NFL Draft: Where would Steelers pick if the season ended today?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a tie against the Lions in Week 10. Here’s where they would be picking in the NFL Draft if the season ended right now.

A tie is never ideal in football. After ending the game the way the Pittsburgh Steelers did against the Detroit Lions in Week 11, it feels like it might as well be a loss. However, tying — as opposed to losing — actually elevates them over four other four-loss teams in the AFC in the current NFL standings.

While we obviously would have preferred the win in Week 11, a tie actually isn’t the worst thing in the world for this football team looking to crack the playoffs. If the season ended right now, the Steelers would make the tournament as a Wild Card team as the Baltimore Ravens would claim the AFC North title.

So what does this mean for their current draft status? Despite the tie against the Lions, the Steelers are 4-0-1 in their last five contests and have risen up the power rankings. However, by doing so, they have decreased their draft value.

Though it’s hard to predict how things would play out in the playoffs, the Steelers would own the 25th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft based on record if the season ended right now, according to Tankathon.

Which NFL Draft prospects could Steelers target in this range?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have proved in the past that you can still land elite football players on occasion with later draft choices (i.e. T.J. Watt with the 30th pick). However, they typically miss out on the blue-chip talent early in the NFL Draft.

With the 25th pick, several of the top offensive tackles will already be off the board, and it’s possible that as many as three quarterbacks could be gone by this point. Ole Miss QB Matt Corral will probably be long gone, and it’s possible that Pitt’s Kenny Pickett and Liberty’s Malik Willis could be off the board as well.

This could be the prime range to take a player with upside like North Carolina’s Sam Howell. However, with a few more impressive performances to close out the season, Howell may not be an option either.

If the top offensive tackles and quarterback are all off the board at this point, the Steelers could potentially eye cornerback — one of the deepest positions at the top of the 2022 NFL Draft. Though they could be down to the fourth or fifth option at this point, there are at least that many CB prospects deserving of first-round consideration.

If the Steelers draft value keeps decreasing, that means they are doing something right. After all the ultimate goal is to win a Super Bowl. With so many teams bunched together with a record of just above .500, it will be interesting to see where Pittsburgh falls after Week 11.