Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh addresses pressing needs with early picks
By Tommy Jaggi
Pittsburgh has a plethora of roster needs heading into the offseason. Here’s what I have them doing in my latest 2023 Steelers mock draft.
With the first round of the playoffs already in the books, it’s officially mock draft season for the squads who missed the cut. Pittsburgh Steelers fans have added incentive to follow the NFL Draft this year after fleecing the Chicago Bears in a Chase Claypool trade that resulted in Pittsburgh earning the top pick of the second round.
Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl could go in a number of directions early in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, in my latest Steelers mock draft, I have Pittsburgh addressing their most pressing needs with their earliest selections. Here’s where I have them going with each pick this April.
player. 879. . Linebacker. Tigers . Trenton Simpson. 1
Steelers mock draft round 1: LB Trenton Simpson
I think most fans would agree that an off-ball linebacker is one of the most glaring needs on the Pittsburgh Steelers. Believe it or not, it could get even worse in the coming months. Devin Bush fell out of favor late in the season and he will sign elsewhere in free agency. Meanwhile, Myles Jack is set to have a massive cap hit that the Steelers won’t (or at least shouldn’t) be willing to take on.
This will leave them remarkably thin in the position. Even if they go out and sign a free agent and are able to retain Robert Spillane. This leaves Mark Robinson as the only depth piece on the roster. Clemson linebacker, Trenton Simpson, will be considered the top prospect at his position by many, and he could really help this defense right away.
Simpson is a jack of all trades with his ability to line up all over the field and excel in multiple roles. For Pittsburgh, he would slide into the ‘Mack’ linebacker role in hopes of filling the void that has remained vacant since the career-ending injury to Ryan Shazier. I’m not an advocate for taking off-ball linebackers in the first round, but Simpson is a good player who would give this defense an immediate spark.