Apr 23, 2017 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – When the Steelers signed Ladarius Green as a free agent last offseason, they envisioned having another weapon to stretch the field.

Green did provide such a weapon when he played, averaging 16.9 yards per catch. But the key words in that sentence are “when he played.”

Green opened the season on the Physically Unable to Perform List because of offseason ankle surgery. Then, after returning at midseason, he suffered a concussion in a win at Cincinnati – his third concussion in the past two seasons – that kept him out of the postseason.

Green appeared in just six games, leaving the trio of Jesse James, David Johnson and Xavier Grimble to handle most of the Steelers’ tight end duties.

Pittsburgh also was forced to use backup offensive lineman Chris Hubbard as a blocking tight end, and could be in the market for more of a blocking-type tight end in this year’s three-day NFL Draft, which will be held Thursday through Saturday.

The Steelers have eight picks in the seven-round draft, including the 30th selection in the first round and two choices in the third.

And if the Steelers are in search of a combination tight end to replace Heath Miller, who retired after the 2015 season, or a blocking tight end, this is a great year to be in the market for a player at that position.

At least two tight ends, Alabama’s O.J. Howard and Miami’s David Njoku, could be picked in the first round, with Howard a potential top-10 selection.

Mississippi’s Evan Engram, who ran a 4.42-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine at 235 pounds, should be selected no later than the second round.

Njoku and Engram are both bulked up receivers, though Engram is a willing blocker. Howard might be the best all-around tight end prospect in the draft in several years.

The next tight end selected after those three is a player who got his start as an athlete in the PSAC – as a basketball player.

Adam Shaheen began his college athletic career as a basketball player at Pitt-Johnstown, averaging 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game as a freshman before deciding he missed football. Because Pitt-Johnstown doesn’t have a football program, Shaheen transferred to Ashland,a Division II school in Ohio.

He bulked up to 278 pounds at 6-6 and became a star, catching 70 passes for 803 yards as a junior and 57 for 867 yards with 16 touchdowns last season.

“Coming out of high school, I was 6-4 ½, 195 pounds and Ohio State wasn’t knocking on my door to come play football,” Shaheen said. “But I was a two-sport athlete playing football and basketball, and I had an opportunity to get my school paid for at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. I thought that was the best opportunity at the time. I actually went to a football game the fall of that year, and it just put a bug in me that was like ‘no matter what I’ve gotta do, if it’s walking on to a Division II school, that’s what I’ve gotta do.’ So I got in contact with a couple small schools – Ohio Dominican and Ashland – and the rest is history.”

Shaheen should be selected in the second or third rounds.

After those four, beauty will be in the eye of the beholder.

In Green, James and Grimble, the Steelers have three young tight ends with solid receiving skills. But they could look for a younger, cheaper and more physical blocking tight end than the 6-2, 270-pound Johnson, who also can play some fullback.

Iowa’s George Kittle is an excellent blocker but might have improved his draft stock beyond what the Steelers are willing to spend on a blocking tight end by running a 4.52 40-yard dash at the combine whiel weighing 247 pounds.

Jeremy Sprinkle of Arkansas is a solid combination tight end but he got into trouble at the Belk Bowl for shoplifting.

Michael Roberts (6-4, 270) of Toledo has the size teams look for in a blocker, and though he did catch 16 touchdown passes last season, that likely won’t be his role in the NFL.

“Michael Roberts from Toledo is a big guy that needs to block better, but he’s got some pass-catching skills,” said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.

Other top blocking tight ends include Waynesburg native Scott Orndoff of Pitt, Taylor McNamara of USC and Missouri’s Sean Culkin.