Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh shops from their pre-draft visit list

The Pittsburgh Steelers trust their scouting department. Here’s why they consistently select from their visit list in my recent seven-round mock draft.

We are just a few weeks away from the 2022 NFL Draft, and Pittsburgh Steelers fans have a right to be nervous this April. For the first time in nearly two decades, this team will be looking for its next franchise quarterback in the midst of a transition period.

Kevin Colbert is entering his last draft as general manager for the Steelers and would no doubt like to go out on a high note. His approach has always been to trust the process.

I’m Pittsburgh routinely selects from their pre-draft visit list this April. Here’s a very realistic direction they could take in my latest seven-round Steelers mock draft:

Steelers mock draft round 1: QB Desmond Ridder

This selection would certainly come with a mixed bag of opinions, as I’ve had Steelers fans on Twitter rip me a new one for simply suggesting that Desmond Ridder is a strong possibility. Based on what we know, we have to believe he’s one of the top prospects on the radar.

In this particular mock, I chose to stand pat at pick 20 for the Steelers, and both QB Malik Willis and QB Kenny Pickett are already off the board. While Matt Corral and even Sam Howell are options here, it’s entirely possible that Pittsburgh could prefer Ridder thanks to all of the boxes he checks.

While Ridder comes from a non-Power Five school, he meets all of their size thresholds, put together an impressive winning resume in college, and is more pro-ready than the remaining quarterbacks. Ridder doesn’t have the highest upside of the group, but Pittsburgh brings in a QB who can manage the game and allow the defense to keep them in every contest.