The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a good job addressing their needs in free agency, giving them flexibility in the NFL Draft. Still, one position that hasn’t been considered a first-round priority for the Steelers is tight end. But the Steelers could surprise some folks if Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq is on the board when they make their first pick. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette strongly hinted in his chat today that Sadiq could be of interest to the Steelers.

He cryptically referenced Sadiq when asked if the Steelers could draft a tight end.

“Absolutely!! And I bet even before the end of day 2. This isn’t going to happen, but there would be some sentiment to take one at No. 21 if a certain TE were still on the board,” Dulac wrote.

Later in the chat, he was asked to rank Pittsburgh’s possible first-round pick between Vega Ioane, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, Denzel Boston, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman. His response was telling.

“Did you say Sadiq?” he wrote.

Sadiq hasn’t been linked to the Steelers during the pre-draft process. But tight end is a Steelers need after cutting Jonnu Smith and seeing Connor Heyward sign with the Las Vegas Raiders. That leaves just Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington remaining from last season’s tight ends.

Washington took a leap last season while Freiermuth took a step back, though that was more due to lack of usage than anything he did wrong. He’s a proven pass catcher, and the prevailing thought is that the Steelers will add depth to the room rather than someone like Sadiq, who could come in as a No. 1.

It would be a surprising pick, but Mike McCarthy has had success using tight ends in his offense, including multiple ones. Dalton Schultz and Jake Ferguson thrived recently in his offense in Dallas, while players such as Jermichael Finley and Donald Lee had success with McCarthy in Green Bay. If the Steelers take Sadiq, they’d have a formidable receiving duo with him and Freiermuth while Washington would remain the primary blocking tight end.

Dulac doesn’t seem to believe Sadiq will be on the board at No. 21 overall. If he is, he could be a surprising but intriguing option for the Steelers. In our scouting report, Jake Brockhoff gave him an 8.6 (longtime starter) grade and compared him to Tyler Higbee, who’s had a successful career with the Los Angeles Rams. He’s a move tight end who could be a fun weapon for the Steelers’ offense, and it seems as if he could be a real possibility for the team.