With the NFL offseason in full swing, here is another stab at a Steelers mock draft, this time including a trade back to compile more picks.
The NFL offseason is officially underway, and as the league gets ready for the combine and free agency, the Steelers have to be prepared to be busy. With so many holes on the roster and the team transitioning from their franchise quarterback, this offseason will be key for the future of the team.
Though the team has some more resources to utilize in free agency than normal, they are low on draft picks due to previous trades.
Steelers make a trade in this mock
While I’m not a huge fan of planning out trades in mock drafts, I wanted to play out a scenario and thus, when the Steelers were on the clock at pick 20, they moved back 13 picks with the Jaguars. The Jaguars, in return, gave the team picks 33, 66, and 179. This left Pittsburgh with nine total picks in the draft, including four on day two.
Though mocks are far from an exact science and trades are even more difficult to predict, this move makes a lot of sense for the team. With most of the top linemen off the board, trading back lands them a start-able prospect as well as an additional pair of picks.
While the team rarely trades back and has never traded back out of the first round, they try something new as the team transitions. With all of that said, here is an updated Steelers seven-round mock draft.
Steelers round two
The trade back with the Jaguars now means the Steelers have a pair of second and third-round picks. With those new resources, adding some capable defenders and bolstering the line is a priority. One of the standout names from the Senior Bowl happens to be Boston College’s Zion Johnson. The versatile linemen can fill a variety of holes and be a key starter on this team moving forward.
Johnson isn’t the biggest or strongest lineman in the league, but he has a good bit of athleticism that allows him to work in space as a blocker. As well, he is a very technical blocker, utilizing his shorter stature to gain leverage and bully linemen off the line. He has a nasty streak as well and plays with a lot of passion on any given play.
The lone issue you may see is that Johnson is already close to his peak as a player. He projects as a good-not-great guard at the NFL level, and while many All-Pro’s aren’t likely in his future, he may develop into a regular Pro-Bowler. At worst, he has above-average starter written all over him. A safe pick at a position of need makes sense for this team. The trade-back nets a few extra picks while the Steelers still get a capable starter for their team.
Steelers round two
The Steelers now move to retool their secondary, as they will likely have needs at both safety and cornerback. A name that has been steadily rising during the pre-draft process, Jalen Pitre is the definition of a hybrid player. He was all over the Baylor defense, lining up at safety, slot, linebacker, and even edge on occasion. He has the versatility to wear a lot of hats on this defense.
While long term his best fit is as a traditional strong safety, he will likely need to develop his coverage there a little more before being the full-time starter. As a rookie, expect to see him being used as a third safety and sub-package linebacker more than anything to get him on the field. He would be a valuable chess piece as a rookie for Brian Flores and Teryl Austin.
While he wouldn’t be able to start for a potentially departing Terrell Edmunds, Pitre could be penciled in as the next man up at safety and serve as a hybrid defender early. By year two, assuming he has made some improvements as a coverage option, he can settle in more as a traditional strong safety. He would be an impact defender early though and a versatile player to have in this retooled defense.
Steelers round three
Another Senior Bowl prospect and a smaller school guy, Chad Muma had one of the more impressive weeks in Mobile and did a lot to boost his stock. Playing at Wyoming won’t get you a lot of acclaim, but Muma did well as a complete linebacker. Assuming he tests well athletically, he likely cemented himself as a day-two pick in this upcoming draft.
He has the natural size to be a good run defender while he has the athleticism to cover running backs and tight ends in space. While he will need to sharpen his skills in coverage in order to reach his maximum potential, he can easily start off in some sub-package situations and make plays. Long-term, he should be a three-down starter in the NFL.
Where he needs to improve is his aggressiveness. He can sometimes be too timid off the snap and be forced to react instead of predicting what happens. While he could recover from that easily in college, it will make him an ineffective linebacker at the next level. That said, working with Flores could do him some wonders. He won’t be an instant starter, but Muma has all the makings of a talented linebacker in this league.
Steelers round three
The Steelers are set to lose JuJu Smith-Schuster in free agency, and if they do, they will need a new slot receiver on the roster. While Ray-Ray McCloud plays with a lot of passion, he is better suited as a return man only for a team. With the team losing two of their top receivers this offseason, adding one in the draft is paramount.
Skyy Moore is just the type of player this team could use going forward. A different style of a slot receiver than Smith-Schuster, Moore is more of a technician, route-runner, and agile player as opposed to a physical and safe option. He makes his money on short and intermediate routes and then tries to make a play with the ball in his hands afterward. The Steeler offense has been missing that type of a slot receiver for some time now.
Moore is one of the sharpest route runners in the draft. This would make him a great fit for the new offense in Pittsburgh. Whoever is starting at quarterback will have their primary outside receivers set and a dynamic slot option to work with. Moore would fit what the team has lacked at receiver for so long now. He would be a great addition to this roster going forward.
Steelers round four
Heading into day three of the draft is all about taking calculated risks and adding players that could eventually develop. Essentially a boom or bust player, Cordale Flott made the surprising decision to forgo his final season at LSU and declare for the draft. While he had been a starter for the past two seasons with the Tigers, he was a player most thought would need a senior season to refine his coverage skills.
What Flott has is decent size, good athleticism, and above-average man coverage skills. He lacks in most of the other categories though, thus making him a big projection for the NFL. In no way should Flott see the field early unless it is absolutely necessary, as he will likely be fooled by the sharper route runners in the league. His tackling could also use a bit of work, as he is pretty light and typically avoids contact.
Assuming he takes his first season or two and adds some weight, works on his coverage, and improves as a tackler, there is a real chance Flott develops into a starter. LSU has one of the premier defensive back histories in the league, and Flott could add his name to that hat. To be clear though, he needs a lot of work. There is as good of a chance that he flames out, but if he can develop properly, the Steelers could get a steal. He would be worth the risk in the fourth round.
Steelers round six
The first pick of this draft comes via the trade projected earlier, and the Steelers in turn grab a big mold of clay to work with. Edge depth is one of the more underrated needs this offseason. While Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt are a great pair of starters, the players behind them are the issue. Isaiah Thomas wouldn’t be a slam dunk top reserve from day one, but he provides a different style of play.
He is a bigger edge rusher at 6’5, 265 pounds. The Steelers are lacking that in their starters, thus adding the different body type would be a help. Thomas was never a premiere rusher at Oklahoma, but he used his size to set the edge and power his way for sacks. He would be a developmental third option that should play on special teams early.
Another dart throw akin to Flott, Luke Tenuta is a mountain of a man without much of a track record in college. While he was a starter on both the right and left sides of Virginia Tech’s line, he was never an elite blocker. While he used his size to bully smaller rushers out of the play, he was consistently beaten by players who used proper technique and quick agility to get around him.
While the Steelers like their tackles tall, and Tenuta fits that bill at 6’9, he doesn’t use his size to his advantage. Instead of playing low and using his size to constantly take players out of the play, Tenuta constantly plays too tall and lacks the leverage to be effective. He needs a lot of work developing but has starter upside if all goes well. As well, if he never can become a true starter, he could be a capable swing tackle.
Steelers round seven
With the extra draft capital from the trade, the Steelers can address two depth needs at the end of the draft. The first is a backup running back, as the team needs a compliment to Najee Harris. His 381 touches are unsustainable going forward so having a change of pace option is needed. Missouri’s Tyler Badie would fit that bill, as his style contrasts Harris’s power but is still effective on the field.
While he was only a role player until his senior season, he didn’t disappoint as the bell cow. He had nearly 2000 total yards and was effective as both a runner and a receiver. While he would be the number two to Harris, Badie would provide a more explosive option with some speed to take some of the weight off of his shoulders. Running back isn’t a top need but getting a more capable backup is a wise move.
Like running back, tight end is rather low on the list of potential needs. Pat Freiermuth has all of the makings of an elite starter while Zach Gentry developed into a quality blocking second option. While the team could certainly role with Kevin Radar/anyone else as their third option, Lucas Krull has some actual upside long-term.
Used sparingly at Pitt until this past season, Krull became a safety valve for Kenny Pickett. That said, his receiving ability pales in comparison to his blocking. He has the size and skill to take on opposing defensive linemen which should translate at the next level. Even if he never develops into much more than a quality blocker, he is a player the team could use in their tight end room.
With the offseason now in full force, the Steelers will have their eyes set on the draft and in free agency to improve their team. While there is still a lot more to be looked into with this draft class, this trade-back scenario seemed to work well. The team still got a starting capable lineman along with a few other key pieces to build around. Overall, this mock fills many of the needs that this roster has heading into 2022.