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 a first-round pick needed either Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan at the Pro Day or to have been invited as 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 mid-round running backs.
For our first scenario, we are establishing a baseline of what seems to be a standard mock draft for the Steelers. We fill their basic needs while also targeting players of clear interest. No, this isn’t the most exciting mock draft, but it gives us room to build. No trading in this scenario, as the team tries to use what they have to fill their needs.
Pittsburgh Steelers 7-Round Mock Draft Includes Obvious Selections
Steelers Mock Draft Round 1: Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
One of the most popular names to link to the Steelers, Derrick Harmon, makes sense for a wide variety of reasons. He has the size this team covets in a defensive end and had a breakout season at Oregon last year.
He plays the run hard while also possessing some juice as a pass rusher. His game doesn’t have a lot of weaknesses that stand out. On top of this, he enters a room with a great mentor in Cameron Heyward, who he can begin to model his game after.
Some are questioning Harmon’s potential and don’t see an elite defender. I honestly get that, as I struggle to see Harmon become a consistent ten-plus sack lineman, but he can become a quality starter for this defense.
Harmon finally qualifies as a potential first-round pick, with the team inviting him for a pre-draft visit. Had he not come in, it would have been quite the precedent breaker to take him in the first round. Given his fit and the need, though, Harmon is a popular name linked to the Steelers for good reason.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 3: Will Howard, QB, Ohio State
It seems like a certainty that the Steelers are taking a quarterback this year. The third round seems like a sweet spot for the team, as they can claim they are trying to get a future franchise option but still land an impact player in the first round.
Will Howard lacks a lot of traits that will prevent him from being an elite quarterback, but he is a good decision-maker with an adequate arm and great accuracy. You aren’t taking him to be a gunslinger but instead a quarterback who can work through reads and keep drives alive.
I don’t see high-end potential in Howard’s game. I think he will be a better game manager and backup, but he has a moxie about him that is hard to deny. He would add a young option to this quarterback room to build around or serve as a consistent backup.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 4: Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
Running back has to be one of the most interesting positions for the Steelers in this draft class. They have a slew of options to choose from, and time will tell if this team goes after their typical power back or adds someone with game-breaking speed.
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Jaydon Blue is the latter, have made the most of very little while at Texas. He was dynamic as a runner and a receiver, though, and once the ball was in his hands, he was a threat to score. He can bring that same dynamic ability to a Steelers offense that has missed that in the backfield.
He will likely never be a conventional starter, but he can serve as the lighting in any rotation. We have seen the Dolphins build a successful ground game with options like that, and speed is impossible to teach. Blue goes against the grain of what the team typically likes, but the need for explosive plays necessitates this pick.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 5: Logan Brown, OT, Kansas
It feels like the Steelers will sneak an offensive lineman into this draft somewhere. Tackle depth is mediocre right now, but a long-term starting guard is needed, as well as depth at center. Ultimately, Logan Brown was the best choice at this point in the draft.
He only had one full year as a starter, and he is a player with a lot of ups and downs. When he was on, he looked like an elite blocker, but his mistakes were ugly. He will need some time to develop, but he could carve out a role as a swing tackle and push for starting reps down the road.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 6: Dont’e Thornton Jr., WR, Tennessee
The Pittsburgh Steelers could go a lot earlier than this based on who the team has had interest in, but they settle for the boom or bust Dont’e Thornton. He was an explosive playmaker with the Volunteers, and he tested as a freak athlete despite his size.
The issue is his lack of production. He would have long stretches of film where he was a non-factor on offense. You are betting on him getting more consistent at the next level, though, and if he doesn’t, he should be a big-play threat for this offense.
Steelers Mock Draft Round 7: R.J. Mickens, DB, Clemson
Safety is another position that could go a lot higher than expected. The team has shown interest in some of the top names, and you can’t exclude the group from the first-round conversation. Ultimately, the team lands R.J. Mickens from Clemson.
He has the size to play in the box or deep and is tested as a plus athlete. He has NFL bloodlines as well, a favorite of the Steelers. His issue is that he was never great at one thing in school. His run defense could be better, and his coverage was fine but not perfect. He can improve, though, and I could see him being a rotational player or even a low-end starter if he finds a niche.