Steelers land impressive haul in latest two-round NFL mock draft

Matt Miller of ESPN recently conducted a two-round 2023 NFL mock draft. Here’s what he has the Pittsburgh Steelers doing with three high picks this year. 

Over the past two years, we’ve been able to narrow down exactly which position the Pittsburgh Steelers would take in the first round. In the 2021 NFL Draft, Mike Tomlin was enthralled with Najee Harris, and it was no surprise to see his name called. Last year, we knew full well that the Steelers were going to draft a quarterback, as they did nothing but scout the position last offseason.

This year, however, things have a different feel. Pittsburgh has several big positions of need, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which direction they will go early in the NFL Draft. It may also be hard to follow previous draft trends as GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl have taken over for Kevin Colbert.

As of now, offensive tackle, cornerback, and linebacker seem to be frequently-mocked positions to the Steelers — and there’s good reason for that. Recently, Matt Miller of ESPN conducted a two-round 2023 mock draft, and I was very pleased with the results.

Steelers two-round mock draft

Let’s start with Pittsburgh’s first selection. With the 17th overall pick, Miller has the Steelers taking Oregon cornerback, Christian Gonzalez. While many fans don’t love the idea of drafting a CB in the first round, I can assure you that Gonzalez would not be an Artie Burns-like pick.

Gonzalez might be the best cornerback in this class with a unique blend of size (6’2”, 200 lbs) and speed (projected in the 4.3 range). He’s a smooth mover who can make plays on the football and projects as a high-end starting cornerback at the next level.

This pick would go against historic trends, as the Steelers haven’t expressed much interest in selecting Pac-12 players early in the draft. Being from Oregon, Pittsburgh would need to be willing to scout him as they would do for a player in their own backyard, but I can assure you that he would be worth it.

With their two selections in the second round, Miller believes the Steelers will beef up their pedestrian offensive line. Though this unit made strides in the second half of the season, the OL could clearly stand to be upgraded in order to help a below-average offense and a young quarterback in Kenny Pickett.

With the 33rd overall selection (the top pick of the second round), Miller has the Steelers taking Minnesota center, John Michael Schmitz. The scrappy center had an excellent week of Senior Bowl practice as he showed his quick feet and competitive nature in OL vs DL pass-rush drills. He projects as a long-term starter at the position and is widely considered the best center prospect in the 2023 class.

With their original second-round pick, Miller has Pittsburgh going with Oklahoma offensive tackle, Anton Harrison. Though I would prefer to grab an OT before the talent drops off a bit, Harrison would be a good consolation prize if they miss out on the top tackles this year. Harrison has good size (6’5”, 315 lbs) and quality movement skills. Harrison would compete with Dan Moore at left tackle and have a chance to win the starting job as a rookie.

It will be interesting to see how much interest the Steelers will ultimately have in these three prospects, but this would be a quality haul as Pittsburgh would land good prospects at important positions with their first three selections in the 2023 NFL Draft.