Steelers mock draft: Unspectacular, yet realistic selections

With the NFL draft upon us, here is my final mock draft projecting what the Steelers will do with their eight picks.

Mock draft season is almost done with and the actual draft is upon us. With one last shot at a mock draft, I hope to accomplish the nearly impossible: projecting just what the Steelers will do this weekend. Based on their pro day visits, zoom calls, and general needs, this is my best guess as to what the team will try to do in the draft. With that said, here is my final Steelers mock draft with undrafted free agents of the season.

Round 1:

I will be the first to say this, I am not a fan of taking a running back in the first, but the cards seem to be falling into place for that to happen. The Steelers have shown a heavy amount of interest in Najee Harris since the end of the season, and if he is available at pick 24, I have a hard time believing the team will pass on him. Ever since owner Art Rooney said this team needs to fix the running game, the focus has been on finding the next great back.

While building the offensive line would also make sense, their needs don’t present great value here. Sure, a tackle could be taken, but the path for that first-round rookie to play would be a stretch. The offensive line has some depth and can be addressed later. To his credit, Harris looks like a complete back with great size and deceptive speed. His only concerns are his age and the fact that he played behind one of the best collegiate offensive lines. That doesn’t seem to bother the team though. Again, I personally am against this, but I find it hard to believe Harris gets past the Steelers in the first round.

Others considered: Landon Dickerson (OC), Pat Freiermuth (TE), Asante Samuel Jr. (CB)

The only interior offensive lineman that makes sense is Dickerson, but his injury concerns make it hard to choose him. Had he been healthier, I think he would have been a slam dunk here. Freiermuth is a fine tight end prospect, but he seems like a better value atop the second round. Samuel would be an instant upgrade in the slot and allow Cameron Sutton to play on the outside full-time, but again I think his value is more atop the second round. This team seems gung-ho to draft a running back early if they can though, making these others considered a moot point.