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The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a position where they could be selecting a wide receiver fairly early in the 2013 NFL draft. They lost wide receiver Mike Wallace to free agency, and beyond starter Antonio Brown and restricted free agent Emmanuel Sanders, this group doesn’t strike fear in anyone.
This team has a handful of spots that could use either a starter or quality depth, so I hate to think about the Steelers spending a first or second round pick on a receiver in a draft with so much talent and a wide receiver class that’s so deep. Instead, I’d like to see them take a look at Texas A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope.
Swope is a fascinating prospect for the Steelers for several reasons. First is his speed. While I can’t say I’ve seen a lot of that 4.3 speed in his games, you do see it in his ability to get open.
With the Aggies, Swope was their version of a possession receiver. He’s quick in and out of his breaks, and was used on a lot of screens and short passes. He was so good about getting where he needed to be quickly and provided an excellent safety valve for quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Swope wasn’t a deep-speed guy who the Aggies sent on a lot of deep routes, but it’s not to say he couldn’t. In fact in the Steelers offense where option routes are common, a smart player like Swope could exploit matchups inside at the slot with his speed.
The other big part of Swope’s game that I think would translate well to the Steelers is his ability to extend the play and extend his routes. If there’s one thing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger expects from his receivers, it’s that when things break down and he starts moving around, his receivers adjust and come back to the play. This was a strength of his game at Texas A&M, and reminds me more than a little of former Steelers receiver Hines Ward.
Another area where Swope and Ward are similar is in blocking. I won’t say Swope can block like Ward because he can’t, but he’s a more-than-willing blocker and does a very good job.
There is value in selecting Swope because he likely won’t command a pick earlier than the third round, and would allow the Steelers to focus on other areas for the first two rounds. Swope is a vastly underrated player who would be an immediate impact player in the slot for the Steelers.
Curt covers the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL draft, and college football for Rant Sports. Connect with Curt on Twitter @nfldraftboard.
