Everyone likes a good mock draft. We've entered the season of pegging high-upside players and intriguing prospects to our favorite teams. But a bad mock draft can be a reality check for just how bad an organization can mess up in the NFL Draft. That's what PFF just did with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In the latest Steelers seven-round mock draft from Pro Football Focus, Josh Liskiewitz has Pittsburgh landing a despicable haul (at least on paper)—one that would leave most fans in a fit of rage.
With the 21st overall pick in the first round of the draft, PFF has the Steelers going with Azareye'h Thomas. The Florida State cornerback had an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl and he's just 20 years old, but Thomas is the 84th-ranked player on PFF's big board early in the process. He has just one interception over the past two seasons in the ACC (26 games).
But wait; it gets so much worse.
After reaching for a cornerback in Round 1, Liskiewitz has the Steelers taking Xavier Restrepo in the second round. This is an on-value pick and Restrepo is a solid football player, but the Miami receiver measured in at the Senior Bowl at 5'9 3/8'' with a tiny 29 3/4'' wingspan.
This gives Restrepo a smaller catch radius than Calvin Austin III and fellow Senior Bowl wideout Tez Johnson—who measured at 5'9 1/4'' and 156 pounds in Mobile. On the right team, Restrepo could be a treat, but he's likely a slot-only WR at the next level and the Steelers need a wide receiver who can win on the outside.
From there, PFF didn't have Pittsburgh addressing the interior offensive line until taking Rylie Mills in Round 3. Mills, who turns 24 years old during his rookie season, is the 131st-ranked player on PFF's draft board, but the Steelers take him in this mock with the 83rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On Day 3, Liskiewitz has the Steelers taking Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III, and Michigan State guard Luke Newman.
Steelers need an elite draft haul to have a shot in 2025
If the 2024 season taught us anything, it's that the Pittsburgh Steelers still aren't close to being Super Bowl contenders. When faced with daunting competition down the stretch, Mike Tomlin's team faltered—losing five straight games to close out the year while averaging 14 points per contest.
Now we don't even know who will be leading the charge at quarterback and there's a chance the offense could take another step back. To have a realistic shot at playoff success in 2025, the Steelers will need to have a dominant haul in the 2025 NFL Draft. What we witnessed in this mock draft isn't going to cut it.
Not only did the Steelers reach in order to fill needs two times in the first three rounds of PFF's seven-round mock draft, but they also didn't address wide receiver or defensive line in the first round (their two biggest needs this year).
While this mock shows us just how ugly things can get on draft day, we can be thankful that this isn't Pittsburgh's 2025 draft class. Let's hope the Steelers find significantly more talent than this pitiful haul in Pro Football Focus's latest mock.