Steelers 7-round mock draft: Pittsburgh goes defense in round one

Round 5 (pick 203): Luke Farrell, TE, Ohio State

I know that Eric Ebron and Vance McDonald used to be some big names at the tight end position. Ebron was the former 10th overall pick by the Detriot Lions, and both tight ends had excellent years in 2018. However, it’s funny how fast time catches up with you. In 2020, neither player was worth their keep and it’s impossible to justify having either on the roster next year with their unreasonable cap hits.

Though Pittsburgh is unlikely to part ways with both players (the most likely scenario is that McDonald is gone and Ebron stays), the Steelers are still in desperate need of depth at the position. Though they won’t find their long-term starter this late in the draft, Ohio State’s Luke Farrell is a guy who can help them out. He’s big, tough, and physical and can do the dirty work at the line of scrimmage. Farrell may have had a marginal role in the passing game, but he’s the type of player you look for at this point in the draft.

Round 5 (pick 223): Jamar Watson, EDGE, Kentucky

It’s entirely possible that the Steelers look to address the edge rusher position much earlier in round five, but they have plenty of needs to go around this year. While Alex Highsmith had an excellent rookie season, Pittsburgh will no doubt be losing Bud Dupree and their depth is razor-thin at the position.

Jamar Watson is a stout edge defender, but he’s built for Pittsburgh’s defense and he has some tools to work with. Watson may never develop into anything more than a rotational edge rusher, but he would offer some much-needed depth to the position.