The Steelers were able to address a lot of their priority needs in this latest mock draft as Senior Bowl week kicks into high gear.
Senior Bowl week is here, and it is one of the markers that starts the path to the draft each year. The nation’s top college football players are in Mobile, Alabama to show coaches what they got throughout the week of practices and the game itself. The Steelers are always active during this week with plenty of potential prospects being interviewed by the club.
Kevin Colbert is no longer here, so it will be interesting to watch how the differences between Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan’s dynamic differ. This will be the first go around with Khan at the General manager helm for Pittsburgh during the draft process. There could be some different ideas and evaluations that take place from now on.
Steelers mock draft round 1: OT Peter Skoronski
Tackle seems to be one of the spots on everyone’s mind as the draft creeps closer for the black and gold. Dan Moore Jr. is not a starting left tackle in the NFL and protecting Kenny Pickett needs to be the top priority heading into this offseason. Finding a way for the offensive trenches to improve has to be discovered, and the Steelers accomplish that with this pick here.
A mixed bag of evaluations could make Peter Skoronski slip some in the draft, which would be music to Khan’s ears. They select Skoronski to be a plug-and-play left tackle for this team, but they could always slide him into guard if need be. He is an athletic player that has a lot of starting experience throughout his collegiate career at Northwestern.
Steelers mock draft round 2: LB Trenton Simpson
Many will scoff at the idea of Trenton Simpson falling out of the first round of the draft, but it is a possibility. He is an athletic freak in the middle of the defense, but he is a hybrid type of player that is identified as a middle linebacker. His primary role will be in the middle of the defense, but the attraction to him will be his ability to play at multiple spots.
In this simulation, Simpson fell out of the first round and was there for Pittsburgh to select with their top pick in the second round. The Steelers would be running to the podium to get a player like this with their second choice of the draft. They fill a starting spot on defense and provide some flexibility in certain packages for Teryl Austin to mess with.
Steelers mock draft round 2: DT Siaki Ika
Another need that many are not talking about enough is at defensive line. Cam Heyward is not getting any younger and the future of Larry Ogunjobi with the Steelers is still in the air. On top of that, the trenches are lacking depth besides the return of DeMarvin Leal. Finding a solution in the draft needs to be a priority, especially if Ogunjobi does not return in free agency.
Another player slips to the black and gold here as they select Siaki Ika out of Baylor. He is a true Nose tackle entering the NFL, and that position normally loses value in the draft. Ika could turn into something more, but his immediate impact will be helping defend the run. That is something the Steelers have struggled to stop in recent years, so the gamble of taking a Nose tackle in the second round is not as outrageous.
TRADE: Steelers receive picks 82 and 146, Buccaneers receive pick 80
Tampa Bay comes calling and swings a deal with Pittsburgh by moving back a couple of spots in the third round. The Steelers get an extra pick in the draft by acquiring the Bucs’ fifth-round selection. It is a good deal by Khan here as there were multiple players that they liked still on the board and get an extra selection in the process.
Steelers mock draft round 3: EDGE Colby Wooden
Edge is another position that the black and gold need to address during the offseason. They just added Quincy Roche via a futures deal, but his spot is no guarantee. Free agency could be another option, but the Steelers wait until the third round to add depth here. They select Colby Wooden out of Auburn. Wooden is only a Junior coming out of Auburn and still needs some more development at the NFL level, which Pittsburgh is used to with Alex Highsmith.
Steelers mock draft round 5: CB Riley Moss (Participating at Senior Bowl)
Cornerback is a need, but not as desperate of a need as other positions on this team. Getting a top cornerback should be in consideration for the Steelers during the draft, but this situation did not play out in that favor. They have to wait until the fifth round to take Riley Moss out of Iowa. He is participating in the Senior Bowl this week and could see his draft stock fluctuate because of it.
He keeps the same color scheme from college to the pros, and this would be considered a good value selection at this point in the draft. Moss is probably going to test poorly in the pre-draft process, but you cannot deny his production at Iowa. He will likely be a fringe starter at the next level with the hope of being a solid special teams contributor.
Steelers mock draft round 6: OG Chandler Zavala
The continued investment into the offensive line continues in this draft as they take Chandler Zavala out of North Carolina State. He probably will not come in and push for the starting spot up for grabs on the left side, but he will challenge the depth at least. With the addition of Skoronski at the starting left tackle spot, the idea would be for Moore to try his hand at becoming the starter at left guard.
Having Kevin Dotson and or Zavala as your backup guards would be a solid upgrade across the offensive line. This prospect has a lot of experience playing left guard at the collegiate level and should be able to take that to the NFL level. Zavala is a good run blocker, but he could use some work in the pass-blocking portion of his game.
Steelers mock draft round 7: WR Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones is a name that will have differing grades put on him between now and when the draft kicks off. Some are higher on him than others, as he has a different path to the draft. He started off his college career at Buffalo during the 2018 season before playing at Iowa in 2021. Jones would then transfer to Purdue for this past season where he had a breakout year.
His lack of production beyond this season should scare some clubs to the point where he sees his stock slip away. The Steelers would be thrilled with selecting him in the seventh round as he can play at multiple spots as a receiver and provides some return abilities as well. He would come in and battle for a couple of different roles on offense and special teams.
The Steelers were able to get a lot of things accomplished in this mock draft. They were able to attack positions of need and complete a trade that gave them an extra pick in the draft.