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.
Round 2
While it has not been finalized as to what veteran center Maurkice Pouncey plans to do this offseason, the Steelers would be wise to look for a center-capable player early in the draft. Even if Pouncey decides to stay, his long-term outlook with the team isn’t bright. His play is regressing, and he has a bloated contract. The team may move on from him regardless of if he retires, meaning finding a new center should be paramount. While J.C. Hassenauer has looked fine as a reserve, the team shouldn’t rely on the undersized center to be a true starter.
Enter Creed Humphrey out of Oklahoma. He is everything that Pouncey is not, as Humphry is more of a mauling run blocker with good size as opposed to a more athletic and finesse-based blocker like Pouncey. While this may lead to some early issues as a pass blocker, Humphry has shown that he can be a true road grader in the running game. Given the Steelers’ struggles in that regard, having a more run-centric offensive lineman could aid in rebuilding this line.
Even if the team rolls with Pouncey one more year, Humphry could serve as the top interior backup, as he could play guard if forced into action. While that could limit his playing time in his rookie year, the door should be opened as late as next year for him to take over. The team needs to invest in some offensive line pieces this year and grabbing a big center could be the start of an offensive overhaul. Humphry makes a lot of sense in the second round; thus the Steelers should be eyeing him if he makes it that far.
Round 3
While fans are clamoring for an offensive heavy draft, more than likely the Steelers take at least one defender before the end of day two. Historically, the Steelers don’t invest all of their top picks onto one side of the ball, and 2021 should be no different as the Steelers will have plenty of needs on the defense. Considering the questions at cornerback, adding one early makes a lot of sense for the team. Given the deep nature of this class, getting Asante Samuels Jr. in the third would be a solid value pick.
Funnily enough, I had slotted Samuels to the Steelers with the first pick of my previous mock draft, but a worse second half of the year mixed in with a strong cornerback class overall makes his projection seem more like a third-rounder. The Steelers would do well to target him, as he has the obvious bloodlines (his father was an NFL corner) and talent to play for this defense. As well, he could even line up in the slot early on, which may be necessary given the fact that Mike Hilton and Cameron Sutton are both free agents.
Even if the Steelers retain one of those free agents, Joe Haden is likely winding down his days as a Steelers player (he could even be cut this offseason). The team seemed to try and hide Justin Layne down the stretch, meaning adding a good man cover corner in Samuel could pay dividends down the road. He could start in the slot as early as his rookie year before making the more permanent move to the outside. The team will need to add a corner at some point, just don’t be surprised if it is higher than most expect.
Round 4
For those that haven’t been paying attention, Trey Sermon has gone from a decent committee back to playing one of the most dominant stretches of offensive football in the history of college football. He was nearly unstoppable for Ohio St. once they turned to him, and the Steelers have to be considering him as their future starting back. While waiting until the fourth round isn’t ideal, Sermon is far from a bad pick.
While he would likely begin the year in rotation with Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland, don’t be surprised to see him run away with the starting role sooner than later. He has obvious talent, but he will have to learn to pass block and become a better threat out of the backfield. That said, the value he provides as a runner in the fourth round is great. The Steelers need some better bodies at running back, and Sermon seems like a great fit in this scheme.
While I understand the clamoring for a tackle early, the value of this draft falls in the middle of the rounds. Sure, a top prospect would be nice, but the Steelers will likely resign Zach Banner to be their right tackle while Chukwuma Okorafor makes the move to left tackle. Both can be relied on to start, so getting more of a developmental player later makes sense.
This makes Tyler Vrabel a great option, as he is a younger player who will need a season to bulk up and work on his technique before being relied on as a starter for any team. The Steelers could take a shot on him in the fourth and allow him to have a redshirt year. If he looks better than advertised, the team could even make him their swing tackle. He would be solid depth at worst, and with the right coaching, he could become a fixture at either of the tackle spots.
Round 6
One thing to watch this offseason is what the Steelers do along the defensive line, as starting nose tackle Tyson Alualu and top backup defensive end Chris Wormley are pending free agents. The team will want to keep this group fresh and deep, so adding a player like Phidarian Mathis this late makes a lot of sense. He has prototypical size for a defensive end for the team and has good traits to build off of this late in the draft.
While he didn’t produce much on the talented Alabama defensive line until this year, he has shown to be a good run defender. That said, he has obvious flaws as a pass rusher given the fact that he only notched 1.5 sacks while in school. Karl Dunbar has worked well with the defensive line though, so if anyone can get something out of him, this will be the team to do it. At worst, he is a decent rotational piece though that can be relied upon to stop the run.
While it isn’t a foregone conclusion, odds are the Steelers end up losing JuJu Smith-Schuster to free agency this offseason. No matter your opinion on the player, the Steelers will be without a starting slot receiver if he leaves. While he wouldn’t be relied on to start right away, Marquez Stevenson would be a good fit to replace Smith-Schuster. The two players are opposites, but the Steelers could benefit from the speed that Stevenson would bring to the slot.
As well, the team could look to use him on sweeps in order to get the most out of his breakaway speed. Again, he wouldn’t be an instant starter, but he should see time with whomever the Steelers deem as their future slot receiver. While he would need to put on a little bit of weight as a pro, Stevenson could be a decent developmental option. He has the natural traits to succeed, and it would be up to the team to get the most out of him.
Round 7
Unlike much of Steelers nation, I believe that the perceived need at quarterback shouldn’t be addressed this offseason. This is due to the team lacking the necessary resources to obtain a better quarterback than Mason Rudolph. That said, adding one late in the draft would be a wise idea. The team likes to carry three on the roster and even carried a fourth all season due to the COVID climate. As well, Josh Dobbs is set to be a free agent, so he is far from a guarantee to return to this roster.
Kellen Mond has had an up and down career at Texas A&M, and as of now looks to be a late-round target for teams. While he lacks the pocket awareness and decision-making skills to be a starter at this point, he does have some traits that are worth developing. As well, he can be a threat on the ground, making him a more modern style of quarterback. The goal for him is to be the third-stringer in year one and hope to develop him into a capable backup. No, he won’t be the quarterback of the future, but he very well could be the top backup for the majority of his rookie contract.
The Steelers’ depth at linebacker was put to the test this season, and although the unit held up relatively well, the team could use another body to compete and fill out the roster. While there are a plethora of late-round options that could be had, Paddy Fisher is a name that a lot of fans should keep an eye on. The former high recruit had a hot start to his college career before settling in as a talented albeit raw decision-maker for the Northwestern defense. If he can develop his play knowledge more, he could easily outplay his draft position.
As well, his size is another huge plus for him. He plays the inside linebacker position at nearly 250 lbs., and while he isn’t the athlete that Devin Bush is, he can hold his own in space. His instant role would be as a special team’s ace, but given his size, he could be a long-term replacement for Vince Williams. It will take an impressive jump in terms of his play knowledge, but he could be a role player for this team down the stretch. At the bare minimum, he should be a solid special team’s option and a reliable backup early on.
While this draft has strayed away from the recent focus of offensive tackle and quarterback, the Steelers enter this season with a surplus of needs. While the team will fill some of them with free agents, the limited resources will force the team to maximize the players they get in the draft. It will be an up and down offseason, but a draft like this should set the Steelers up for success down the road.