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Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft: No pain, so much to gain

By Jake Bendrick

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 22: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 01: Juwan Johnson #6 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball after a 28-yard pass from Justin Herbert (NOT IN RAME) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Rose Bowl on January 01, 2020 in Pasadena, California. The Oregon Ducks topped the Wisconsin Badgers, 28-27. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 01: Juwan Johnson #6 of the Oregon Ducks runs with the ball after a 28-yard pass from Justin Herbert (NOT IN RAME) during the fourth quarter of the game at the Rose Bowl on January 01, 2020 in Pasadena, California. The Oregon Ducks topped the Wisconsin Badgers, 28-27. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) /

Round 7: Juwan Johnson, WR/TE, Oregon

It’s been an interesting draft to this point. Needs across the board have been addressed, aside from interior offensive line. The Steelers could pick one of my favorite under the radar QB’s with this pick, Jake Luton from Oregon State, but I think they’ll look to another Oregon school for a tweener WR/TE prospect who could become a matchup nightmare at the next level.

Many of you will remember Johnson in a Penn State uniform before he transferred to Oregon his senior year. After a promising sophomore season, he was derailed by injuries in 2018 and started only 6 games as a Duck in 2019.  At the NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson turned in a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at 6′ 4″, 230 lbs.  Change of direction drills, the 3 cone (6.94 seconds) and short shuttle (4.37 seconds), reveal an athlete who could give linebackers and safeties fits if matched up as a TE.

He’s too big for a corner to single up. The main drawback of Johnson has been drops. I’m not able to ascertain whether these were due to concentration or if he’s just not good at catching the ball all the time. That said, put him in the weight room until he’s 245 – 250 lbs. Work on blocking until it’s at least serviceable. Put him on the jugs machine for three hours after every practice. Then let defenses try to figure out how to stop him. Why not?

Next. Could Antonio Brown be on his way back to the AFC North?. dark

Okay. There it is. You have to agree, this is a very Steelers draft. It’s low on the sexy, pundit driven picks we often see in the mocks that try to match players with the teams they’d like to see draft them. The only semi-big name is Laviska Shenault. But at the end of the day, it’s a draft that could put the Steelers over the top. Any feedback? Who did I miss? What position should I have prioritized? Let’s have fun with it.

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