Steelers 2021 mock draft: Pittsburgh balances offense and defense

Round 1

The Steelers offensive line has played surprisingly well despite some turnover and early season injuries. The interior looks promising, as Matt Feiler has played well and Kevin Dotson looked great in his early-season play. There are some questions at OT though, and with Alejandro Villanueva likely playing in his final season with the Steelers, the team will need to target an OT early in the draft next year.

In steps Walker Little, a high floor high and moderately high ceiling LT from Stanford. He was a relatively safe early-round selection heading into the year, but he decided to opt-out for the season which could hurt his stock. As well, teams could see him as a fully developed product entering the league, as he has shown to be an above-average blocker at the college level. That makes him the perfect pick for the Steelers though, as he could slide into LT with little drop-off in play.

The biggest concern with Little is his leverage against smaller rushers. At 6’7, Little can be beaten by smaller and speedier rushers. As well, some teams point to the fact that he may be close to his ceiling as a reason to avoid him in the draft. Even if that is the case, Little would be a smart replacement at LT and help protect Roethlisberger during the final years of his career. Little makes a lot of sense for the Steelers here, and don’t be surprised to see an OT early this draft.