Steelers play it safe in recent 2023 NFL mock draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of needs that must be addressed this offseason, but here’s why the latest 2023 NFL mock draft has them taking a safe prospect. 

The 2022 season is hardly in the rearview mirror, but already we’ve seen a plethora of positions mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Somehow, this still seems reasonable. Despite their 7-2 finish since the bye week, it’s clear that there are several major holes on both sides of the football and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where this team will go in round one.

Because of this, the most frequently mocked positions for the Steelers in the first round seem to be cornerback, offensive tackle, interior defensive line, and even linebacker. Recently, Damian Parson of The Draft Network released his newest 2023 NFL mock draft that included a big trade-up and several surprises.

With the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, The Draft Network has the Pittsburgh Steelers taking offensive tackle Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern.

In this mock, Parson has two offensive tackles being selected ahead of Pittsburgh in Ohio State’s Parris Campbell and Georgia’s Broderick Jones. He also has CB Joey Porter Jr. and WR Jordan Addison going just ahead of their pick — two players who have frequently been mocked to the Steelers.

Steelers play it safe but address an important position of need

Peter Skoronski probably isn’t going to wow anybody with his physique or incredible athleticism. He doesn’t have an ideal build for the offensive tackle position and many are worried that his arm length will measure less than ideal. Regardless, Skoronski is one of the safer prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Thanks to his refined mechanics, anchoring ability, and football mentality, Skoronski is a plug-and-play tackle who has position flexibility to kick inside to guard in a pinch. Skoronski is currently Pro Football Focus’s 13th-overall player in the draft and has earned excellent grades throughout his career — including an 89.5 overall grade for the 2022 season.

In addition to getting a quality, versatile prospect at an important position, Skoronski would be a significant upgrade over Dan Moore from day one. This addition would give Pittsburgh a new blindside protector and fix their depth issue at offensive tackle. Moore and Chukwuma Okorafor could compete for the starting right tackle job with the loser becoming the swing tackle.

If Skoronski proves that he just doesn’t have the size or length to play tackle well enough in the NFL, the Steelers could kick him inside and have him replace Kevin Dotson at left guard. Some NFL Draft analysts seem to be very confident that he could be a near Pro Bowl-caliber guard if used in this capacity.

Either way, Steelers fans should be pleased if they were to select Peter Skoronski in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s a technically-sound offensive lineman who would offer an immediate upgrade at an important position.