The scouting combine is something plenty of NFL draft lovers look forward to as top prospects go out and show what kind of athleticism they can provide to a team. The Steelers and every other 31 clubs in the league are well represented in Indianapolis as they try and assess the talents on the field. It is a long and stressful process for these incoming rookies as they try and boost their draft stock even more.
TRADE: Steelers receive picks 24, 56, 185. Jaguars receive pick 17.
Pittsburgh gets this mock draft started by moving back seven picks in the first round. Jacksonville saw a player drop and could not pass up the opportunity to jump ahead seven spots to select the prospect that they coveted most. The black and gold got a bounty of picks back as they packed two extra selections in this draft.
After dropping back to pick 24, the Steelers select a top tackle prospect in this class. Anton Harrison is not as polished as the other players in his position, but he has high upside. Dan Moore Jr. can still start games for this club, which could allow for more of a project player like Harrison to sit behind a starter and be brought along slowly.
Most fans of the black and gold will not enjoy the thought of taking a potential project at left tackle as the club needs to find an upgrade now. Moore is not the future on the left side of the trenches for Pittsburgh, but he could fill in for the time being. The pressure would be off Harrison and he could win the starting job as the season plays out.
If you are looking at the news coming out of the draft combine at all, you will recognize some of the positions that the Steelers will try to target in the draft. Linebacker is one of those spots, but cornerback may have been getting the biggest population around the meetings. Plenty of potential prospects have mentioned that they met with the organization and that should lead to the club taking a corner early on.
Deonte Banks is the pick here by Pittsburgh as Mike Tomlin cannot help himself when it comes to players and the connection with Maryland. This cornerback's name has been catching steam recently as he possesses great length and speed for his size. He should be able to come onto this club and challenge for a starting spot on this defense on day one.
Another position of need for the Steelers is guard, specifically on the left side of the offensive line. Kevin Dotson has not been the answer since the team drafted him a handful of years ago. Moore could potentially slide into guard from tackle if the Steelers address the tackle need before this selection.
Pittsburgh takes Steve Avila here as he showed some great things during his time at TCU. The Steelers would be getting a massive player in Avila as he shrinks many of those that he goes up against. There are some questions about his conditioning, but he has played both guard and center in college.
Finding solid depth at the outside linebacker position needs to be found. After trading back in the first round earlier in this mock draft, the Steelers have an embarrassment of riches. Edge might not be the direst of needs in this draft, but with added picks, it becomes more of a viable option early.
Andre Carter II drops in this simulation and Pittsburgh would be insane to not take this player at this point in the draft. Taking Carter in the late portions of the second round is a steal and this club gets a rookie that could start on defense in his rookie year. Getting this prospect at this point is very high value for this club.
Another solid selection here as the black and gold wait until the third round to address their issues on the defensive line. They take a tremendous talent in Keeanu Benton as he is currently rising on plenty of draft boards. The reason for his slide could be chalked up to being a run stuffer without a ton of pass-rushing ability coming out of college.
Stopping the run is something the Steelers desperately need up front and adding Benton accomplishes that goal. He has been described as a nose tackle before, but that could become a failed explanation as time moves on. Benton has all of the tools to become a well-rounded player at the NFL level.
Finding a way to sign a linebacker in free agency and taking another player at the position in the draft might be the best way to go. Mark Robinson seems like he will get the first crack at starting, which could potentially be next to Myles Jack as the Steelers seem content with him. Trying to add quality depth that could start either this year or next should be in consideration in this draft.
Taking Ivan Pace Jr. here gets an athletic linebacker that has not had any issues with moving sideline to sideline. He is an undersized player, which is why he fell to this part of the draft. Pace met with the black and gold at the NFL combine and the club seems genuinely interested in this prospect as the draft gets closer.
Trying to guess what the course of action will be for the Steelers to fill out their quarterback room between now and the pre-season is almost impossible. Omar Khan basically confirmed that Mitch Trubisky is going to be the backup for the foreseeable future, and the door is open for Mason Rudolph to return if he chooses to. It is unlikely that Rudolph will return, so finding a third option for the upcoming roster will be the task at hand.
Aidan O'Connell is the selection here as he seems to be the most reliable to become a solid backup option in the NFL. This quarterback does nothing flashy, but he is relatively consistent and is a smart player coming out of Purdue. O'Connell will have a lot of time to sit behind both Kenny Pickett and Trubisky to learn and grow into that second-option role on the depth chart.
Adding some youth to the safety room might be a good idea this offseason for the black and gold. Terrell Edmunds's future with the Steelers is currently in limbo, so the safety position might become more of a dire need between now and the draft. Either way, adding a young player toward the end of the event to push for one of those final roster spots is always a good idea.
Trey Dean III is the selection here as the safety has been performing fairly well in the pre-draft process. He was named the defensive player of the game at the East-West Shrine Bowl about a month ago. Dean is projected to play a potential hybrid-type role at the next level with some abilities on special teams that should get him on an NFL roster to start his career.
Rounding out the draft here with a tight end, which the Steelers could potentially need. Zach Gentry is a pending free agent and there seems to be little traction in contract negotiations at this current point in time. That would leave only Connor Heyward and Pat Freiermuth as the only proven tight ends on the roster heading into 2023.
Pittsburgh notices that issue and takes Zack Kuntz out of Old Dominion. He was having a spectacular collegiate career with the hope of driving his draft stock up to new levels heading into this past season. That sunk like a rock in water after he suffered a season-ending injury early this past campaign. Kuntz should be ready to get back to football soon and could be a steal if he returns to pre-injury form.