The Pittsburgh Steelers will have some obvious holes they want to fill during the offseason. Here’s what I have them doing in my latest 2023 seven-round mock draft.
As the 2022 season comes to a close, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan will soon put their heads together in an effort to improve the Pittsburgh Steelers roster prior to the 2023 season. The Steelers made an excellent effort to fight back from a dismal 2-6 record, but this team still has some improving to do if they want to get back to being true contenders.
Studying Pittsburgh’s draft trends, their early selections have been relatively easy to narrow down in recent years. This isn’t guaranteed to be the case with Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl calling the shots.
However, based on their areas of weakness in 2022, we have a pretty good idea about the positions they may target early in the 2023 NFL Draft. Here’s what I have them doing in my latest seven-round Steelers mock draft.
Steelers mock draft round 1: CB Eli Ricks
There’s a large group of Steelers fans who don’t even like to entertain the idea of drafting a cornerback in the first round. Artie Burns was a colossal disappointment after being selected back in 2016, and the team hasn’t found true success targeting the position in decades. However, part of that could be due to a lack of effort.
With Cameron Sutton being the only dependable player at the position, it’s entirely possible that Tomlin and company could view this as the team’s biggest position of need. Though I’d rather have a player who could help aid in the development of Kenny Pickett, we know how much this team values defense.
After a terrific surge late in the season, the obvious selection — Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State — could be off the board. This won’t prevent Pittsburgh from taking the next best available player on their board. If that’s the case, Eli Ricks could very much be in play in the first round.
Ricks is a former LSU transfer who recorded 4 interceptions as a rookie. For Alabama in 2022, Ricks didn’t offer much splash, but he was a solid contributor to the Crimson Tide’s defense. Sadly, this pick would seem like another reach for a cornerback in the mid-first round.
Steelers mock draft round 2 (via CHI): DL Gervon Dexter
The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly have a hole that must be filled on their defensive line. Since the early retirement of Stephon Tuitt, this team has yet to find a suitable counterpart to All-Pro Cameron Heyward. Meanwhile, Heyward turns 34 during the offseason, and the Steelers need to be preparing themselves for what comes next.
While many fans would prefer to see them address the offensive line with this pick, you could argue that their interior defensive line was among their worst positional groups in 2022. Outside of Heyward, there wasn’t another player who offered much, and Chris Wormley suffered a major injury late in the season.
The Steelers hope that something can become of DeMarvin Leal, but even if he turns out, he’s not stout enough to be a full-time player. On the other hand, Gervon Dexter from Florida is listed at 6’6” and 313 pounds, according to Pro Football Network. He has a very similar size profile as Tuitt did coming out of Notre Dame, and they win in some of the same ways.
Dexter could still add plenty of weight to his frame, but his length would be a huge asset and he can anchor well at the point of attack. Dexter recorded 125 tackles and 10.5 sacks in his three college seasons for the Florida Gators.
Steelers mock draft round 2: C Sedrick Van Pran
Everyone is pointing to the Pittsburgh Steelers targeting an offensive tackle early in the 2023 NFL Draft, but it’s possible that Mike Tomlin likes Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okorafor better than the fan base does. He may feel that he has two young, developing offensive tackles who are good enough to get the job done.
While I don’t agree with settling for less at the offensive tackle position, I do think it’s possible that Pittsburgh could have more interest in drafting a center. Since Maurkice Pouncey’s retirement, the Steelers have been looking for a long-term option at center. Kendrick Green obviously isn’t that guy, and the former third-round pick isn’t even guaranteed to have a roster spot next season.
Mason Cole has been a respectable addition to the team after being signed in free agency in 2022, but he looks more like a quality stop-gap starter than a long-term solution to the problem. Cole has a reasonable deal and will be under contract in 2023, but he may be better served as the primary backup interior offensive lineman thanks to his experience at both center and guard.
Sedrick Van Pran is a quick-footed center in the mold of Pouncey. He is exiting his redshirt sophomore season at one of the best football programs in the country and the arrow is pointed up. Van Pran projects as a starting NFL center, and he could be on Pittsburgh’s radar on day two of the NFL Draft.
Steelers mock draft round 3: LB SirVocea Dennis
This probably won’t be the last time I project SirVocea Dennis to the Pittsburgh Steelers, as this selection would make a lot of sense. The second and third round will be the sweet spot to select an off-ball linebacker in the NFL Draft this year and Dennis fits the bill of what Pittsburgh could be looking for.
At 6’1” and 230 pounds with over 32” arms, Dennis shares a similar body type with former Steelers linebacker, Ryan Shazier. While not the same generational athlete, Dennis possesses great athletic traits in his own right. He’s a physical linebacker who attacks the whole hard, and Mike Tomlin is going to fall in love with his play style.
Meanwhile, the Steelers top three linebackers each have expiring contracts, and it’s unclear at this time which ones (if any) will be brought back on a new deal. Devin Bush has been a colossal disappointment in Pittsburgh, while Myles Jack won’t be worth the price tag to keep him around in 2023.
Dennis could become Pittsburgh’s best linebacker as early as his rookie season (which really isn’t a high bar to clear). If this team doesn’t fork up for a linebacker with one of their two second-round picks, they are likely to take one here in the third round.
Steelers mock draft round 4: EDGE/DL Mike Morris
After taking somewhat of a tweener in the third round last year with defensive lineman, DeMarvin Leal, the Pittsburgh Steelers elect to go a similar route with Michigan’s Mike Morris. Morris is considered an edge defender, but at 6’6” and 292 pounds, Teryl Austin would have the flexibility to use him in multiple roles on defense.
Morris is a powerful pass edge player who could potentially kick inside on passing downs at the next level and rush the quarterback from the interior. These long athletes are becoming coveted players in today’s game, and the Steelers could use another stout body to help stop the run and rush the passer.
This selection, in addition to Leal and Gervon Dexter in the second round, would give Pittsburgh a full rotation of young, long defensive lineman who can hold up at the point of attack. The best part is that Morris would be able to anchor at the edge defender position on early downs in an effort to keep T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith fresh when it comes to rushing the passer.
Morris is bigger than the typical edge defender this team typically goes for, but he has some interesting traits and is from a school the Steelers love to target players from.
Steelers mock draft round 7: WR Jayden Reed
It would almost be a little surprising if the Steelers waited this long in the draft to select a wide receiver. However, it’s important to remember that this team will be getting fourth-rounder Calvin Austin back and that Pittsburgh could choose to target the position in free agency instead.
At this point in the draft, the Steelers would simply be hoping for a receiver who could crack their final roster (much like Mark Robinson was able to this year at the linebacker position). Michigan State’s Jayden Reed is a shifty receiver who can create separation and make defenders miss after the catch. Pittsburgh could use another receiver like this to add to Kenny Pickett’s arsenal.
Steelers mock draft round 7 (via DEN): OT Zion Nelson
I’ve got to admit, I wouldn’t be thrilled if the Pittsburgh Steelers elected to wait to address the offensive tackle position with their final pick in the draft. But as I pointed out earlier, Mike Tomlin could be pleased enough with the progress of Dan Moore to go a different route early in April’s draft. This doesn’t mean that the team should ignore the position altogether.
If the Steelers are to take an offensive tackle late on day three, Zion Nelson would make sense. Nelson is an outstanding athlete at 6’5” and 315” pounds. He would compete for a role as Pittsburgh’s swing tackle and would give them an insurance policy in the event of an injury at the position.