Trying to gauge what every NFL team will do in the first round is nearly impossible, but we are reaching the end of the mock draft season. The Steelers hold pick 17 in the first round of the draft, but they have an exciting second day of the weekend. They hold two selections in the second round and their original pick in the third round of the upcoming draft.
Lots of trade speculation has started to run rampant around town, and Omar Khan keeps giving everyone reason to believe it. He has not been afraid to pull the trigger on trades throughout his young tender as the general manager of this football team. He just completed a deal to acquire Allen Robinson, but he still might make some moves when the draft starts.
Center could be an interesting option for the Steelers on day two
One position that could gain some traction over the next week or so leading up to the draft is the center position on the offensive line. John Michael Schmitz is the top prospect at that spot for this draft class and that is the consensus opinion among evaluators. This Minnesota product visited Pittsburgh with one of their 30 pre-draft visits.
Not being present for his pro day could be a red flag for this prospect, but he would be a great selection to kick off the second night of the draft, if he is still available. He should be in consideration there even though Mason Cole will be the starting center this season. Schmitz would be brought in to provide tremendous interior offensive line depth and wait a year before becoming the starting center for this front.
Continued investment into the trenches will be an option on day two
Most media attention has gone to the offensive side of the trenches for the black and gold, but there are plenty of needs to go around. The defensive line is somewhere that the Steelers have neglected to add an impactful player from outside the organization. Re-signing Larry Ogunjobi was huge and adding Breiden Fehoko and Armon Watts will provide competition for different roles along the defensive trenches.
There will be plenty of big-name guys available to upgrade on the defensive line on day two of the draft. Unless the Steelers trade up for Jalen Carter, it seems more likely than not that the club will try to address this need on the second day of the draft festivities. The new front office led by Khan has not been messing around when it comes to trying their best to reinvest and fix the front groups of this team.
Keeanu Benton makes a lot of sense as the connection between him and Pittsburgh has been strong throughout the pre-draft process. Some other names that will likely be available on the second day of the draft that will likely interest the Steelers are Mazi Smith and Gervon Dexter. Both can play nose tackle immediately and can develop into solid defensive ends behind Cam Heyward and Ogunjobi moving forward.
Adding an EDGE rusher through the draft makes a lot of sense
Bringing back Bud Dupree to this organization seemed to make a ton of sense for both parties. He came to town for a visit and most thought that he would not leave Pittsburgh without signing a new contract. That never materialized and Dupree left town to sign with the Atlanta Falcons to prove himself as a starter again, and hopefully cash in during free agency next year.
That loss on the free agency market still leaves the Steelers with a giant hole at outside linebacker behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. The depth at outside linebacker was routinely tested during Watt's departure due to injury last season. Taking someone at the position in the upcoming draft has become more and more likely as this issue has not been addressed yet.
Tuli Tuipulotu is someone that the black and gold have shown a lot of interest in, and he should be available on day two. Felix Anudike-Uzomah is another name that has been connected to the Steelers during the pre-draft process. Perhaps no one has seen more interest in their direction regarding Pittsburgh than Will McDonald IV as Mike Tomlin seems to love this edge rusher out of Iowa State. It would make a lot of sense for one of the three picks on day two to be one of these prospects.
Linebacker might not be the biggest need but the Steelers might take one
Even though this position has been widely addressed throughout free agency, it is safe to say that the Steelers could still use an upgrade. Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts are not a formidable duo as your only starters at this current juncture of the offseason. Those additions have put this need on the back burner for now, which just takes the pressure off reaching for a position of need when the draft rolls around.
Many would love to see the black and gold fix this issue once and for all, but that might not be something that happens. Unless someone falls to them on day two or three of the draft, it seems more likely than not that they will try to concentrate on other needs ahead of this one. Middle linebacker has been a tough position to evaluate for the Steelers in recent years and they hope to stop it this time around.
There could be some interesting names to monitor when day two of the draft comes around. The top three middle linebackers will likely still be available when the second day starts as this class is not as strong as years prior. Jack Campbell, Trenton Simpson, and Daiyan Henley are all interesting prospects that should be immediate upgrades over the current guys on this roster.
Cornerback will be high on the to-do list if it is not addressed on night one of the draft
There could potentially be multiple picks invested into the secondary for Pittsburgh during the first half of the draft. Cornerback could very well be addressed in the first round, but that position gets valued highly as the first night gets closer. Joey Porter Jr., Deonte Banks, and Christian Gonzalez could be up for consideration on night one if they last until pick 17.
Otherwise, it seems like tackle could be the top selection in the upcoming draft, which would make cornerback a top choice on the second day. There are some interesting names that should be available on the second day of the draft, which should provide for upgrades and an injection of youth into a room that needs both.
Julius Brents could be an interesting name to watch late in the second round or if he falls to the third round. He is coming off a great pre-draft process and provides great size that the Steelers would surely like to see. D.J. Turner is a cornerback that has not gotten a lot of media attention leading up to the draft, but Pittsburgh had a lot of top brass at the Michigan pro day. Tyrique Stevenson is someone that is rumored to be thought of highly by the Steelers and he would be a great choice in the second round.