Steelers mock draft: Trade-back allows all needs to be met

The Steelers opt for a trade back in this mock draft, ensuring that they fill their needs early on with the added draft capital.

The Steelers found a way to succeed in free agency this year despite limited resources and a large partition of their roster being set to hit free agency. That said, there are still a plethora of needs that this team will have to fill in the draft. In this mock, the team swaps first-round picks with the Buccaneers and receive their third-round pick in the deal. I’m not a huge fan of projecting trades in a mock, but I wanted to change it up, and trading down in a year with so many needs and less certainty about prospects makes a lot of sense. With all of that said, Pittsburgh, you are on the clock.

First Round

If the Steelers opt to stay at pick 24, I think they will go defense, as offensive tackle has fallen as a need while there is no center or tight end worth being picked that early. Cornerback and inside linebacker makes a lot of sense at 24, but the additional third-round pick here sways the team as they hope to add a few impact rookies. Creed Humphrey becomes the pick here, as gaining the extra third-round pick makes reaching for a center a little more manageable.

To his credit, Humphery is one of the best center prospects in this draft due to his track record as a player. He is known to set a tone early with his gritty blocking style. He has shorter arms which isn’t ideal for a lineman, but center is a position you can get away with it. While he is a good prospect overall, this is still a reach by the team, as they target their biggest position of need. A perceived reach has never stopped the Steelers from reaching for a player though (Terrell Edmunds come on down). The team is justified here by netting an extra third, making the pick a far better value.