It's wild to think about how much we can learn about the Pittsburgh Steelers in such a short amount of time. Following the early exit from the NFL Playoffs, we had a good idea of which positions Omar Khan could target early in the NFL Draft. Now things are becoming increasingly clear as the draft approaches.
Now that NFL Pro Days are in the books, we have seen every stop Khan and Mike Tomlin have made along their pre-draft scouting trail. Pittsburgh has also used over a dozen of their formal Top 30 visits.
The collection of these things gives us a very good idea of not only which positions, but also which players Pittsburgh could be targeting in each round. Here's my latest four-round Steelers mock draft following NFL Pro Days.
Steelers mock draft Round 1: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
You would have a hard time making a case as to why Amarius Mims wouldn't be the selection for the Steelers at pick 20 if he's still on the board. After formally meeting with Mims at the NFL Combine, Pittsburgh sent the house to Georgia's Pro Day where Noah Strackbein of All Steelers reports that Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan took him out to dinner.
After all of this, the Steelers used a Top 30 pre-draft visit to bring Mims into the facility. Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl are big offensive line gurus who clearly want to find an upgrade next to Broderick Jones. I am confidently drafting Mims in my post-Pro Day Steelers mock draft.
Steelers mock draft Round 2: Xavier Legette, WR South Carolina
All of the signs seem to point to the Steelers taking a wide receiver early on Day 2. The lack of a Tomlin/Khan presence at Texas' Pro Day for WR Adonai Mitchell and LSU's Pro Day for Brian Thomas Jr. means that the Steelers are likely eyeing early Day 2 options.
Their Top 30 pre-draft visits confirm this, as they have met with second-round candidates like Ricky Pearsall, Malachi Corley, and Xavier Legette. I ultimately chose Legette for this mock. His A.J. Brown-like frame and play style fit what Arthur Smith wants to do on offense.
Legette is a one-year wonder, but there's reason enough to believe that he will be a great option next to George Pickens after a great 2023 season at South Carolina.
Steelers mock draft Round 3: Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C, Georgia
In some ways, it's hard to imagine the Steelers waiting until after the second round to address the center position, but that seems to be where we are headed. While Pittsburgh could be tempted to take a center in Round 2 if a player like Zach Frazier happens to be on the board, their pre-draft visits indicate they are more likely to go WR with that pick.
In Round 3, I have Khan picking up the scraps by taking Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. The Georgia center has a bit of an awkward frame at 6'4 1/8'' and 298 pounds with short arms (31 3/8''), but his tape is better than he's getting credit for and he can anchor against the pass rush. Van Pran can step in and compete for the starting center job at training camp.
Steelers mock draft Round 3 (via PHI): Andru Phillips, CB, Kentucky
The Pittsburgh Steelers are desperate for a competent slot cornerback. They would love to land a player like Michigan's Mike Sainristil, but they would likely have to take him in the second round. If they aren't willing to do that, Andru Phillips is a quality consolation prize.
At 5'10 3/4'' and 190 pounds, Phillips has experience both in the slot and outside. The Kentucky product has work to do when it comes to defending the run and excelling in man coverage, but he's a good zone cornerback with elite explosiveness -- making him the perfect ball of clay to work with at the next level. The Steelers used a Top 30 visit on Phillips, so this is very much an option at the end of the third round.
Steelers mock draft Round 4: Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa
The defensive line is a sneaky need for the Steelers in the 2024 NFL Draft, but with holes at OT, WR, and C, it's hard to imagine the Steelers taking a defensive lineman with one of their top picks.
Though the Steelers did use pre-draft visits on some early-round DL prospects like Florida State's Braiden Fiske and Missouri's Darius Robinson, this team also used a Top 30 pre-draft visit on Northern Iowa's Khristian Boyd.
At just over 6'2'' and 329 pounds, Boyd has a stout frame and blends pass-rush ability with good tape as a run defender (albeit against a low level of competition in college). Boyd effortlessly put up 38 bench press reps at his UNI Pro Day.