With the Steelers playoff odds on life support, here is a look at a potential way the team could address needs with this 2022 mock draft.
While there are still a few weeks left in the NFL season, the odds that the Steelers make the playoffs seem dim. Looking ahead at this upcoming offseason, there are a slew of needs that will have to be addressed for a team set to rebuild.
The 2022 NFL Draft will be ever so important, as it will set the stage for the Ben Roethlisberger-less era. Here is my latest full seven-round Steelers mock draft:
Steelers draft parameters
As of now, the team is estimated to have seven picks in the draft after trading Melvin Ingram to the Chiefs for their conditional sixth-round pick. That said, the team’s two projected compensatory picks are in question. Joe Haeg’s playing time is currently leading to the team not having their fifth-round comp pick.
Bud Dupree not playing could lead to their third-round comp pick turning into a fourth. For the sake of this mock though, those picks will remain as they are currently projected, meaning the team has a third-round comp pick and no fifth-round comp pick.
This mock takes some steps away from my previous one. While there is still no quarterback selected (I believe the team is signing a veteran and won’t draft one next year) a new position takes the top pick. Still, though, the team goes heavy on the line in order to get this unit ready for whoever is under center. With all of this said, here is a Steelers seven-round mock draft for 2022.
Steelers round 1:
While it scares me to think of the Steelers drafting a defensive back in the first round given their track record, it may be necessary once April rolls around. The secondary has been exposed as of late and the team is losing two starters in Joe Haden and Terrell Edmunds next offseason. Though Cameron Sutton will continue to man down one corner spot, James Pierre has been inconsistent on the other side of the secondary.
Ahmad Gardner has been a steady and talented presence in Cincinnati’s secondary since his rookie season. He has great size and length which he regularly puts on display each week against opposing teams’ top wideouts. He has the athleticism to keep up with anyone and his length gives him the advantage with pass breakups. Add in the nine total interceptions he has registered in his three years with the Bearcats and Gardner has the makings of a solid pro.
The biggest cause for concerns with Gardner is his penalties and competition. He can get handsy with opposing receivers that will lead to interference calls in the NFL. While the American conference isn’t bad by any means, he isn’t consistently facing the top receivers in college football. That said, Gardner looks like a high upside defensive back at this stage of his career.
Though the offensive line is the bigger priority, interior linemen can be found in the second round with relative ease. Gardner has the potential to be a top man-coverage corner in the league and he would give the Steelers four young and capable defensive backs to mix around at cornerback and in the slot. While the Steelers track record with defensive backs in the draft isn’t good, it shouldn’t stop them from drafting a player of Gardner’s caliber.
Steelers round 2:
With the defense getting addressed in the first round, the offensive line has to be the target next. An extremely intriguing prospect along the line is Boston Colleges Zion Johnson. While he has been playing offensive tackle since 2020, he played guard before that, and it is clearly his more natural fit. With Trai Turner likely gone after this season, the team will need a new guard to complete this young interior of the line.
Johnson can do it all at guard, as he is aggressive with his punch and has solid technique in both run and pass defense. As well, he has enough athleticism to pull him on running games for power runs. His move to tackle has drawn some questions, such as his length and technique when at tackle, but most of that should be alleviated if he kicks back inside as he played before his move to tackle.
Though I toyed with targeting a center in the first round and pushing Kendrick Green back to guard, it was ultimately the better value to attack this position in the second round of the draft. Now, the team can expect starting snaps out of both of their top two picks. Johnson is a bit older of a prospect, but he should be able to slide right in at guard for the foreseeable future.
Steelers round 3:
The Steelers continue to address the secondary in the third round, this time targeting a strong safety to replace Edmunds long-term. There are quite a few intriguing options at strong safety this offseason. Unfortunately, the team can’t address this position until the third round due to needs elsewhere, but a player like Lewis Cine could make up for that down the road due to his solid play.
Now, Cine isn’t any sort of elite prospect in the secondary, but he has been a steady presence in the Bulldogs defense. The closer he is to the line of scrimmage the better he is, as he is an aggressive tackler and run defender. He needs to be better in pass defense though, which is the primary reason a player of his caliber falls to the third round.
The plan would be some sort of veteran (likely Karl Joseph at this point) starting at strong safety early as Cine gets adjusted to the NFL. His ceiling is high, as his play is pretty reminiscent of an Edmunds style of player.
Cine will probably never be an elite strong safety, but he should develop into an average starter that will be a good defensive back at stopping the run. The team needs a new face there, and Cine makes the most sense once you get into the third round.
Steelers round 4:
With their compensatory pick, the Steelers look to add once again to their ailing line. With the interior being properly addressed, now the focus is on adding a developmental tackle. Of the names at the end of the third round, Penn State’s Rasheed Walker has some potential as a starter but needs a lot of work in order to get to that point.
He has been a stalwart on the Nittany Lions line for the past few seasons and his size makes him an appealing tackle candidate. He is a physical presence that dominates with his strength and size, but his technique has been horrible to this point. He is far from pro-ready and would benefit from being on the bench for his first season as he gets his feet and technique squared up.
With Dan Moore likely returning to left tackle while Zach Banner and Joe Haeg are under contract through next season, Walker could take the season to play sparingly and work on developing. By his second year, he could look to take on a starting role on the line. He is very much a work in progress, but he has the long-term tools to become a starting tackle in the NFL.
Steelers rounds 5-7:
The Steelers don’t have a pick in the sixth round as it currently stands, but they continue to attack their depth needs in the fifth and seventh rounds. The team needs to add another body at edge rusher as the team is extremely thin here after the Ingram trade. More than likely a veteran will be brought in to serve as the backup edge rusher, but a rookie could be developed to take on that role.
Mitchell Agude isn’t a hot name in the edge class from UCLA, but he has been a regular presence on his line and has been adept at getting after the quarterback. This edge class doesn’t have great depth, so the pickings are slim, but Agude has good size and special teams’ potential. He needs to bulk up, but long-term he could become a valuable backup.
Danny Gray isn’t a notable name at receiver due to SMU being a middling team, but he has good size and the ability to win deep as an outside receiver. During his senior year at SMU, Gray has been averaging an impressive 16.4 yards per catch. He isn’t a blazing athlete, but he has more than enough speed to win deep.
He will enter a likely new Steelers receiving core that no longer features JuJu Smith-Schuster. While the team could target a slot receiver more so than an outside deep threat, I think the team ends up moving Chase Claypool more into the slot. Even if not, the team needs a depth body outside and Gray would fit that role.
Rounding out the draft is Robert Cooper from Florida St. The defensive lineman isn’t a notable pass rusher at this point, but he is stout when tasked with stopping the run. His size screams nose tackle for the Steelers, as he is short and big, weighing in at 335 pounds. He would be a valuable addition to a line that has been decimated by injuries.
He only has 2.5 sacks to his name while with the Seminoles, but he has been a fixture in their run defense. While Carlos Davis is providing some hope with his return, the team has seemingly given up on Isaiah Buggs. That means they will need a new backup nose tackle next year. Cooper should be a fine option to compete for that final defensive line roster spot.
The Steelers will need a lot out of their upcoming seven draft picks as the team hopes to rebuild. While quarterbacks will dominate the headlines, this team would benefit from building up the weaker areas on their roster. This team has a lot of needs, but this mock seems to address most of the bigger needs the team will have next offseason.