With free agency about to bring a wealth of new talent to the Steelers roster over the coming weeks, the needs in the draft will change. It seems like Pittsburgh will have some form of moderate activity when they can sign free agents hitting the open market. With that in mind, this article was written before the start of free agency.
Certain positions have gotten a lot of attention from the black and gold during the pre-draft process. They seem to want to target receiver, cornerback, center, tackle, and defensive line. It could always change depending on what they do in terms of cap casualties and different free agents that they bring in. With those things in mind, this mock draft saw the Steelers get aggressive with their selections.
Steelers mock draft round 1: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
Night one of the NFL Draft comes around and the Steelers need a center. It is one of the gaping holes on their roster. Jackson Powers-Johnson is seen as the top center in the class and probably the lone option in round one worth taking. Pittsburgh waits until pick 20, but sadly Powers-Johnson goes a couple of picks before then.
Instead of going best player available, they decide to stick to their guns and select Zach Frazier. We know that the team has a top 30 visit with the club, but that is considered local since Frazier attended West Virginia. It would be considered a reach at 20, but the trade-back offers were nothing great. Omar Khan decides to stick with the pick and get their starting center.
Reports have the black and gold being in love with this prospect, and if they believe in him that much then this isn't an "overdraft". Frazier has a ton of starting experience at center and would have likely shot up draft boards if his health was back to 100%. The health concern shouldn't be an issue by the time training camp comes around, and Frazier is a plug-and-play starter to anchor their offensive line.