With it officially being April, the Steelers are in full gear to get their draft prep right. By the end of this month, they will have welcomed their rookie class. Following a busy, albeit confusing, free agency period, this team needs to hit another home run in the draft like they did a year ago.
I wanted to take some time to prepare for the worst though. With it being April Fool's Day, I wanted to create my worst-case scenario mock draft. What is really horrific about this draft is just how realistic it seems. These are all players that have received some sort of interest from the team or fill holes in the worst way possible.
Let me be clear, this isn’t what I want to see happen, but it certainly could if my nightmares become reality. This will also be focused on why the picks would be bad and less so on the prospect as a whole. It’s April Fools, so let's have some fun!
Steelers mock draft round 1: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
As time has progressed through this pre-draft process, I am less and less convinced that this team needs to use their first-round pick on a center. If there was a can’t miss prospect in this class it would be one thing, but I tend to think that the centers will fall in this draft and the Steelers could land a viable starter in round two.
While I would be mildly disappointed with a center in the first round, I will be furious if they opt to take Zach Frazier with that pick. That isn’t to say I dislike the prospect, I don’t, but his tape is in a league below the top two names at the position, and I don’t think he is worth the pick in the first round.
I do think Frazier has a long career as a good-not-great center, but you can very likely get him in the second round. As a whole, I think a center in round two is the best game plan, but if this team feels inclined to take one in the first and it is Frazier, I will be dumbfounded.
Steelers mock draft round 2: Xavier Worthey, WR, Texas
There is one specific archetype of receiver I am trying to avoid, and they have become fairly common in the college game. These are the bigger outside receivers who thrive on contested catches. For every George Pickens, you have about three Chase Claypools. Even when you can remain relevant as Pickesn did in his second season, it was because he got better as a separator and sharper as a route runner. When your calling card is jump-ball or bust, against NFL cornerbacks, you are likely going to struggle.
Xavier Worthey is not that, as he is slightly smaller and certainly can separate. His record-breaking forty-yard dash is evidence of that. The issue with me comes down to his size. While he is plenty tall enough to play outside receiver, he weighed in light at the combine. 165 pounds is thin for his frame and makes one wonder if he will be able to hold up at the pro level.
Even if he can, that light of a frame for an outside receiver is a concern. He will constantly face cornerbacks with 20-30-pound weight advantages over him. If he bulks up, he loses some of that speed that you are drafting him for. I don’t see the hupe here, and I think there are a lot of better receivers out there for this team to target.
Steelers mock draft round 3: DeWayne Carter, DE, Duke
One of the more underrated needs on this team, the defensive line is lacking some long-term names right now. While Keeanu Benton should be a fixture here for the foreseeable future, no other name can boast that. Cam Heyward is nearing the end of his career, Larry Ogunjobi has been a mediocre signing, and while Dean Lowry is a great rotational player, he can’t be counted on as more than a depth player.
Where the Steelers need to tread cautiously is taking a lineman that actually fits their system well. They haven’t been doing that in recent years. Ogunjobi has never been a perfect scheme fit, Isaiahh Loudermilk has a weird build, and DeMarvin Leal lacks the traditional size and length for this role.
The college game is getting smaller, making it hard to find traditional tall, long, and heavier ends. DeWayne Carter is built in that smaller mold. While I think he can have a successful career as an interior player, he doesn’t fit this scheme. There are a few names this year in the middle of the draft that fit the Steelers style, so it would be foolish to get another player that doesn’t fit the size that this team wants in their ends.
Steelers mock draft round 3: Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane
The Steelers have had quite the eventful quarterback room changes this offseason. Every player from the room last season has left. In their place have been the high-profile additions of Justin Fields and Russell Wilson. While Wilson shouldn’t be seen as anything more than a stopgap, Fields could be here for a few seasons. Behind them now is a veteran backup in Kyle Allen.
I am relatively against the idea of taking a mid-round quarterback unless you are looking for a backup. Hitting on a quarterback is hard to begin with, but when you get out of the first rounds the odds greatly deteriorate. More often than not, these guys flame out. On occasion, you get the success story, but for the most part, this is a desperate move that doesn’t pay off.
I do like some of the tape that Michael Pratt has from college, but he will be transitioning to playing better talent and I struggle to see him becoming elite. He has some traits as a backup, but that is where it starts and stops for me. With so many other names in the quarterback room right now, it makes it hard to invest in another quarterback, especially this early.
Steelers mock draft round 4: Beau Brade, S, Maryland
The Steelers are in need of a slot defender, as their roster is devoid of a good option there. They relied on Chandon Sullivan and Patrick Peterson for most of last year, and neither are on the roster anymore. Since Mike Hilton, this room has been a revolving door of mediocre names, and this year would be a great time to better the position.
There are still some quality nickel defenders in free agency, and this draft class also has quite a few sound names to invest in for the long term. That said, if the Steelers decide to wait, they could get desperate for the position. That is what Beau Brade is to me: a desperation jab at filling this void.
Taking him and having him play in the slot would be akin to when the team tried to put Antoine Brooks. Both players have some similarities, and Brade would be another low-end slot option for this team. The only difference is that he would be on a multi-year contract. An upgrade needs to be had here, and Brade isn’t that.
Steelers mock draft round 6: Trente Jones, OT, Michigan
I am infatuated with this offensive tackle class. Usually a coveted position with only a few good options, the entire draft has extreme depth at the position. It isn’t impossible that the team could land a top prospect at pick 20, and even day two has some intriguing developmental fits that could pay dividends long-term.
My fear, and it plays out in this mock draft, is that this team ignores the rare depth at the position and takes a late-round pick to add to the room. Even worse in this case is Trente Jones, as he doesn’t have the usual size that the team wants on top of being a raw player.
This draft is the rare opportunity to add a perfect body type to the position with the potential to develop into a starter. Even if you miss out on one of the elite players, day two has a bunch of options that could work. Instead, they wait and take a poor fit for their style. This would be a huge mistake in one of the most important positions.
Steelers mock draft round 6: Tory Taylor, P, Iowa
I really struggled to find a bad fit for this last pick. It is hard to complain about the last few rounds of the draft. While I justified the first sixth-round pick by the team actively ignoring a position, finding an issue here was a lot harder.
After having invested in the punter position in free agency, it would be frustrating to see the team draft a punter as well. Even though Tory Taylor is seen as the best punter in this draft class, there is no need to use a draft pick at the position at this point.
By all accounts, this draft would crush me as a Steelers fan. While some needs are filled, talent is sacrificed for needs, and a lot of the fits are poor. I certainly hope that this class only makes an appearance on April Fools and isn’t replicated at the end of the month.