Steelers mock draft: Pittsburgh boosts their average weight in the trenches

Steelers mock draft round 2 (via CHI): DT Mazi Smith

Even after retaining Larry Ogunjobi on a pretty expensive contract, the Pittsburgh Steelers seem to be very interested in adding defensive tackle help early in the draft. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan were on hand at Clemson's Pro Day for Bryan Bresee before making their way to Michigan to watch Mazi Smith.

Smith is a more traditional nose tackle than this team has had in quite some time. However, that could be just what they are looking for. After watching Montravius Adams and Tyson Alualu fail miserably trying to defend the run this past season, Pittsburgh might be done goofing around with players who aren't ideal fits as '1' techniques and '0' techniques.

This is where Smith comes in. At 6'2 3/4'' and 323 pounds, Smith is bigger than Casey Hampton coming out of school back in 2001. As a [ass rusher, Mazi still has a ton of work to do and his production was really lacking. However, Smith graded out as one of the best run defenders in college football.

At 21 years old, the Steelers could fall in love with the upside of a player like Mazi Smith as a potentially long-term defensive tackle and nose tackle for Pittsburgh. If stopping the run is an emphasis, there's a strong chance they consider Smith if he falls to the 32nd ovearll pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.