Steelers news: Big Ben praises Joe Burrow, Mel Kiper mock draft, and more

Ben Roethlisberger had some kind words to say about Bengals QB Joe Burrow, and Mel Kiper mocks a familiar name to Pittsburgh. Here’s the latest Steelers news.

All has been relatively quiet regarding the Steelers media. Last week, the team confirmed that Matt Canada would be returning as Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, and that was enough to take the wind out of our sails. Brian Flores also interviewed with the Cardinals recently for a vacant head coaching position, but currently remains with the Steelers.

As we inch toward the championship games this weekend, Ben Roethlisberger offers up praise to Bengals QB Joe Burrow. Also, the latest mock draft from a high-profile analyst has a familiar face landing in Pittsburgh. Here’s the latest Steelers news you need to know.

Steelers news

Ben Roethlisberger’s playing days might be over, but he hasn’t shied away from speaking his mind — that includes praising players from former rival teams. On a recent episode of his podcast, Big Ben called QB Joe Burrow ‘one of the elites in the league.’ Here’s what he had to say:

"“The Bengals are looking really good right now. They are a football team to be reckoned with right now. They have a real run with them, and I think Joe is where it starts. Joe is one of the elites in the league. He’s good. His pocket presence. He can run enough, he’s a sneaky good runner. Great decision-maker. Great throws. … I’m telling you what, I don’t think it’s too long until he’s in MVP talks, I really believe that.”"

It’s hard to argue with this either. After a rocky start to the 2022 season that included four interceptions in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Burrow has been outstanding. His offense is red-hot right now. The Bengals will try to knock off the Chiefs on the road this weekend and enter the Super Bowl for the second straight year.

More Steelers news

In other Steelers news, NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. recently released his first mock draft of the year. With the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Kiper had the Steelers selecting Penn State cornerback, Joey Porter Jr.

This selection is about as predictable as any you will find. Pittsburgh has a desperate need for cornerback help while Porter has the mentality and tackling ability Mike Tomlin covets. It helps that his father happened to be a former All-Pro outside linebacker for the Steelers back in the early 2000s.

NFL news

Prior to Championship Sunday, Dan Hanzus of NFL.com released his updated NFL power rankings following the divisional round of the playoffs. These rankings included the eight playoff teams that remained prior to this past weekend. Hanzus has the four remaining teams on top with the Bengals, Eagles, 49ers, and Chiefs, respectively. These are followed by recently-eliminated teams in the Bills (5th) and Cowboys (6th). The Jaguars (7th) and Giants (8th) round out his list.