The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting closer to the draft and this mock gives a computer a shot at making the picks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are starting a new era of football in the Steel City and it could be a bumpy road. They are without a true franchise quarterback and that could lead to years of instability for the club. These mock drafts were an experiment to try and get the mock drafts done by other writers a break and give a computer a shot.
There were four different simulations run on the pro football network website. The computer had full control and went off the big board presented to them on the site. They were able to make trades both up and down whenever they felt the need to make a move.
This experiment made for interesting results for the Steelers. It looked at position of need and the players left graded on the big board as well. It subtracted all the speculations made by the public and had a logical selection made when the picks followed through.
The team has a bunch of needs by position that need to be addressed. Some of the most noteworthy positions include quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive line. There are other needs across this roster, but those seem to be the most pressing.
This simulation was fun, and we will grade the picks as we go along. At the very end of the article, we will complete an overall assessment of the selections. These mock drafts turned out well for the black and gold for the most part. They got needs filled on the roster and got some value picks in there as well. Get ready for some different scenarios that could play out during the draft.
Round 1 picks
Simulation 1: 1.20, Daxton Hill, DB, Michigan
Daxton Hill is the first pick in this first simulation. That is a good pick and reasonable since the Steelers top brass went to the Michigan pro day. He would fit the bill as a starting safety if they want to move on from Terrell Edmunds, who is sitting un-signed in free agency still.
Grade: B+
Simulation 2: 1.20, Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
Kenny Pickett fell to the 20th overall pick in this simulation and drafting him here is good value. He has the highest floor of any quarterback in this class, but he is too old to sit and wait to start. He would need to beat out Mitch Trubisky and start on day one. He had a great season and could be a steady Derek Carr-type starter in the NFL if all goes well.
Grade: B
Simulation 3: 1.20, Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
Trent McDuffie is the next first-rounder to go to the black and gold. This would definitely be a surprise pick as many mock drafts don’t have a ton of corners going to the Steelers in round one. He is a solid prospect that doesn’t have many connections to Pittsburgh in the pre-draft process thus far.
Grade: C+
Simulation 4: TRADE, Steelers receive picks 40 & 41, Eagles receive pick 20.
This is the news of the night in this simulation as the Steelers trade back 20 spots to the second round. They end night one of the draft with four selections on day two, with three of them in the second round. This is a big haul to trade back that far.
Grade: A
Round 2 picks
Simulation 1: 2.52, Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
Bernhard Raimann is a prospect that evaluators either love or want to stay far away from. He is a moldable prospect that will take time to develop. He has a high ceiling, but the Steelers would need to bank on that development with this high of a selection.
Grade: D
Simulation 2: 2.52, Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
Jalen Pitre at this point of the draft is good value. He has played all over the secondary for the Baylor Bears in college and that would be a nice addition to this retooling secondary. The Steelers haven’t shown much interest in him during the pre-draft process though.
Grade: B-
Simulation 3: 2.52, Tyler Linderbaum, OC, Iowa
Getting Tyler Linderbaum in the second round would be a tremendous value. It is amazing that he fell to this point in the simulation. There isn’t an immediate need for a center but having him land in the second round is a steal.
Grade: A
Simulation 4: 2.40, Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
Jaquan Brisker would be a good value here and that would also mean that Edmunds would not be returning. Brisker could fill those shoes immediately and we know the Steelers sent a lot of their personnel to Penn State’s pro day.
Grade: B
2.41, Carson Strong, QB, Nevada
Carson Strong was the only notable quarterback left to take. This seems like a little bit of a reach as many expect him to go in the third to fourth round. He has a great arm, but his lack of mobility seems to be a conflict in the Matt Canada offense.
Grade: D
2.52, Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
Jahan Dotson fell to the Steelers original second-round pick and that is good value. Some have this receiver not making it out of the first round in some mock drafts. This caps off a decent second round in this simulation.
Grade: B+
Round 3 picks
Simulation 1: 3.84, Kingsley Enagbare, EDGE, South Carolina
Kingsley Enagbare is an athletic edge rusher that needs more development as he enters the NFL. Pittsburgh has shown little to no interest in this player, but they do need depth options behind their starters. He could sit behind them and get better with his pass rush options and improve his run defense.
Grade: D+
Simulation 2: 3.84, Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
Simulation two is becoming one of the better mock drafts in this article to this point. They get a receiver that is explosive when healthy. The Steelers will need to be sure about his medical tenure in the future to select him here.
Grade: B-
Simulation 3: 3.84, Nicholas Petite-Frere, OT, Ohio State
Pittsburgh sticks to rebuilding the offensive line in this scenario as they take a tackle here. Nicholas Petite-Frere still needs some work at the tackle spot, but he can also play guard if needed. He can play both sides as a tackle, but he is athletic enough to be a starting left tackle in the NFL eventually.
Grade: B-
Simulation 4, Matt Waletzko, OT, North Dakota
Matt Waletzko is up next, and he is another project at the tackle position. This is a little bit of a reach for this player, but nothing insane. Most believe that he will go around the fourth round of the draft. The Steelers haven’t shown much interest in this player in the pre-draft process.
Grade: C+
Round 4 picks
Simulation 1: 4.138, Tariq Castro-Fields, CB, Penn State
The Steelers decide to go with the cornerback position here in this simulation. They reach here by selecting Castro-Fields as many have him going late on day three of the draft. He hasn’t done anything spectacular at Penn State despite starting most of his tenure there.
Grade: D-
Simulation 2: TRADE, Steelers receive pick 135, Chiefs receive picks 138 & 241.
4.135, Zach Tom, OT, Wake Forest
The black and gold trade up and get another project at tackle but this time in another simulation. There hasn’t been a lot of interest shown between this team and the prospect in question. He is another project at the position as he needs to work on his strength and weight to transition better to the NFL.
Grade: C+
Simulation 3: TRADE, Steelers receive pick 133, Buccaneers receive picks 138 & 208.
4.133, Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky
The Steelers move up in the fourth round again in back-to-back simulations. This time they decide to not sit still and go get a receiver. This is an offensive weapon that played some running back but mostly as a receiver this past season. He was a great weapon for the Kentucky offense, and he would add some great speed.
Grade: B
Simulation 4: 4.138, Mario Goodrich, CB, Clemson
This is a project corner that only started his senior season with the Clemson Tigers. He played very well earning First-team All-ACC honors for his play. He needs to prove himself again, proving that last season wasn’t a fluke, and this is a decent gamble for the Steelers.
Grade: B-
Round 6 picks
Simulation 1: TRADE: Steelers receive pick 190, Falcons receive picks 241 & 2023 7th rounder.
6.190, Danny Gray, WR, SMU
Danny Gray is a nice speed option in the later rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. The team had to trade up for this pick, which isn’t ideal, but this is a nice value pick. Good pick, but not the best scenario with Gray being your third option in the receiver room on the opening roster.
Grade: B
Simulation 2: 6.208, Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
Simulation two gets a cornerback to compete for the bottom spots on the roster. Josh Jobe has been a solid contributor to some great Alabama defenses. He is a strong corner that is best in press-man coverage and can struggle to turn around at times.
Grade: B-
Simulation 3: TRADED
The Steelers traded away this pick to get a receiver in the fourth round. It seems like a good move at the moment as many receiver options were off the board by this point. They will wait until the seventh round for another pick in this simulation.
Grade: N/A
Simulation 4: 6.208, Kennedy Brooks, RB, Oklahoma
Kennedy Brooks has put up big numbers all three years that he played at Oklahoma. He could’ve used an extra year in college to better his game, but he decided to go into the NFL Draft. The Steelers need an upgrade at their backup running back spot, but picking one here seems like it doesn’t move the needle much.
Grade: C+
Round 7 picks
Simulation 1: 7.225, Amare Barno, EDGE, Virginia Tech
Rounding out the first simulation is a selection of an edge rusher out of Virginia Tech. Amare Barno had a productive season in 2020 and that led to many expectations in 2021. He, unfortunately, regressed some and couldn’t prove himself yet again. He is a solid gamble in the seventh round.
Grade: C
Simulation 2: 7.225, Zach Vanvalkenburg, EDGE, Iowa
Zach Vanvalkenburg has been getting better each year during his time as an Iowa Hawkeye. He didn’t put up any eye-popping numbers, but they were respectable. The Steelers get some competition for depth at the edge spot, which they desperately need.
Grade: C-
Simulation 3: 7.225, Jaivon Heiligh, WR, Coastal Carolina
Simulation three was the only one left that had two selections in the seventh round. Jaivon Heiligh put up some nice numbers over the past two seasons in a smaller conference. He steadily got better and provides some competition for a receiver trying to make the team with the fourth or fifth spot.
Grade: C+
7.241, Clarence Hicks, LB, UTSA
Clarence Hicks rounds out the mock draft for simulation three and they get a linebacker here. He is coming from a small program, but he was able to put up some solid numbers in 2021. He is on the small side and will need to add some weight to adjust to the NFL level.
Grade: D+
Simulation 4: 7.225, Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
Josh Jobe falls to the seventh round in this simulation and that’s solid value. He has good experience in one of the better defenses of college football for the past couple of decades. He has some limitations but could play well on special teams and earn a roster spot.
Grade: B
7.241, Eyioma Uwazurike, DT, Iowa State
Taking a defensive lineman here is basically just providing competition for the bottom of the roster guys. Eyioma Uwazurike had a productive season in 2021, but that was really his only productive year. He is probably just going to challenge for the nose tackle spot at best.
Grade: D
Overall grade for each simulation
Simulation 1, Grade: C-
This simulation saw the Steelers stay away from the quarterback position entirely. That is very unlikely to happen as the team has done a ton of homework on the position. They got a couple of nice selections in the seven rounds, but this isn’t the most exciting draft class.
Simulation 2, Grade: B-
Simulation two saw Pittsburgh address some of their more pressing needs earlier on in the draft and filled out the rest. They could’ve looked at the defensive line sooner, but they plugged holes where they needed starters. This was probably the best draft class that the computer-generated when compared to the rest.
Simulation 3, Grade: B-
This scenario has some good qualities to it. The team worked on their offensive line and at the worst upgraded the center spot and added depth at tackle. They also got some roster spots filled with a receiver that is speedy and could play in the slot. They also have other depth pieces coming in this rookie class as well.
Simulation 4, Grade: B-
The trade back from the first round was an interesting option and it did bring some extra players onto this team. They got major needs taken care of in the second round and addressed other issues in the later rounds. This wasn’t a bad trade-down scenario and the Steelers would like this option if it played out accordingly.
The Steelers actually got some nice results in these different mock draft simulations. The computer addressed different needs and got some quality picks.