Pittsburgh sits on top of the AFC North division as they enjoy their bye week. It has been an ugly path to this point in the season for the Steelers, but they have found a way to get to the top of the standings for now. With that being said, there are a lot of flaws on this team, and they will focus on the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft to fix a lot of those issues.
Denzel Burke is the top selection here as the black and gold need someone to help Joey Porter Jr. out. He has a lot of physical traits that are like Porter and could have the same professional outcome. Burke needs to have a bounce back year after a poor sophomore season. He has all the tools to be a solid cornerback and that is why he is the pick by the Steelers here.
Other considered in the first round of the Steelers mock draft:
Kamren Kinchens (S)
Another option that was on the table for Pittsburgh was taking Kamren Kinchens. They need safety help next to Minkah Fitzpatrick for the foreseeable future. It is unlikely that either Keanu Neal or Damontae Kazee will fill that void. The black and gold need a long-term answer at strong safety and Kinchens could be interesting.
Kingsley Suamaia (OT)
Perhaps the best value at this point in the first round could be Kingsley Suamaia out of BYU. He has been a solid right tackle in college and the Steelers could use someone like him to sure up their tackle spot. Broderick Jones will get a good test at left tackle and that should give the Steelers confidence in locking up a right tackle this offseason.
Sedrick Van Pran (OC)
It would be a reach right now, but Sedrick Van Pran will get his name into the first-round conversation by the time the draft rolls around. He has a lot of upside and can plug and play in most offenses around the league looking for center help. With Mason Cole potentially departing the club after the season is over, Van Pran would make a lot of sense for the Steelers in round one.
TRADE: Pittsburgh Steelers receive picks 62 & 168. Philadelphia Eagles receive pick 58.
A trade back here that allows for the Steelers to get an extra pick on day three of the draft. They only have to move back four spots and take a right tackle out of Arizona State by the name of Jordan Morgan. He has a lot of experience there and the team will probably try and look at their options to try and upgrade the right side of the line.
Chuks Okorafor has not been the answer and there could be some savings found by letting him go. Dan Moore Jr. could slide over there, but his body of work in the NFL doesn't instill confidence in that transition. Adding someone like Morgan to compete with Moore for the starting right tackle job will only strengthen the offensive line moving forward.
Others considered in the second round of the Steelers mock draft:
Kris Jenkins (DT)
Defensive lineman is a spot that can never have enough depth as the Steelers are quickly learning. An injury or two and you have to rely on depth pieces to step up and practice squad guys to fill the newly vacant depth spots. Kris Jenkins is a high-pedigree guy who has the ability to stop the run but needs to show more in the pass rush department this year.
Rod Moore (S)
Rod Moore is another early name that could be an option to become a long-term answer at safety. He is grabby so that will cause him to not rise many draft boards as the process plays out. Other than that, he does have a good game that can complement what the Steelers like in the strong safety role. Moore is a name to monitor the closer the draft gets.
Jack Nelson (OT)
Jack Nelson is another interesting tackle option for the Steelers if they decide to put that need on the back burner knowing they have guys under contract for now. He is currently playing at left tackle, but he does have experience at playing right guard too. He would need to flip over to right tackle in the NFL, but he does have experience playing on that side already.
Zach Frazier gets the call from the "412" area code here as he doesn't have to move far from where he played college ball. He is enjoying a strong season with West Virginia to get out of the shoot. He still has some things that need cleaned up in his game, but he is a quality prospect. The future starting center might come out of the draft.
Mason Cole has been disappointing thus far for the Steelers in 2023, and they should be on the hunt for potential replacements. That might come in free agency or the draft, but the anchor for the offensive line needs to improve. Frazier is a quality center in tight spaces who needs to work on a couple of things in technique before he can be a top center in the NFL.
Others considered in the third round of the Steelers mock draft:
Smael Mondon (LB)
Adding a linebacker in the consideration pool here as the position need has cooled off a little. The Steelers still need an obvious number one guy, but they are getting by with the linebackers they currently have. Smael Mondon is still a work in progress he might need to go back to school for another year if he cannot jump up his numbers for the remainder of this season.
Riley Leonard (QB)
A quarterback gets thrown in here as Riley Leonard has gained a lot of publicity early into the college football schedule before he suffered an ankle injury. NFL teams will probably grow to like him, just like they learned to love Daniel Jones coming out of Duke. Leonard has a lot of tools that will translate well over to the pros if he can land in a good situation with quality coaching. The Steelers would see him as a developmental backup here.
James Williams (S)
There might not be a safety prospect that physically matches what the Steelers want in a strong safety more than James Williams. He is a big guy and played well during his freshman season at Miami. He is coming off a poor performance last season and needs to rebound this year. He is an interesting prospect with the size he provides.
There are a lot of things that will cause the Steelers to display a lot of interest in Beau Brade leading up to the NFL draft. He has plenty of qualities that will check off the box, especially at this point in the middle rounds of the draft. He has a lot of experience in every facet of special teams, and that will only make him more likely to make the roster as a rookie.
Mike Tomlin loves his Maryland guys, it’s almost like they hold something over his head. Brade started for the first-time last season and showed that he can not only hold his own as a starter but also thrive in that role. This is a big season for Brade, but he should be able to be a draft riser if he is able to test like some other former Terrapins did in the past year.
Others considered in the fourth round of the Steelers mock draft:
Tyreek Chappell (CB)
Adding another cornerback here even though Burke was the Steelers first round pick in this mock draft scenario. Tyreek Chappell has a good pedigree coming into this year and has been a good corner overall in a tough conference. His size is concerning for the next level, and he might be too much of a gambler for his NFL career to take off immediately.
Cedric Gray (LB)
Cedric Gray was in the last installment of the Steelers mock draft series. but he makes another appearance here. The guy plays tough and is someone that you will hear "looks like a Steeler" when the draft process starts to unfold more. His sophomore season was his best, but he is a quick linebacker that can play a Vince Williams style for Pittsburgh.
Luke Lachey (TE)
Rounding out the first pick in the fourth-round options here as Luke Lachey could be interesting. Tight end might not be a dire need, but it would be nice to have someone come in and challenge Connor Heyward for his spot next preseason. Enter Lachey and you have someone that is kind of like Jesse James when he came out of Penn State. Someone who isn't fancy but is effective in the passing game. Needs work on his blocking.
Another installment where Ladd McConkey makes it into the mock draft yet again. The Steelers might move on from Allen Robinson II after this season as things have just not worked out for one reason or another thus far. That could always change, but the Steelers love to keep their supply at receiver deep and full of weapons. Kind of ironic since their offense is terrible anyway.
Anyhow, McConkey is a smaller receiver, but he has a good frame. He can play both in the slot and on the outside, but many expect him to slide into a slow receiver role at the next level. Another bonus to his game is special teams and all the snaps he can give you there. He has experience at Georgia as their returner and that should get Tomlin's interest peaked.
Others considered in the fourth round of the Steelers mock draft:
Michael Pratt (QB)
Another quarterback makes the list here with Michael Pratt out of Tulane. No, he is probably not going to take Kenny Pickett's job, but he will be able to develop and potentially become the backup of the future for the Steelers. He had a breakout year last season, and this time around will be his ultimate draft guide for where he is taken in the upcoming event.
Zion Tupuola-Fetui (EDGE)
Edge isn't really a need for Pittsburgh in this draft, but having Zion Tupuola-Fetui sitting there did raise a few eyebrows in the draft room. Markus Golden could be gone after this season so all of the depth duties would fall on Nick Herbig. There could be a need for another depth piece or two to fight for roster spots in training camp. Tupuola-Fetui has a high ceiling and needs to prove that this year before entering the draft.
Tyler Davis (DT)
Again, defensive line could be another sneaky need for the Steelers this upcoming draft. They have a chunk of guys on expiring deals after this season, so they will probably need to re-load their depth in the defensive trenches. Tyler Davis could be that prospect to fill the depth void for Pittsburgh. He has perfect size of what the black and gold look for in their defensive front.
It takes until the sixth round, but the Steelers finally get a defensive tackle to add to their roster here. DeWayne Carter has been a solid pass rusher at Duke for most of his career and that should continue into the NFL. The Steelers have plenty of run stoppers across the defensive line and need some more guys that can get after opposing quarterbacks.
Wayne would fit that pass rusher bill, not only that but he compliments what the Steelers like in their defensive lineman. Carter is a quality run stopper in his own right and finds different ways to get past blockers. He is an interesting name to monitor as the pre-draft process goes on. He could also be a riser if he can keep up high pass rush numbers this season.
Others considered in the sixth round of the Steeler mock draft:
T.J. Tampa (CB)
T.J. Tampa brings great physical traits with him from a frame standpoint alone. He will get a lot of NFL scouting attention because of that alone. He plays at Iowa State, so some of his stats could be going against him because of that program. He is coming off a great year last season and will need to take a step forward if he wants to jump into earlier rounds.
Tyler Van Dyke (QB)
Another quarterback makes the list here and this time it is former hyped prospect Tyler Van Dyke. Many thought that he could make the first round as a prospect based on his measurables alone, but his play has completely taken him out of that conversation. Miami is a program still in the middle of a rebuild and Van Dyke has not benefited from that. Has some tools that could make him into a quality backup.
Gavin Bartholomew (TE)
Rounding out other options here with a local guy for the University of Pittsburgh with Gavin Bartholomew. It seems like he has been in that program for over a decade now ever since finding a lot of playing time as a true Freshman. He has not put up a lot of stats since being with the Panthers, but other than Pickett being there, none of their quarterbacks have been great.
And the Steelers get their quarterback here who will probably end up being the third option behind Pickett and Mitch Trubisky next season. K.J. Jefferson has a lot of physical tools that allow him to be a strong quarterback who is tough to bring down. He runs like Cam Newton, but he does not have the same quality passing ability that Newton possessed.
He runs like a big bruising tail back, but he can also beat you with a strong arm. His biggest issue at the next level will probably be his accuracy as he needs to clean that up. Right now, he is producing another strong season with the Razorbacks, but he needs to tone down the turnovers. He would be worth the gamble this late in the draft.
Other considered in the sixth round of the Steelers mock draft:
Tanor Bortolini (OL)
Another offensive lineman with experience in a couple of different positions. The Steelers could have an interest in Tanor Bortolini as he played both guard and center during his time at Wisconsin. That school has produced many talented offensive linemen in the past and could continue that here. Bortolini has position flexibility and can be a great depth piece that grows into a starting role.
Curtis Jacobs (LB)
Penn State is known as linebacker university, but in all truth, they have not produced many quality NFL linebackers throughout history except for a handful. Curtis Jacobs could be a guy that could challenge for a roster spot on special teams. He has a game that should be able to translate successfully over to the third phase of football.
Demani Richardson (S)
Another safety with some good size here with Demani Richardson out of Texas A&M. He has decent coverage grades for a safety last season and needs to continue that trend this year. Another thing that could be improved is getting turned around in time to make a play on the ball. The lack of turnovers has been an issue for that program overall.
Tatum Bethune could have left Florida State a year earlier, but he decided to return as the club seemed to have great odds of being good. Thus far that has paid off as Florida State has remained undefeated and should push for that streak to continue for the remainder of their schedule. They will not play too many tough teams in a poor ACC.
Bethune is a little light for an inside linebacker, but the hope is that will translate into speed at the next level. It has not been a great start to the year for Bethune as he has struggled with a nagging injury early into the year. He should be able to come back soon and be a star for the Florida State defense, which should hear some names called at the upcoming draft.
Others considered in the seventh round of the Steelers mock draft:
Zakhari Franklin (WR)
An interesting name here is Zakhari Franklin out of Ole Miss. He transferred over to Ole Miss after a productive career at UTSA. He was able to complete back-to-back seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards each year and totaled 27 touchdowns during those two years combined. He was a monster there and needs to find a way to stay healthy and produce in the SEC.
Justin Walley (CB)
Another player who could see his draft stock rise as the process pushes on is Justin Walley out of the Minnesota program. He had a tremendous cover ranking last season and should be able to find a way to continue that this season. He could be another gem for a team late in the draft. The Steelers could take a late round flyer on someone like Walley.
Terrance Ferguson (TE)
Another tight end thrown in here as he could come into Pittsburgh and compete with some of their bottom of the roster guys. Terrance Ferguson might go back to college if his current numbers don't improve sometime soon. He had a solid year in 2022, but he needs to find a way to double or triple those numbers to really catch the eyes of NFL scouts.