NFL draft: Is Amarius Mims on top of the Steelers’ board?

On a special Friday episode of the North Shore Drive podcast, Christopher Carter and Steelers insider Brian Batko record live from Mike’s Beer Bar to preview the upcoming NFL draft. Who is the best player among those to visit Pittsburgh during the pre-draft period? And what is the worst-case scenario for the Steelers?

Be sure to join us LIVE during Rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL draft on April 25 and 26th, as the Post-Gazette’s team of experts give you the ultimate second-screen experience.

For more sports, visit post-gazette.com.

it’s Friday here on the Northshore Drive
podcast and we’re on the NorthShore here
at Mike’s beer bar the best BR of
Pittsburgh myself and Brian batco
breaking down all the things you need to
talk about and be ready for in the NFL
draft with the Steelers picks coming out
next week all that here and more on the
Northshore Drive podcast let’s get into
it you are now listening to the
Northshore Drive podcast a show on all
things Pittsburgh sports from the
writers of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
hosted by Christopher
[Music]
Carter hello and welcome to the
Northshore Drive podcast in the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette I’m your host
Chris Carter here with one of our great
Steelers beat Riders Brian bat go and
we’re here on set here at Mike spear bar
where we will be here next week for the
Thursday and Friday the first the first
second and third rounds of the NFL draft
doing live show join us at Mike’s beer
bar the best bar of Pittsburgh right
here on on on in the NorthShore on
Federal Street it’s across street from
PNC Park you can’t see it here but
there’s over 20 televisions here that
are always going they have all the
sports that you could want over 500
different available beers 300 of those
local local beers and 80 of those local
beers are available on tap and they’re
always switching new ones in and out
we’ll have more on them later Bri you
could you could call this a dry run for
next week’s show literally I mean
there’s it’s pretty early right now
1053 as we’re recording this Friday so
drinking beer right now Brian was very
upset that he could not get an IPA
during the show well we’ll see how long
this goes for I mean maybe we’ll get
into my my window but yeah it’s it’s
going to be fun to have you guys down
here next week while Ray F aollo Jerry
duac and I are over at the Steelers
facility for and yeah and uh we’re we’re
close we’re getting really close to
seeing who are the next uh seven more or
less players that the Steelers bring in
here through the draft Chris absolutely
I want to go over their top visits
because now we’ve seen who those those
players are and now we we have a a
better sense of who the Steelers might
be focusing in on and Brian You released
a great article that ranked your your
vision of hey of those top 30 visits who
are the top first round targets and your
first your first four here in the top in
the first tier are all offensive linemen
break everyone break it down for you how
how you have these guys ranked and why
you have them where they’re at yeah I
mean did this last year too because I
think it it does give you a pretty good
look at what positions the Steelers are
targeting and then what players within
those positions they’re most interested
in by and large bringing them in for a
visit tells you that uh that those are
firmly on their radar so last year they
took brri Jones he was number one on
this list yeah we’ll see if that happens
again with another Georgia tackle
because I’ve got a Marius Mims as the
number one guy but in the top tier so I
mean you do tiers you know everybody’s
kind of bunched up there’s not a huge
drop off from one to four in this case
so I’ve got Mims at one tasa fuaga the
Oregon State offensive tackle with two
very difficult for me to differentiate
between those two because they’re both
right tackle guys that’s what they
played all last Seas college for sure um
you know a lot of upside I think if you
get either one of those right into your
offensive line right now and allow brri
Jones to flip over to the left side
number three and four divert a little
bit I’ve got Graham Barton the Duke
offensive lineman at three hence this
hat I’m wearing today as a signal of the
kind of momentum no let’s say the grah
Barton wave that is taking place lately
with Steelers draft analyst so I’ve got
him at three can probably uh you know
give it a shot at tackle but more so a
lot of people projecting him to be a
center which we know the Steelers have
an even bigger need than tackle and then
at number four closing out this top tier
Troy fautanu from Washington because
again you know is he a tackle is he a
guard is he a center either way you know
he’s probably going to be a pretty good
football player we’re going to get more
into the details of all those guys later
absolutely and I want to talk about
these guys as as from a senses what the
Steelers are now full disclosure again
these are players that we’re expecting
to be there available at 20th overall
like for example Joe Al would of course
rank above all these guys but that guy’s
not making out of the top and he wasn’t
a visitor exactly and he wasn’t a
visitor neither was Olu fashanu so
understand when there’s like why aren
these guys here that’s why we’re looking
again at the top 30 visits here and I
always think it’s interesting though and
I I think it’s it’s really interesting
that you’re ranked amarius Mims highest
I don’t have amarius Mims ranked higher
talent-wise but as far as players who
the Steelers have circled around he is
the only offensive lineman on this on
this list uh who got a official com
combine interview the Steelers top brass
at his Pro dat and the top 30 visit now
Troy fanu he did get an assistant coach
at his in Washington same with TSA fuaga
Arthur Smith showed up to his but not
the top brass at his at his Pro dates um
plus fuaga was talked at to at the
Senior Bowl the combine but still I look
at those guys we see those those are the
guys they’re circling in on um JC leam
another guy that they’ve kind of circled
in on but as I think you’ve kind of
highlighted here we’ll get to the next
group of guys those are the guys that do
rank up in that in that first tier there
yeah they probably checked the most
boxes traditionally for how the Steelers
Target and approach their first round
picks and Graham Barton I don’t know if
you mentioned this he had Arthur Smith
at his prod day as well at Duke which
was crucial for him because he had to
snap the ball and try to show teams that
he can play center which he hasn’t done
since 2020 his freshman year at Duke
yeah everybody was raving about not just
that aspect of his pro day but the
quickness he showed in some of the
athletic tests yeah absolutely that
there’s there’s a lot of reason why he’s
getting this late push here less than a
week from the draft in your second tier
you have a few more centers guys that
were originally people were talking
about as being the the Steelers Targets
in the first round yeah I mean I I’ve
got this tier titled still solid but a
little bit reachy right I mean you’re
gonna get some people saying Jackson pow
Johnson here at number five for me the
Oregon Center not worth a 20th overall
pick at number six I’ve got Tyler gon
Oklahoma right tackle who another big
long guy who played on the right side at
Oklahoma although he has pointed out he
did that for a left-handed quarterback
so that’s a little bit like playing The
Blind Side in a traditional offense with
a right-handed quarterback and then at
number seven here uh closing out tier
two all the guys that I think would
really thread that needle of positions
of need for the Steelers and genuine
legitimate top 20 talents maybe is Zack
Frasier the West Virginia Center
possibly the safest highest floor pick
out of all these guys but a lot of
people question how high is his ceiling
really coming out of West Virginia and
he was a local visit so he didn’t cost
the Steelers anything to bring him in
absolutely and Zack Fraser Jackson
Powers Johnson originally were the two
guys that were talked about the most at
center before grah Barton really
position himself as more of a center uh
for a lot of people uh so but I think
that those are guys that if the Steelers
consider trading back in the first round
like we’re going to get to your worst
case scenario draft like let’s say that
a worst case scenario happens and they
feel like trading back for the best
option maybe these are the guys they get
if they trade back to 25 27 one of those
picks there um so we talk about that
there let’s go to your last well your
third tier here and you get into some of
the defensive prospects who do you have
listed here as guys that they could take
on defense yeah I mean I just titled
this one but what if defense what if the
Steelers want to throw everybody a
curveball and say look we haven’t used
our top pick on a defensive player since
2019 we feel like we we need a
Difference Maker a game changer if we’re
picking 20th and maybe we think we can
get that with one of these three at
number eight I’ve got Cooper deene the
Iowa Corner um you know really athletic
player a lot of Versatility that’s why I
rank him
first on the back end with Minka
Fitzpatrick Damonte KY players like that
uh right behind him at number nine Nate
Wigan Clemson Corner much more of a true
blazing speed outside corner uh he’d be
a a kind of a fellow Alpha Dog opposite
Joey Porter Jr and then at number 10
sort of the the the sleeper pick uh out
of these you know three tiers I’d say
Darius Robinson Missouri defensive
lineman I don’t think he’s gonna go this
High he’s gonna be at the draft mainly
because he’s a Detroit native but he
also is get you know been a winner of
this pre-draft process he’s 65 285 just
has that typical build of what the
Steelers are looking for in their DN and
he said he’s willing to play inside and
outside if teens want as an edge rusher
he could do that team one as an interior
guy he could do that Steelers love guys
that can be versatile that’s certainly
an option here last group here second
day wide receivers actually there’s you
got a few more groups here let’s go with
your all of them let’s go with your wide
receivers here yeah I mean this is the
area where clearly the Steelers are
targeting guys that they’re going to be
there at 20 yeah but you know I think we
can all agree that they’re homing in a
little bit more on tackles and centers
possibly even corners but then they’re
trying to draw a circle a little bit
around some guys that they wanted to
learn more about in case they’re there
at 51 or potential trade-up targets and
Aden I Mitchell from Texas I’ve got him
at the top of this tier number 11 uh
overall number 12 Ricky peol from
Florida right behind him a little bit
smaller a little bit you know less with
the uh explosion numbers and athleticism
but very productive in his zone right
number 13 Malachi Cor
from Western Kentucky the smallest of
this group but you know run after
catchability maybe unparalleled in this
draft and then number 14 Xavier Legette
from South Carolina he could end up
being the best of the bunch really high
ceiling but what gives me some pause is
just took him to his fifth year to
really produce at all at South Carolina
you want to make sure it’s not a flash
in the pan type of guy absolutely those
are the top of his ranking but if you
want to read through all of the top 30
the second half if you will exactly go
to post dhaz
Brian’s broken it down wonderfully that
includes also the local guys like Matt
gonalez from pitt MJ devenshire guys who
will be in the draft class and maybe get
some consider consideration later in the
process not first round picks but maybe
maybe second third fourth fifth round
that could be the sweet spot for some of
those guys but if you want all that go
to postgazette.com also as we’re about
to talk about Brian last week we did his
best case scenario for how the board can
fall for the Steelers in the first round
now we’ll do the worst case scenario
that’s what’s coming up after this break
break here on the Northshore Drive
podcast on the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
but first want to remind you this show
is brought to you by the place we’re in
right now that’s Mike’s beer bar the
best bar in all of Pittsburgh and I mean
that I love coming to Mike’s beer bar
because I if I want my sports fix they
have over 20 televisions you’re getting
any sport whether it’s golf whether it’s
the NHL the NBA uh and wrestling
whatever your whatever your fix is they
got it here they also have over 500
different available beers three under of
those beers are from the local area and
80 of those beers those local beers are
available on tap every single day and
they’re switching new ones in and out
all the time whether you like Stouts
ipas epiz light beers uh reg regular
loggers domestics imported they have all
of those available here at Mike’s beer
bar they also have amazing food like
their steak on a stone you choose your
choice cut of steak it’s brought to you
on a heated Stone every piece you cut
off you press into the stone and you
choose how well done you want every
single bike it’s Mike’s beer bar the
best bar on of Pittsburgh so come down
to Mike’s beer bar today on Federal
Street across from PNC Park when you get
here tell them Chris sent it
[Music]
we’re back here on the Northshore Drive
podcast from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette
I’m your host Chris Carter here with
Brian bco one of our Steelers beat
writers awesome job that he does all the
time now Brian like I said last week you
broke down the best case scenario if all
the quarterbacks and none of the
offensive tackles flew off the board
what could the Steelers end up picking
and it kind of set up an easy slate
there but now this week we want to go
over the worst case scenario and the
Steelers bracing themselves for what if
none of the position like some of those
Premier positions like offensive tackles
don’t fall their way yeah I think as you
know real NFL front offices and scouting
departments navigate the finishing
touches of their draft process this is
probably more of the scenario that you
need to concern yourself with right I
mean you you get to the best case stuff
and you’re going to feel good with
whoever you walk away with that first
night of the draft you look at this
though and you know again the top three
are unchanged from last week’s exercise
it’s the QBs Caleb Williams Drake May
Jaden Daniels whatever order you want to
place him it doesn’t really matter but
in this one uh a guy who you know you it
would be a shock if it happened in real
life but much more likely that Marvin
Harrison Jr Ohio Statewide receiver
would go fourth overall to the Cardinals
and it’s not a matter of taking him out
of Pittsburgh’s hands but it’s G to push
all the receivers up if one goes at four
so um then I’ve got Joe Al from Notre
Dame that’s the big change from last no
alt was there the big change is Marvin
Harrison um Joe Al though yeah I mean I
think the Chargers are going to zero in
on an O lineman but again at six Malik
Neighbors from LSU this would kind of
cause that early run on wide outs that
would deplete the depth to some degree
for the Steelers they’d just have to be
really comfortable with a lot of the
homework they did on say receivers 10
through 15 once you get into that second
round absolutely you look at how it
breaks down through the top 10 in this
in this one you now have three offensive
tackles off the board uh Al at five to
the to the chargers panu at seven to the
Titans and then leam JC leam the guy
Alabama to the Jets at 10 and then also
you have all three wide receivers so in
this scenario and a corner off the board
here so no Edge rushers go in this
situation which is a position where the
Steelers have plenty of that with wat
Alex Smith and even uh Nick hering as he
came on strong last year and so then and
no fourth quarterback which this would
be a big fall for JJ McCarthy we’ve seen
the smoke screens before come draft time
guys get sort of artificially propped up
and then when push comes to shove on
draft day they’re sitting there past you
know pick number 10 in this case so in
this case scenario you do have McCarthy
going out 11 but that’s later than when
you had them in your first I believe and
so that kind of pushes it so that in
this full dis you know spoiler there are
no other quarterbacks that come they
come after M and before the Steelers
yeah if you remember last week B Nicks
and Michael pennick went 12 and 13 you
had six quarterbacks of the 19 picks
ahead that again put you want if you’re
the Steelers you want more quarterb you
want to push to at the other positions
and you know they hope that happens they
they hope there’s quarterback Mania
around the NFL but there’s no guarantee
it’s always very tricky to gauge just
how much these teams and head coaches
and GM we know that quarterbacks are
always the most polarizing players at
any position so uh in this case yeah
instead of going QB the Broncos take
Brian Thomas Jr LSU wide receiver who
some national folks are still thinking
the Steelers could have their eyes on
him he is a guy who didn’t visit here I
don’t know that I saw he took many
pre-draft visits Maybe that just wasn’t
really something he and his
representation were interested in they
might feel really good about his stock
overall um the country in touchdowns he
I mean you you put on the film and he’s
he’s pretty special so uh if he goes 12
that’s one fewer receiver uh who could
potentially be there at 20 or 50 and
then 13 I’ve got the Raiders taking tal
Esa fuaga another tackle off the board
and at 14 the Saints taking amarius Mims
and man that would uh that would be a
gut punch for the steel for sure
absolutely and so again so at that point
at the top 14 you now have what five
offensive tackles off the board yep and
in my book there are six guys that are
worth the 20th overall pick in this
class with fanu and in your next uh five
picks you have Brock Bowers going off
the board that’s not a big deal the
Steelers don’t necessarily TI I think
from what I’ve heard and read you know
the Colts are definitely not going to
pass up on him if he’s there so hey you
might be someone who thinks it’d be
really fun to put him in Arthur Smith’s
tight end Centric offense but I just
don’t think that’s really something
they’re thinking about yeah that that’s
not a concern of there then you have two
centers fly off the board here Jackson
pow Johnson at 16 to the Seahawks and
then grah Barton at 18 to the Bengals
and a corner uh Nate Wiggins at 17 to
the Jaguars and then at 19 Troy fonu the
last offensive tackle that I think both
you and I have as wor worthy of 20th
overall he flies off the board so at
this scenario you now have six offensive
tackles that have gone off the board I
believe two centers two centers is it
two two or three corners here you got
only two only two so that’s that’s the
thing here that I think is interesting
is the the top positions of need for the
Steelers are offensive tackle Corner
Center and wide receiver wide receiver
you have four guys gone um and you’re
down to maybe an addon n Mitchell is
your top option there Center your top
two guys are gone so maybe you’re down
to a Zack Fraser there tackle your top
six are gone so you’re down to like a
Tyler gon but Corner in this scenario or
D line or D line because they neither no
D line was taken so you could have Jon
Newton or Byron Murphy out of out of
Texas or Darius Robinson who we talked
about in the first segment yeah I mean
this would be this would throw a wrench
into I think everything the Steelers are
planning and it I don’t think the draft
would go this crazy into the direction
of offense but I actually think in a
weird way it’s probably a little bit
more likely than the best case
scenario I also don’t think that there’s
G to be enough teams that bite at the
quarterback Apple I think McCarthy will
go I am not as confident that pennick
will go I think there’s a 50-50 chance B
Knicks could go but but those aren’t
guarantees but here’s the thing you’re
looking at some of the prospects are
here like like you have listed Tyler gon
of Oklahoma and then Jordan Morgan of
Arizona they’re your two offensive
tackles those are guys that would not
take it 20 those would be pretty clear
settling SL reaching whatever you want
to call it you need to trade back to get
those guys I also wouldn’t take Zack
Fraser 20th I would trade back to get
him but I would really look at terion
Arnold or Cooper Dee at 20 those are two
guys that look like Su potential
superstars in your secondary Cooper de
can play all over the field he can play
outside he can play slot he put safety
terion Arnold I know he ran like a four
five in the 40- yard dash but to me he’s
the best pure technique corner and he’s
great at open field tackling which you
know the Steelers love and he gets
compared to Minka a lot coming out of
that Alabama program I mean he much like
Minka Fitzpatrick he was a Nick Sabin
favorite yes you know once again kind of
like we were saying with JC leam and
Brian Thomas terion Arnold didn’t visit
here there could be a number of reasons
of reasons for that first of all it
could be because he’s just a very clean
Prospect you don’t need to do any more
due diligence on him all things we’ve
heard are that good in the locker room
and I don’t think any has any medical
concerns either really um you know they
were at his pro day they go to tuscalo
every year they might be they might have
been knowing terion Arnold and JC Le for
years now yeah so I mean that’s not a
huge hangup to me but uh it’s also
probably a situation where they just
don’t think he’s gonna be there at 20 I
think so too because there’s a lot of
people that have him as the top
quarterback in his class even though
quya Mitchell ran an amazing 40 yard
time as did Nate Wiggins and Cooper but
you just look at his tape and teron
arold is tough to deny there but again
in a worst case scenario he might end up
being your best case but that’s I think
that’s the great thing about this draft
class Brian is that a worst case
scenario is if they don’t get to tackle
it there but if there’s such a run at
tackle something else of importance is
going to be there whether it’s Center
whether it’s corner or wide receiver
yeah I think I even wrote in there when
you’re picking 20 there’s not that many
uh nightmare scenarios that can present
itself you’re still getting one of the
20th best players in the draft provided
that you don’t moved down and you know
in this draft it would be very
surprising nationally if Dallas Turner
The Edge rusher from Alabama didn’t go
in the top 20 I still don’t think the
Steelers would probably pull the trigger
on a position where they’re so well
stuck but you could you know maybe get
somebody trading up or something get
some extra picks pile it up that’s where
I think it could be really interesting
is if the Ste let’s say this happens and
the Steelers are like look You’ be happy
with Arnold or Dee or Frasier or any of
these guys or Mitchell but let’s trade
back like the Packers are a team that
they want to move move up to 25 the
Packers have the 41st pick in the second
round maybe you swap picks in first and
seconds you get a lower first but a
higher second round pick and that way
maybe you get to Jee or Arnold later in
the first and then you can still get
Zack Fraser in early in the early part
of the second round and then you’re like
hey you’ve addressed offensive line but
you also got a really Prime skill
position player while while not
overspending for either yeah it’s just
the Intriguing fun stuff to think about
as you come down the stretch toward
draft time I mean there’s so many
players in this draft whose ranges might
be between eight and 28 for where
they’re going to get picked and all that
is going to uh you know what who the
Steelers takes is going to be predicated
on all those moving parts and all those
factors so yeah I mean again like I said
you’re G to be happy probably with
whomever you get at number 20 that’s one
of the virtues of getting knocked out of
the first round of the playoffs but uh
in this case yeah there there would be
some question marks and concerns about
what kind of player are you getting in
here maybe you’re not going to have an
instant impact starter at tackle andoor
Center absolutely you mentioned about
having fun at this part of the draft
process because now we’re less than a
week away it starts next Thursday on the
25th again be here at Mike’s beer bar
where we’ll be doing a live show with
the Post Gazette myself Adam Bitner Jas
Jason Mackey Paul Zeiss Brian Brian and
Jerry and Ray will be on Camp will be on
site for us and we’ll be bringing them
in but either way I will I don’t know
about Jerry Jerry too big time for us we
gotta pay him extra but point being this
will be a great live show during the
first second and third rounds of the
draft next Thursday and Friday but to
get ready for that fun Bron has a great
fun segment and it’s ranking the the
these different prospects in the
offensive line that Steelers are looking
at but as pizza slices what are we doing
there we’ll explain that here and more
on the Northshore Drive podcast from the
Pittsburgh Post cazette right after
[Music]
[Music]
this we’re back here on the Northshore
Drive podcast from the Pittsburgh Post
cazette I’m your host Chris Carter here
with Brian FCO one of our great Steelers
beat Riders now Brian you posed this
segment idea to me like two days ago and
I was like let’s do it cuz I love pizza
and you want to compare these top
offensive line piece prospects for the
Steelers to pizza slices and it occurred
to me this Brian yes before we determine
who’s where we also have to determine
what are the top pizza slices okay yeah
so the reason why I even texted you
about this on it was Tuesday or
Wednesday I also feel bad you just set
off there before we came on how hungry
you are so this probably isn’t going to
help it’s making me hung I’m gonna hang
around film another video with Adam
Bitner you at least get to go get some
pizza if that’s what you decide but no
my kid was in a cooking class the other
day and they made Hawaiian pizza and as
much as I you know constantly think
about my children and then also think
about the NFL draft at all times those
two things just mind melded and here’s
what I’ve got I mean plain obviously
pepperoni yes buffalo chicken yes
barbecue chicken oh I like barbecue
chicken yeah um veggie veggie is always
classic Hawaiian pizza that’s what my
kid was making in his class that’s cool
if that’s I’m not a pineapple and pizza
guy but it’s not a bad option then I’ve
got white pizza White pizza’s classic
meat lovers and then um we’ll have like
a wild card one at the end a wild card
all right all right so that being said
personally I’m a pepperoni guy you give
me a pepperoni pizza Chris is happy no
matter when and where he is but let me
I’m a buff chick guy and you know that’s
sort of uh pointing toward what we’re
going to get to here so who’s your
buffalo chicken pizza guy in this pizza
slice of this draft class amarius Mims
oh and he was your top guy so who
definitely do think Buffalo chicken’s
the best pizza yes so there’s levels to
this but no I mean I think he’s
polarizing among people there’s so many
gonna say what eight starts at the
college level injury concerns chicken’s
polarizing it is but ceiling ceiling
very high floor very low I’ve had bad
buffalo chicken pizza even though I even
though I really like it you mess it up
yes and and then you have people who
just they don’t want really anything
spicy with their pizza so that’s that’s
going to you know just be that subset of
people who no no no no no we can’t draft
anybody in the first round who’s got
that little tape uh you know out there
at at you know starting at the college
level all right so let’s get even if it
is Georgia let let’s get fancy here your
Hawaiian pizza like Hawaiian is always
the gun that’s like Hey we’re thinking
outside the box we’re getting here who’s
your Hawaiian yeah this is one he’s not
going to be for everybody but is going
to have some really strong proponents to
those who like it talasa fuaga from
Oregon State
you know there there’s going to be some
people say he he’s not going to even
play tackle in the NFL he’s more of a
guard’s guard there he’s more of a guard
he’s like you know a barroom brawler
he’s gonna play in a phone booth he’s
GNA struggle with speed on the edge
don’t don’t try to line him up against
pass rushers at the NFL level that’s
kind of what you hear that’s kind of the
propaganda that you hear against
Hawaiian pizza sometimes but the irony
here is can’t protect against headed
Rush the irony here is uh don’t put
fruit on Pizza the irony here is that
you are a big tasa fuaga fan and yet you
did just tell us you don’t like wine P
that’s the thing I’m so torn now I’m
like what am I supposed to believe now
about Hawaiian pizza maybe I need to
give it another shot because I’m a big
fuaga guy all right so you mentioned
meat lovers he’s also part Hawaiian I
believe yes he is so he’s a big uh
actually fonu was a big poalo fan so I
want where where does Fon fall in your
so I’ve got Troy fanu has white pizza
because okay why is that because he’s
missing a key ingredient
white pizza is missing sauce Troy fanu
is not even 6’4 so he is extremely short
right for an NFL tackle if that’s what
the Steelers view him as I tend to think
it is and he’s somebody who he’ll always
have guard and Center as fallback plans
for him in the NFL I think he’ll succeed
at the next level and I personally like
white pizza too but again that’s
something that it’s not for everybody so
some people are going to Discount Troy
fat utanu sticking at tackle but uh you
know we’ll we’ll see what the Steelers
think of him and uh you know whether
he’s if he’s there at 20 if they take
him if they think he can flip from left
side at Washington to right or if he’s
just destined to be something a little
different than everybody sees right now
not who I had penciled in a white pizza
in in this draft class but I want to ask
you about meat lovers because this is
not literal these are you you know these
are um was going there figurative other
well I guess my tasa fuaga Hawaiian
thing was a little bit more Lal but I
dig anyway let’s get to the I want to
hear about lovers when I think meat
lovers I think about movers guys that
are going to get people I I I want the I
want the carnivores who’s the meat lover
pizza guy and they’ve got it all right I
mean you’ve got pepperoni bacon sausage
you said you weren’t gonna make me
hungry you could have steak on there
look what he’s doing to me so I got to
get the most versatile lineman in the
draft and that would be Graham Barton to
me from duke could be tackle I like
guard most likely a center and you know
I’ll just go ahead and loop these in
right now he’s the souped up version of
pepperoni which I have as Jackson Powers
Johnson okay and plain which is Zack
Frasier okay which is just kind of like
you’re never really going to go wrong
you can’t go wrong with those nobody’s
gonna be mad about getting a plain piece
of pizza right but sometimes people are
gonna want more yes sometimes people are
gonna want more with little pepperoni I
think Jackson PW Johnson’s got a little
more Pizzazz not just in his game but
his personality if you watch any
interviews with him and then obviously
Graham Barton might be kind of the total
package there which is why I’m I’m
putting the meat lovers tag on him all
right so you mentioned about having a
veggie pizza when I think veggie pizza
let’s say well let’s save that for later
yeah so I’m going to go barbecue chicken
here barbecue chicken remember amarius
Mims is buffalo chicken so you got to
get something pretty similar slightly
different flavor Tyler gon from Oklahoma
they’re just about the same size neither
one of them is the most experienced guy
both are physical marbles athletic
freaks specimens um you know god-given
abilities at 68 gon’s like 320 I guess
mim’s like 340 so just a slightly
different spin for me personally I’m
definitely more of a buff chick Pizza
than barbecue same here also I feel like
you comparatively to if I’m pick Buffalo
chickens in my upper tier whereas
barbecue chickens in like the upper part
of my second tier yeah where that’s
exactly where I have Tyler gon in this
draft class he’s the first second round
tackle that I would look at if I needed
a second round tackle in this class all
right so there you also mentioned some
wild flavors here some out there once um
JC
leam I don’t we we we’ve discussed him
in the first two segments to varying
degrees don’t think he’s going to make
it to 20 so I’ve got him as the steak
Ranchero Pizza whoa had Steak Ranch ter
it’s too fancy exens and it’s not always
gonna be there when you go to a pizza
shop so uh but if you get a good one
it’s there’s a lot of there’s a lot
going on there could could be a miss you
know we’ll see about leam but probably
the highest upside I mean you you are
putting the highest cut of meat on that
high indeed and I think there’s a lot of
upside to L you had him at the 10th
overall pick in your uh your uh your
worst case worst case scenario draft
here all right so last slice here we’ve
left veggie for last yeah so it feels
like when you get in Veggie there’s some
people that love vegetarian pizza I can
I can eat it but it’s one of those
things like I’m eating it it’s because I
settled for something less if you’re at
the pizza party and like all the boxes
are cleared out there’s probably going
to be a few pieces of the veggie pizza
left exactly that’s why I’ve got Cedric
Van Fran from Georgia nothing against
Cedric Van Fran but he’s kind of in that
next group of centers I think I agree
he’s in the next tier he he won help
them win two national championships at
the pivot for Georgia so obviously and
and you know veggie pizza good for you
relatively speaking getting some greens
in there but I’d say that’s just kind of
The Last Resort he might be the Steelers
last resort to try to get a day one
starting center in this draft round two
three maybe even four if he slips that
far Mike tomman did say that there are
only a handful of centers they consider
plug and play in this draft class in my
book that’s grah Barton Jackson Powers
Johnson Zack Frasier and then Cedric van
bran after Cedric van bran you are
hoping for a Bo limmer or a hunter NORAD
who they recently had in for a visit um
but Penn State yeah yeah that because
that would that but that would that
would put the Steelers in a rough spot
where they might need to go find a
veteran or see if that while bringing
Mason Cole back I think that they want
to find that Center in this draft class
which is why one of those top four guys
you put here as pizza slices are there
so okay Brian if you are so in this case
case scenario you still you’re a buffalo
chicken guy here like if you’re the if
you’re the Steelers you want to be
eating buffalo chicken and drafting am
Marian M Mar’s Ms yeah I’m willing I
think I’m willing to chance it with with
the buff chick Pizza there and rodri
Jones sort of your side of ranch to dip
that in yeah I mean hey I I think uh I
think I made it pretty clear I like most
slices of pizza there there’s not a lot
that I would turn down certainly don’t
prefer the veggie but it can get you
through very very few uh such you know
really no such thing as bat Pizza I
there there this is very true I could
have gotten real like
controversial if I would have brought
out like deep dish oh listen you know
thin crust I was just an Indianapolis
Square some good deep dish pizza while I
was there was very happy to experience
that but those are your pizza slices
maybe you want some Buffalo Chip maybe
you want a Mar’s Mims order some buffalo
chicken pizza maybe you can get some
here at Mike’s beer bar I was gonna say
could have compared compared them to
beers but that might have just been a
little little too on brand but next year
maybe next year but hey you get to
experience all the different food
options and the amazing beer options
here at Mike beer bar well again we will
be here Brian won’t but I will be here
with our team of the Post Gazette
writers here covering the draft live if
you want to follow along with us you can
be here at Mike’s beer bar or you can
tune in to the live stream that’ll be
happening at the same time right here on
your favorite podcast well on on YouTube
and on Facebook and where all things
that we stream too you can also catch
the post the post game show of that on
your favorite podcast thing app But be
sure to subscribe to the Northshore
Drive podcast wherever you listen to
podcast or on YouTube like this video if
you enjoy it subscribe to this channel
to get all of the future episod coming
out we still have preview episodes
coming out Monday and Wednesday as well
as all of our daily content look out for
our final NFL draft video uh for the
weekends coming out with Adam Bitner uh
lat later later this weekend we’ll be
here on the Northshore Drive podcast see
you again next week as we continue our
approach to the Steelers picks in the
NFL
draft thank you for tuning in to another
episode of the Northshore Drive podcast
from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette if you
watch this video on YouTube please like
the video and subscribe to our channel
for all the sports coverage from the
post get that we have to offer visit
postgazette.com
[Music]