Steelers 2021 seven-round mock draft: Before the Senior Bowl

The Steelers head to the Senior Bowl looking closely at the prospects during practice and then the game but that doesn’t stop the mock drafts.

The Senior Bowl will be played on January 30th in Mobile, Alabama. The yearly event always has fans and scouts of the Steelers watching with eagle eyes to pay attention to the best prospects throughout the week. It will start with the practices during the week and lead up to the game. The stage will be set for these young men that want to show some separation among their peers. It will be games and events like these that are magnified more than ever. There is no NFL Combine this year and fewer opportunities for these NFL hopefuls to show why they deserve better draft consideration.

All eyes will fall on Mobile during this entire week as football continues to be played this late into the season. Players from big and small schools will have the chance to show their real skills to NFL front offices. The seven-round mock draft is always difficult to gauge this far in advance to April but it is always fun to make educated guesses. This mock draft also includes a fourth and sixth-round compensatory pick for the black and gold’s losses in free agency last year:

Round 1 (pick 24): Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

This might be too high of a selection for Freiermuth but he is an amazing prospect with a very high ceiling. They call him baby Gronk and he shows it on tape. He is a physical beast that can dominate any competition that he goes up against. Unfortunately for him, this season was cut short due to an injury that needed surgery. With a full year under his belt and impressive numbers, this could’ve been a lock for a first-round choice.

Pittsburgh could potentially trade down if they wanted to select the Penn State product. The Steelers have neglected the tight end position for years and investing in one here would be a nice choice. Vance McDonald just retired and Eric Ebron could be back, but the rest of the depth at the position is murky. Freiermuth would add amazing depth and an all-around player that could block and catch.