The Steelers season is officially over, and all eyes are rightfully on the offseason. While the draft is still ages away, I wanted to give my first official crack at a mock with the team officially having the 20th pick in the draft.
This team has a lot of needs, and while I will structure my mocks differently as the offseason progresses, my focus is solely on the future with this one. I don’t see this team seriously being in contention right now, and I don’t think they are in a spot to make a considerable move up for a quarterback.
Because of this, I want to draft based on talent alone to help fill out this roster while also giving the young players on the depth chart currently a chance to prove their worth. This class may not yield a Super Bowl next season, but it sets the groundwork for getting this team back into the elite category of the NFL.
Steelers mock draft round 1: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
While one could argue that tackle isn’t the biggest need on this roster, I really want to have a stable line by the time this team finds their quarterback of the future. Dan Moore has been serviceable at times, but he clearly lacks the ability to be an elite tackle. This draft class is deep at tackle like last year was, and I want to take advantage.
JC Latham is the prototype of what the Steelers like in a tackle. He has rare size at 6’6 and over 360 pounds. Despite all of that mass, he is an athlete and is expected to test well at the combine. Add in his youth and mauling nature and it looks like a dream fit for the team.
Latham would likely stick to the right side as well, allowing Broderick Jones to move back to his more natural left tackle spot. This gives the Steelers a pair of talented, developing tackles that can open up the run game and hold their own against the pass. While not necessarily the biggest need, taking advantage of one of the strengths of this class in the first makes a lot of sense.