We are roughly two weeks away from the start of the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. The Steelers hold the 17th pick in the top round of the event and will follow that with six other selections. Those will take place between the second and third day of draft weekend. Night one will hold the first round, the second day will be rounds two and three, and the third day will be rounds four through seven.
That will then kick into undrafted free agency as teams try to sign some players to different positions that they could not select in the draft. Pittsburgh still has a lot of preparation to do before the draft starts in the coming weeks. The Steelers could be creative and move back to secure some talent at reasonable locations in the event.
TRADE: Steelers receive pick 25 and cornerback, Adoree' Jackson. Giants receive pick 17.
Pick 17 comes around for the Steelers and some of the receivers start to fly off the board early. Pittsburgh gets a call from the New York Giants, and they covet Zay Flowers enough to move up eight spots to select him. They offer a starting cornerback with Adoree' Jackson and their pick at 25. That offer was too hard to pass on even though Jackson has a high cap number this season, but that astronomically sinks next year.
Getting an extra pick in the draft would have been the icing on the cake for Omar Khan and company but this is a fair deal. It takes away their massive need at cornerback and they upgrade over Cam Sutton after he left in free agency. Jackson has scored extremely well on pro football focus throughout his career and will be the top guy for the Steelers as long as he stays healthy.
Steelers mock draft round 1: OT Dawand Jones
The black and gold move back eight spots in the first round and must wait again once the trade goes through the league office. Again, the long wait to hear the Steelers selection on night one comes back to focus as prospects go pick by pick. Finally, the 25th selection of the first-round rolls around, and Pittsburgh is laser-focused on making the pick.
There are some interesting options on the board that could be the pick, but this front office sticks to their guns. Most of the offseason has been geared toward getting bigger and better in the trenches. That thought process does not falter here as the club still decides to invest highly into the tackle position this time around.
Dawand Jones out of Ohio State is the top choice by the black and gold this year. It checks off all the pre-draft boxes that this club has historically looked for in their top selections. He is a massive human that should create headaches for defenders at the next level. He could play either left or right tackle, but he will be an upgrade on either side. Ideally, he will be the upgrade over Dan Moore Jr. on the left side, but finding a starter on either side will pay immediate dividends.
Steelers mock draft round 2: OC John Michael Schmitz
Entering day two of the draft provides a bunch of different opportunities for this organization. They could always look to double dip into the trade back bin, but they do not find many of quality offers. They decide to stick with the top choice and go with a top center in the draft after he fell out of the first round. Many might not see center as a need with the roster's current construction, but it is an underlying issue.
Mason Cole is the starter and will likely hold that spot this season unless an injury happens. He was solid last year, but there are upgrades out there that the Steelers should consider. Adding John Michael Schmitz here provides a starter for next year and fantastic depth that can push for Cole's starting spot immediately. Retooling the offensive line continues here, and the odd trade rumors surrounding James Daniels could flare up after a pick like this.
Steelers mock draft round 2: DT Gervon Dexter
Upgrading on both sides of the ball when it comes to the trenches has been top priority. Pittsburgh has neglected certain spots on the defensive line to date, but that ends here by taking Gervon Dexter out of Florida. The ideal pick around this point would be Keeanu Benton, but he was selected three picks prior to this one.
Dexter is a great consolation prize as he can slide into the nose tackle role with relative ease. He is a solid run defender, but his pass rush is something that leaves some meat left on the bone. He is a big-bodied lineman that should be able to improve at the next level with proper coaching.
Steelers mock draft round 3: LB Daiyan Henley
Even though most hope the Steelers address linebacker early in the draft, that might not be a realistic expectation depending on how the board falls. The addition of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts via free agency has taken this need off the hot seat in the first round or two. Pittsburgh gets lucky and Daiyan Henley falls to their third-round selection, which they use on him.
The Steelers have not spent a lot of time with Henley throughout the pre-draft process, which could bring this selection into question. Many do not believe that Henley will be here at this juncture of the event, so this could create a reason for an exception. He is a speedy linebacker that can cover when called upon and thump someone in the run game as well.
Steelers mock draft round 4: S Ji'Ayir Brown
Safety is another position that is taken off the front burner and put towards the back as free agency filled a need. Keanu Neal was signed to be a starting capable safety for this defense for the upcoming season. He was signed to a two-year contract, which normally means that he will play a good chunk of snaps.
Ji'Ayir Brown gets on another mock draft as he makes a ton of sense, especially at this point in the selection process. He could push Neal for the starting spot at strong safety on day one, but he could also play special teams and learn behind a starter as well. The Steelers were well represented at the Penn State pro day, and do not think for a second that they were only there to look at Joey Porter Jr.
Steelers mock draft round 7: EDGE/DE Karl Brooks
Getting into the late portions of the draft normally means position coaches will battle for selections here. That will obviously not be the determining factor, but it does allow certain coaches to get a chance to speak up for a certain prospect they like. Karl Brooks finally hears his name called in the seventh round after a couple of hundred picks before him.
It was kind of shocking to see Brooks still available this late into the draft, but the Steelers will not question it. This defensive end has lined up as an outside linebacker type by standing up and with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end. This position flexibility could kill two birds with one stone for Pittsburgh, or they could be open minded and see what is best for Brooks to succeed.
Steelers mock draft round 7: QB Aidan O'Connell
Do not be shocked when this organization takes a quarterback in the draft. Mason Rudolph wants to be gone, even though it seems like no one in the NFL wants him currently. He could always re-sign eventually, but the Steelers are doing some due diligence on this quarterback class coming out of the collegiate ranks.
Clayton Thune would make a lot of sense if he was available, but he was selected earlier. Aidan O'Connell is the pick here as he is a high-floor and low-ceiling kind of player. The Steelers need someone that can develop into a solid backup signal caller behind Kenny Pickett after this season, and O'Connell should fit that bill.