Every year during the draft, there are some prospects that slip down draft boards for one reason or another. The opposite of that also happens when certain players begin to rise on draft boards and get selected much higher than originally anticipated. The Steelers have benefited from certain players falling past their projected spots before, and they will hope for it to happen again.
Plenty of players have come and gone from the facility in Pittsburgh on official visits to the team. This is allowed during this time for each team across the country with 30 pre-draft visits. Normally being included on that invitation list means that the club has a lot of interest in you. The black and gold normally show their hand during this time, especially after their pro day circuit.
5. Broderick Jones could be the most realistic to slip to pick 17
One of the most likely options to fall to pick 17 in the first round is Broderick Jones. The biggest hurdle in front of the Steelers are the other tackle needy teams in front of them. Jones is a raw talent coming out of Georgia, but his youth and potential ceiling are the reasons for his draft buzz as of late. He seems to be on the rise according to most draft experts as we sit a couple of weeks from the event.
Even though this notion of Pittsburgh taking Jones has become a long shot recently, do not completely rule it out. If he is there when the Steelers select at 17, it would make a lot of sense for the black and gold to pick him. Lots of things can happen on night one of the draft and Jones slipping to pick 17 is not impossible, but it is not likely as we sit here today.
4. Christian Gonzalez has too much talent to potentially slip in the draft
One of the top 30 visits to the steel city was Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon. The Steelers were not able to attend his pro day so many believed that the interest was not there from this organization. That is not to say that Pittsburgh never had interest, but they probably imagine Gonzalez being long gone by the time they make their selection.
Bringing him into the facility for a tour does not mean that hopes should be heightened for him slipping all the way to 17. He is a great cornerback in this draft, and many have him as their top player at the position. No matter if he has a shot at falling or not, it still makes a lot of sense for this team to do their due diligence on this corner.
They would surely love to select Gonzalez in round one, but it would cost an arm and a leg to have the opportunity to select him. The Steelers prefer to do this to any prospect so they can get to know the person some rather than just the player. Potential free agency implications are also thought of with these types of players that could come aboard years down the line if they cannot be picked in the draft.
3. Myles Murphy is an interesting option that is not getting a lot of attention
A bigger name that has not been getting a ton of media attention lately is Myles Murphy out of Clemson. He was mocked in the top five by plenty of experts earlier in the pre-draft process. His name has seemingly fallen out of the light some recently for one reason or another. He held his own private pro day recently since he got healthy enough to perform, and he had a great workout in front of plenty of teams in attendance.
Murphy is another interesting defender that the Steelers have a long pre-draft relationship with. Pittsburgh sent the house to the Clemson pro day, which made a lot of sense because there are a ton of NFL prospects. Murphy and a couple of his teammates had dinner with Mike Tomlin and the rest of the top brass for the black and gold.
Murphy would be a shocking pick in the first round of the upcoming draft. The Steelers have top edge rushers, and it seems reckless to take one this high for a depth role. Unless Alex Highsmith would not be extended as many presume, this pick would not make sense. Murphy is a talented player and athletic freak, but this might be too rich for the Steelers with the position this prospect plays.
2. Jalen Carter would be a massive gamble for the Steelers in the first round
We have reached the hot button topic portion of the article as many have started taking Jalen Carter off their boards entirely across the NFL. Some still have this prospect high on their board as he possesses a ton of talent coming into the league. The Steelers have seemingly gotten rid of all their headcases from the locker room finally, but they have not shied away from players like this before.
Carter is showing a ton of red flags throughout his pre-draft trials to try and impress teams. Thus far, this defensive tackle has done the exact opposite of what a top NFL prospect should do leading up to the draft. He has gotten into a ton of legal trouble off the field, tested poorly during his workouts, and has done badly in his interviews with clubs across the NFL.
Tomlin seems to have interest in taking some gambles on players that have some character concerns in the past. Carter would be his biggest task yet, but there are a lot of issues to comb through with this player. It is completely possible that the Steelers have taken him off their board entirely, but the talent is hard to ignore when you watch Carter play.
1. Paris Johnson Jr. is the guy everyone wants the Steelers to draft this year
The dream scenario for the Steelers during the first night of the draft is watching Paris Johnson Jr. find a way to slip all the way to pick 17. Many would not be opposed to moving up to select him by completing a trade. It would take a lot of assets to move up high enough to select the top offensive tackle of this draft class.
Writing has been written all over the walls with the type of interest that the Steelers have for this player. Johnson is a top left tackle in this class and the club desperately wants to fix that issue once and for all. Trading up might be the most realistic scenario, but there is a chance that this organization will just wait until their pick and see where things stand.
When you play different scenarios in mock drafts, it is almost impossible to imagine a tackle like this falling to Pittsburgh's choice. Out of each prospect in this class, this offensive lineman might be the one that the black and gold cherish the most. They had dinner with him and some of his other fellow teammates. It is likely that the Steelers will never come close to selecting him as many clubs need an answer at tackle.