Welcome to mock draft mania! With the draft just a few weeks away, I wanted to run through as many different mock scenarios as possible for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unlike years past, this team has a lot of avenues they could take in the draft, and there is a multitude of ways for them to add more talent this year.
While each scenario will play out differently, it will follow the same base rules. We will be using general needs of this team to determine picks. As well, we will try to follow the usual trends this team has when drafting.
Those trends vary, naturally, but some general rules are that a first-round pick needs either Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan at the Pro Day, or to have been invited for a pre-draft visit.
Positional coaches play a role in positions that get drafted (we have seen the secondary and receiver coach hot on the trail this year, making safety and receiver a viable selection earlier than expected).
Finally, we care about who the team brought in as a pre-draft visitor. They have brought in quite a few quarterbacks as well as running backs.
With this week being draft week, I wanted to take a look at the single worst-case scenario for this team. From top to bottom, this is the most realistic bad draft that I could see occurring.
Please note that realistic means we aren’t taking long snappers early or random benchwarmers in the third round. These are players that have seen legitimate interest from the Pittsburgh Steelers, and based where many of them could be drafted, it turns this haul into a nightmare.
Pittsburgh Steelers find every way to botch this NFL mock draft
Steelers Mock Draft Round 1: Tyler Shough, QB Louisville
At the end of the day, going quarterback in the first round has to be the worst-case scenario. I am all for taking swings at the position, especially when you don’t have anyone, but reaching in a weak quarterback class is too desperate for my taste.
The quarterback with the least issues at pick 21 would be Shedeur Sanders. While there are legitimate questions about his ceiling, he has the best shot of actually becoming a starter. Names like Jaxson Dart and Jalin Milroe have high ceilings but need a lot of work to get there.
They aren’t the worst option, though: Tyler Shough is. He has one of the better arms in the draft class and some sneaky athleticism. The issue is his age. He’ll be a 26-year-old rookie, a hard sell in the first round.
What really concerns me is that it took him so long to become a good starter in college. By the time he was performing at a high level, he was significantly older than his competition. We have seen numerous prospects struggle to carry that kind of success to the next level.
Taking Shough in the first round seems like a big swing and a miss for a team that needs a franchise quarterback. If he does pan out, I don’t see an elite playmaker, and at his age, I struggle to see him being the guy.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 3: Savion Williams, WR, TCU
On the surface, I like the idea of Savion Williams. He is a big body receiver with explosive athleticism and the ability to win in space as a runner. He has obvious Deebo Samuel vibes with his ability on the ground, but can also win vertically in the passing game.
My issue with taking him here is twofold. For starters, you still ignore your biggest need, the defensive line, by taking Williams. Odds are the third round is the last one where you could get a potential starter, so that is a tough pill to swallow.
In addition to this, Williams is a very raw player as a receiver. His route running is extremely poor and he needs to take major steps forward if he ever wants to be competent there.
I’m just not sure that Arthur Smith is the guy to get the most out of him. I think Williams can become a good player, but he needs a good system to do it in. I’m fine with that risk had you not reached for a quarterback early, but that isn’t the case in this mock draft.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 4: Kalel Mullings, RB, Michigan
I do think the Steelers can afford to wait until a round or two later to target a running back in this deep class if need be. That said, they could also land an explosive runner in the third or fourth round, so there is logic to taking one that early.
Kalel Mullings is in the sweet spot as an obvious mistake.
READ MORE: It's first round or bust for Steelers and this tantalizing quarterback
He is that classic power back that this team usually covets, and he lacks the explosion and vision to be much more than that. While having a hammer in the backfield is fine, I’d rather wait on Ollie Gordon a round or two later.
Mullings' tape just doesn’t resonate with me. He can be an ok power back for a team that needs it, but with so many better options in this draft, taking him in the fourth round is a stretch.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 5: Jared Harrison-Hunte, DL/EDGE, SMU
If the Steelers wait this long to address defensive line, it will be a complete shame. This class is deep, and there is an obvious need. Investing highly in this group makes sense, even potentially double dipping to take advantage of the depth in this class.
Jared Harrison-Hunte is a horrible prospect on paper, but he doesn’t have a clear fit at the next level and has already drawn some DeMarvin Leal comparisons. All around, if this is the only defensive line investment, the Pittsburgh Steelers should be ashamed.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 6: Ben Sauls, K, Pittsburgh
While the Steelers haven’t been active on the kicker trail, they did bring in local kicker Ben Sauls for a pre-draft visit. This was a bit perplexing, considering that Chris Boswell is coming off an elite season. More than likely, this is just due diligence.
That said, the team could be trying to replace an aging Boswell, who is owed a considerable pay increase following his impressive season. Sauls isn’t a bad kicker, but spending draft capital on the position this season just doesn’t make sense.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 7: Donovan Smith, QB, Houston
In what would be an eerily similar approach to 2022, the Steelers could double dip at the quarterback position to secure both their top option as well as their fourth string quarterback. Since they aren’t competitive with undrafted free agent contracts, that is their best way to secure a top reserve in.
Donovan Smith is a fun player to watch with some traits to build around, but he would enter camp as the fourth quarterback and struggle to see playing time. It is always hard to get a lot out of seventh-round picks, but this would seem like an obvious waste.