Predicting Steelers top-5 first-round targets in the 2022 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have a clear and obvious goal in mind this April. I have taken a stab at predicting their top-five NFL Draft targets in 2022.

The 2022 NFL Draft is on the horizon and the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a chance to re-shape their future with some strong draft choices. Though we might not agree with their philosophy at times, this team has been very successful in the past and we are all hoping they come away with a respectable haul this April.

During the pre-draft process, Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert have placed a heavy emphasis on scouting the quarterback position, as they have met with all five of the top QB prospects in 2022. That seems to be the direction they will be heading in round one.

Using their visits, dinner meetings, and other variables to predict their interest, here are the players who I believe will be the Pittsburgh Steelers top-five targets in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft:

Steelers top-5 NFL Draft targets:

5. QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh

I know this name isn’t going to be as high on the list as many fans would have hoped, but I think there’s a solid chance that Kenny Pickett is quarterback the Steelers least expect to get out of the group this year. This could be partially due to where he is projected to go and partially because he doesn’t check as many boxes.

It’s becoming commonplace to mock Pickett inside the top-10, and landing with Carolina Panthers at pick 6 is something that seems like a strong possibility at this point. If the Steelers are to move up for a quarterback, it probably won’t be Pickett.

In addition to this, Pickett doesn’t quite check as many boxes as the other quarterbacks — specifically when it comes to age tools. The combination of these factors makes him the fifth-most-likely Steelers first-round pick this year, in my mind.