While there is no shortage of final mock drafts for the Steelers, here is my final look at what I think the team will do.
Mock draft season is almost over as the real event is set to kick off at the end of this week. The Steelers seem to be gearing up to take a quarterback, but there are plenty of other needs this team can address.
Will the team move up? Move back? It’s hard to tell, but for this final mock, I have the team staying pat at pick 20. With all of that said, here is what I think the Steelers will do once the draft finally kicks off.
Steelers round 1
The Steelers are taking a quarterback, and there is nothing I or you or anyone can say to change their mind. I acknowledge the issues in this class, but the team has made their intentions pretty clear.
The only question is who? While I believe Malik Willis is the ultimate target, I don’t think the team will trade up and I think he will be off the board before pick 20. Thus, I have the team going after their second-best fit.
Sam Howell is a name that seems to garner a lot of mixed reactions. Most viewed him as the top prospect heading into this past year after an amazing year at North Carolina. He lost essentially his entire offense though, and when he became the feature of the offense, his personal stats suffered. His decision-making isn’t that great, and he plays with a risky attitude, but there are some strong traits to build around.
His arm isn’t incredible, but he possesses a lot of touch on his deep passes and arguably has the best deep ball in the class. He is mobile enough and can complete most passes that are needed. A year on the bench developing his processing and ability to read a pro-defense will do him wonders. He lacks the upside of Willis, but Howell can be a good starter if all goes well at the next level.