2024 NFL Draft prospects most frequently mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers

We are still very early in the pre-draft process, and draft boards are sure to see a significant mixup following the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Likewise, the route that all 32 teams take in free agency will give us a clearer picture of the positions that every team could target with their top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, none of this is going to stop media outlets from pitching their early NFL mock drafts.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have seen some common themes early when it comes to full first-round mocks. After a wave of quarterbacks and wide receivers, most major media outlets almost exclusively have Pittsburgh going with an offensive lineman or a cornerback.

But which players have been the most frequently mocked to the Steelers? Believe it or not, we have access to that data.

NFL Mock Draft Database compiles the hundreds of mock drafts floating around the internet from outlets like Pro Football Focus and USA Today as well as Steelers-specific websites (like Still Curtain) and calculates the players who are most frequently mocked to each team in the first round.

These mocks date back to May of 2023 and are constantly updated to include the latest Steelers mock drafts floating around. Here are the three players who have been mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round the most as we enter the 2024 NFL Combine.

1. Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

It's not surprising to see a center as the most frequently mocked player to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th overall pick this year. It's even less surprising when you consider the circumstances.

Jackson Powers-Johnson had a phenomenal Senior Bowl week and stole the show with his dominance in OL vs. DL drills. This has become even more of a possibility with Pittsburgh's decision to release Mason Cole. If the Steelers don't spend big on a center in free agency, Powers-Johnson will likely continue to be the most frequently-mocked player to Pittsburgh in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

2. Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson

The Steelers are desperate for cornerback help, and everyone knows it. Last year, Pittsburgh found a potential building block at the position in Joey Porter Jr., but the RCB and slot CB positions are in need of a major upgrade.

There are a handful of really solid cornerback prospects this year, but one who would fit the team perfectly is Clemson's Nate Wiggins. The young CB didn't play a full season during his junior season in 2023 due to injury, but he has remarkable length, speed, and physicality to play bump-and-run man coverage like Porter opposite him. Wiggins could be a fast riser thanks to his excellent skill set, but he will very much be in contention if he is still on the board when the 20th overall pick rolls around.

3. Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa

Speaking of needing help everywhere in the secondary, most of the media agrees that the Steelers could target a player who could help them anywhere on the back end of their defense. Cooper DeJean can play boundary CB, slot CB, or safety at a high level, and Pittsburgh needs assistance at all of those positions.

DeJean is a very different type of cornerback than Wiggins, but his versatility and ability to help out against the run will be traits that Mike Tomlin covets. He has been the third most frequently mocked player to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft ahead of the NFL Combine.