player remaining on their draft board when it’s their time to pick? As we sit here right now you could probably argue either side.

The biggest factor today is whether the team signs a strong safety. This is virtually the only position that needs to have somebody added to the fold. In that sense, the Steelers really aren’t able to go out and take that top player. But everything will shift if they can sign a player to their defensive back field. The Steelers are also kind of forced to sign a strong safety regardless, as this draft class really doesn’t have the top tier talent, aside from Kyle Hamilton who will be gone well before the Steelers get a chance to pick.

Once the Steelers add that safety to the fold, they really can do whatever they want to make this team better in the draft. As Pittsburgh Steelers fans, we know this organization prefers to have all of its major holes plugged before they enter the draft. I once again expect this to be the case in just a few short weeks. There is the possibility the Steelers could draft nearly any position this year. They could use an upgrade and depth at so many spots. I think they also have enough established talent that they don’t need to rush a rookie almost anywhere on this roster.

This team could also find themselves in a position where, instead of taking the best player available, they take the best quarterback available. In this post-Ben Roethlisberger era, the Steelers appear hellbent on finding their next franchise quarterback. The Steelers have spent a lot of their time and assets in this draft process watching many of the available options. At this point, I would be surprised if they didn’t add a quarterback in some capacity. While I think I would hate taking the best quarterback still on the board, it definitely feels like a possibility for this team.

But what do you think? Are the Steelers capable of drafting the best player available with the roster of the way it is right now? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.