The Steelers went into the 2021 NFL Draft trying to patch holes and keep a Ben Roethlisberger-led team afloat for one more run. What they came away with was a class that produced some recognizable names, but this re-draft shows just how much better Pittsburgh could have done if the board had broken differently.
At the top, the biggest change is easy to see. Instead of Najee Harris, the Steelers land Creed Humphrey.
Harris was a decent first-round pick, but Humphrey would have given Roethlisberger an elite center and, as the source puts it, “would've done wonders for the offense.” Humphrey has already become one of the best players at his position.
The next swing is just as impactful in the trenches. Rather than Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh takes Milton Williams. That move would have meant investing in the defensive front, and Williams eventually developed into one of the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league after taking time to settle in.
Then comes a receiver change that looks especially painful in hindsight. Instead of Kendrick Green, the Steelers grab Amon-Ra St.
Brown. With Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson already on the roster, the fit would have been obvious, and the source notes that Claypool was “going to start his decline.”
St. Brown has become one of the most reliable and tough receivers in the league, and the article says he would have been “a perfect fit with what the franchise embodies.”
Pittsburgh does stay put with Dan Moore Jr. in this exercise, even if it’s not a pick anyone is eager to relive. The reason is simple: the Steelers still needed a left tackle, and the available alternatives weren’t strong enough to make the switch worthwhile. Moore wasn’t a good player for the team, but the article says he could at least hold the job for the time being.
The misses keep piling up after that. Instead of Buddy Johnson, the Steelers take Jonathan Cooper, a seventh-rounder who has grown into a strong edge rusher for the Broncos.
Instead of Isaiahh Loudermilk, who was even traded up for in the real draft, Pittsburgh selects Talanoa Hufanga. Loudermilk was only a run-stuffing depth piece, while Hufanga has become one of the best safeties in the league and “would've saved many headaches in the secondary.”
There’s more help for the offensive line later in the re-draft. Rather than Quincy Roche, the Steelers choose Trey Smith, who has become one of the best guards in the NFL and brought the kind of versatility that would have fit the roster well. Then, instead of Tre Norwood, they add Will Fries, another lineman with flexibility who has started plenty of games and has taken snaps at both offensive tackle and guard.
The final change is at punter, where the Steelers avoid Pressley Harvin III and instead take Drue Chrisman, an undrafted player. Chrisman didn’t have a strong NFL career, but the source says that would still have been preferable to Harvin’s production. Pittsburgh needed a punter, and by that point, the options were thin.
Taken together, this re-draft turns the Steelers’ 2021 class from a mixed bag into something much more dangerous. The biggest theme is clear: more protection, more impact up front, and far fewer regrets.
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