Steelers 7-round mock draft: Pittsburgh adds a QB of the future
By Andrew Falce
Steelers Round 2
IOL. Eagles . Zion Johnson. 2. player. 826.
A name that gets carried over from my previous mock draft, Zion Johnson has all of the tools to be a great guard at the NFL level. He has flashed great athleticism and physicality that the team wants along their line, and he has successfully played at both guard spots in college. While he was used at tackle this past season, he very clearly is a fit along the interior and nowhere else.
His tape doesn’t show a lot of weaknesses right now. He needs to add strength, something that is typical for a college lineman, and his run blocking isn’t as good as his pass blocking, but he still plays with a lot of ferocity in his game. The other drawback is that he is only listed at 6’3, which is on the shorter side for a guard.
That all said, he has the potential to be a plug and play guard at the next level. His ceiling isn’t crazy, as I doubt that he will progress much past a good but not great starter, but that kind of consistency would be welcomed on this unit. If the Steelers shy away from linemen in the first round, Johnson has to be a top name to consider on the second day of the draft.