Steelers final mock draft: Pittsburgh fills most pressing needs early

The Steelers have a lot of needs that must be filled this April. Here’s why I have them prioritizing running back and center early in my final mock draft. 

Since January, I have seen well over a dozen different players at numerous positions mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 24th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Though we have a very good understanding of the team’s needs and potential interests at this point in the process, we never know exactly how things will go on draft day.

For my final seven-round mock, I don’t have the Steelers straying too far from the script. Art Rooney made it a point this offseason to say that the run game needs to improve, and my bet is that he will take the steps to ensure this happens early in the NFL Draft.

This mock is in no way reflective of how I would draft if I were in charge; rather, it is based on Pittsburgh’s needs combined with their Pro Day and virtual visits and interest they have expressed this offseason. Here is my final seven-round mock draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021:

Steelers mock draft round 1: Travis Etienne

Najee Harris has without a doubt been the most frequently mocked player to the Steelers this offseason (and one of the most commonly mocked players to one particular team). It’s easy to see why Mike Tomlin would love a player like Harris, as his size and receiving ability have caused some to liken him to Le’Veon Bell. However, I decided to go with Clemson’s Travis Etienne in my final mock for several reasons.

For starters, Etienne seems more likely to be there for the 24th overall selection at this point, and the speedy running back may actually check more boxes that Pittsburgh looks for. He doesn’t have the size of Harris, but he’s big enough to carry the load with great speed as he tested as a 91st percentile athlete, according to his Relative Athletic Score.

The Steelers are also historically comfortable drafting ACC players early (likely due to Tomlin’s connections), and Pittsburgh hasn’t taken an Alabama player in the first round since Butch Avinger in 1951. Matt Canada is going to love a player like Travis Etienne, and the speedster will no doubt help improve the team’s explosive play rate.