Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh doubles-up on offensive line help early

Round 7 (pick 240): Luke Farrell, TE, Ohio State

With eight draft choices and a need at the position, I would be shocked if the Steelers did not address tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft. In fact, it’s entirely possible that they could do so much early than the seventh round. However, with so many other needs and a drop in talent after the first three tight ends, I have Pittsburgh waiting to address tight end until late in the draft.

Luke Farrell isn’t a flashy player and he’s not going to do a lot after the catch. However, Pittsburgh may need another tight end who can play inline and be a reliable blocker for them. Assuming the Steelers bring in at least one more player this offseason, Farrell would likely compete with Zach Gentry for the third tight end role.

Round 7 (pick 249): Ali Fayad, EDGE, Western Michigan

If you are going to take an edge defender late in the draft, I prefer it to be a small-school player with good production. Ali Fayad played both on the edge and in the interior for Western Michigan, but he did so at 6’2” and 255 pounds. Fayad had 35.5 tackles for a loss and 16.5 sacks in college. In 2020, he earned 6.0 TFL and 4.0 sacks in just 4 games. He may not have all the traits you desire, but he could compete for depth at edge defender.

It’s still too early to tell exactly which positions Pittsburgh will be drafting in the first few rounds, but I would have to assume that center will be one of their top priorities if they don’t fill the position in free agency. Stay with us for more draft coverage and follow me on Twitter at @TommyJaggi.