We are now a little under a week away before the NFL draft kicks off with round one on Thursday. It is always an exciting night as fans watch dreams become reality for these players as they hear their names called. The Steelers will have a busy weekend as plenty of rumors and projections are starting to be made about who the club will pick with their seven choices.
Even though this organization has a bounty of picks to select from, with four being in the top 100 selections, they might make a deal. Rumors are starting to swirl that Pittsburgh is looking at the cost to potentially move up to take either a top offensive tackle or an elite defensive lineman. Keep an eye on the black and gold as they keep their options open with the sole goal of improving their roster in front of them.
Steelers mock draft round 1: CB Joey Porter Jr.
Somehow Joey Porter Jr. ends up falling the entire way to pick 17, and the Steelers leave night one happy. Again, this is the obvious pick for the Steelers, depending on how the draft board shakes out in the first round. Ideally, you would like for one of the top offensive tackles to drop to this point, but that is not a realistic scenario.
They decide to take a cornerback that can come in and start for their defense on day one. Porter is a solid cornerback that brings everything that the NFL looks for in a cornerback besides turnovers. He failed to amount many interceptions throughout his collegiate career, but he was a shutdown level corner in every other facet of the game.
Steelers mock draft round 2: OT Darnell Wright
Darnell Wright finds his way to the second round of the draft and the Steelers rush to the podium to make this pick. They did get plenty of trade offers for the 32nd overall selection, but it did not make sense for Pittsburgh to make any of those deals. They keep their offensive line rebuild moving along by resolving the issue at one of their tackle spots.
Most will want a left tackle at this point in the draft, but the Steelers feel comfortable taking Wright here even though he will likely end up on the right side. He is one of the best tackles in this class, and some regard him higher than some of the top left tackle prospects this year. He is a great addition to this group and will leave the left side as the weakest link for the upcoming season.
Steelers mock draft round 2: DT Keeanu Benton
Another nice value here as Pittsburgh gets their top choice at defensive tackle to join the fold. Keeanu Benton is a riser leading up to the draft and he could go earlier than this pick when the event kicks off in less than a week. He was able to fall to the Steelers original second round selection and this would be an ultimate choice for the Steelers at this point in the draft.
Cam Heyward is not getting any younger and Larry Ogunjobi has shown issues with injuries in the past. Adding some impactful youth to the trenches on defense should be a top priority heading into the event. Benton applies to filling both needs as a starting nose tackle and filling a huge depth role as a defensive end.
Steelers mock draft round 3: OC Luke Wypler
John Michael Schmitz could be another prospect hard to pass on in round two, but they refrain from adding a center that early. They do add one in the third round by selecting Luke Wypler out of Ohio State. We know that the Steelers have shown a ton of interest in Ohio State offensive linemen in the pre-draft process, including Wypler.
Mason Cole will be the starter for this upcoming season but the depth and plan of a future behind him is non-existent. Adding someone like Wypler would only cement the interior of the offensive line even more. He can push Cole for the starting job this season, but also not be rushed into a starting job. He can learn behind a veteran and become the starter for next season and beyond.
Steelers mock draft round 4: S Christopher Smith II
Signing Keanu Neal has put the safety position on the back burner heading into the draft, just like inside linebacker as well. Selecting Christopher Smith II here will allow for some future depth beyond this season as he grows into a better NFL frame. One of his biggest knocks is his lack of size coming into the league.
He is projected as a free safety at the next level, but the Steelers would envision him starting at the strong safety spot with the selection here. He is a physical player that is not afraid to attack the football. Smith is a reliable cover safety that could use some work when he meets oversized targets head-on.
Steelers mock draft round 7: QB Clayton Tune
Again, taking a quarterback toward the tail end of the draft seems like an obvious situation that will play out for the Steelers. This time they decide to go with their top quarterback left on their board and that is Clayton Tune in this scenario. According to reports, this quarterback prospect has come to Pittsburgh for a pre-draft visit.
There has been a good chunk of pre-draft interest shown by the black and gold to late round signal callers. Taking one to mold behind Mitch Trubisky for a year to become the prime backup quarterback after this season would make a lot of sense. Tune is not a finished product heading into the NFL, but if he can learn to speed up his reads, he can become a solid backup in this league.
Steelers mock draft round 7: S/LB Marte Mapu
Rounding out this simulated draft class is Marte Mapu as Pittsburgh uses their last selection on him. He hails from a small program in Sacramento State and would be an unusual selection by this organization. He is a safety slash linebacker hybrid that can play in a lot of different scenarios.
If a player is picked this late in the draft, then it is more likely than not that he will have to prove himself on special teams to gain a helmet on gamedays. Mapu could stick his nose on the defensive side of the ball if he can prove himself as a solid defender in the box. He is a solid addition at this point in round seven and should challenge some bottom of the roster guys for their jobs.