3. OT Paris Johnson Jr. has prototype traits for a Steelers offensive tackle
Paris Johnson was a pipe dream, to begin with, but that seems to be even more so the case after watching his elite performance at the 2023 NFL Combine. Still, that won't stop Pittsburgh Steelers fans from dreaming.
The Ohio State offensive tackle was a hot topic before drills and testing even started as Johnson showed up at 6'6'' and 313 pounds with remarkable 36 1/'8'' arms. Though Johnson Jr. did just one athletic test at the Combine -- posting an 87th percentile broad jump -- you can tell that he's a remarkable athlete.
Despite his big, long frame, Johnson was an effortless mover in footwork drills and couldn't have performed much better in his on-field workout in Indianapolis.
Sadly, this is almost going to guarantee that he's selected before Pittsburgh is on the clock with the 17th overall pick in April. Steelers fans would love to land a premier left tackle prospect with freakish length and impressive mobility, but this won't happen. Yet he has become a player that fans are even more infatuated with after the NFL Combine.
2. CB Joey Porter Jr. is the most frequently mocked name to the Steelers
Throughout the process, no player has been mocked to the Pittsburgh Steelers than Joey Porter Jr., according to NFL Mock Draft Database. If this changes anytime soon, it's going to be because draft analysts don't think he's falling this far; not because the Steelers don't like him.
Porter has made a ton of sense from the very beginning. In addition to filling a major position of need at a 'money' position, Porter also had a clear and obvious connection to the team as his father was a former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl winner with Pittsburgh. Porter also comes from their neck of the woods -- playing his college ball just a few hours away at Penn State.
Now when we combine all of these factors together, we have to add in the fact that he just tested as a 96th percentile athlete at the NFL Scouting Combine. At 6'2 3/8'' and 193 pounds, Porter ran an official 4.46 with a 10-yard split in the 95th percentile. That's remarkable for a player of his size at the CB position.
However, Porter's most impressive trait is his 34'' arms and nearly 81'' wingspan, which will make him one of the longest cornerbacks to ever play in the NFL. In a game of inches, this matters so much. To a wide group of Steelers fans who already wanted Joey Porter Jr., he did nothing to make us think he's not deserving of being selected with the 17th overall pick.