Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh ignores RB and OT until day three
By Andrew Falce
Here is a complete Steelers seven-round mock draft to begin this offseason
With the Steelers season ending early this year, the talk has now shifted to the ways that this team could improve upon the roster. While the draft is still a ways away, all players have officially declared for the draft. This year’s class will be key, as the team is set to lose a plethora of free agents in the offseason which will lead to quite a few holes on the roster.
Here is an early Steelers seven-round mock draft for the 2021 offseason, including the projected fourth and sixth-round compensatory picks that the team is projected to have.
Round 1
While the early drafts are penciling the Steelers in for an offensive tackle or a quarterback in the first, the Steelers may be forced to go a different route with their pick. One of the top needs this offseason will undoubtedly be a tight end, as there is a real chance that the team loses either Vance McDonald or Eric Ebron in the offseason. The issue is, tight end is top-heavy in this class but falls off considerably after the top three players. Given the scarcity of the top talent in this class, the Steelers may be forced to grab one in the first as they won’t have that luxury in the second.
Top tight end Kyle Pitts will almost certainly be off the board, but there is a good chance that Pat Freiermuth is still around late in the first. While some will argue he isn’t worth the selection that high, his previous tape begs to differ. His last season wasn’t spectacular, but Penn State started later and struggled as an entire team. Freiermuth was still one of their best offensive weapons and has some serious potential as a pro.
He is a big target at 6’5, 260 lbs, and is known as a decent blocker. While he isn’t the athlete that Pitts is, he can still do some damage with the ball in his hands. The Steelers have tried various different short-term solutions at the tight end spot, but Freiermuth would be the first significant investment since Heath Miller was drafted. Even if he splits time with one of the aforementioned veterans his rookie year, he should be a big weapon that the team has been lacking I recent years.