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.
Steelers mock draft round 2: Zach Frazier, C, West Virginia
The center class, like last year, lacks a true top name, but there are a slew of day-two options that can start soon and play for a long time. While I would be ok with a handful of names at this level, one of my early crushes has been Zach Frazier.
While West Virginia hasn’t been the football juggernaut it used to be, Frazier has developed into one of the nation's top centers there. What pops out on tape is his power, as he anchors the middle of the line and generates a strong push in the run game. This also allows him to stand up to some strong interior linemen and hold his own.
While not a flashy athlete, Frazier benefits from playing technically sound football, and when you add in his pure strength, you have a hard-nosed football player you can’t help but root for. With Mason Cole likely on his way out, Frazier can be a plug-and-play center given his experience and talent.
He lacks the potential of some of the other names in this class, but he makes up for it with a high floor. Adding him completes the line rebuild, as every position will have been addressed and upgraded. Center is arguably the Steelers biggest need, and Frazier would go a long way in upgrading that spot for the future.
Steelers mock draft round 3: Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
Another one of my early draft crushes, Junior Colson is a throwback-style linebacker with the potential to develop into an every-down player. He weighs in at 6’3 and nearly 250 pounds, but you wouldn’t be able to guess that based on his athleticism. He plays sideline to sideline and has a knack for holding his own in coverage.
Colson is your classic downhill thumper. He uses his size and speed to punish runners in the box, and he always likes to deliver the big hit. He has good instincts in coverage, and while that is a developing area of his game, he does better than most players his size. Assuming those skills continue to improve, he could be an every-down linebacker sooner rather than later.
His biggest concerns lie in his tackling. While delivering the big hit is great, he can fail to wrap up at times and his technique can be sloppy. Luckily, that is a problem that can be coached. He also isn’t a great blitzer despite his size, which could cause some issues with his Steelers fit long-term. Both of those issues are small though, and Colson’s talent is worth those risks.
Linebacker isn’t the biggest need assuming everyone comes back healthy, but Elandon Roberts likely won’t be here past 2024 and Cole Holcomb is a good-not-great option. Colson can slowly grow into a role and become an impact player in the future.
Steelers mock draft round 4: Jaden Hicks, S, Washington St.
Safety became a bit of a mess for the Steelers this season. The hope was for the combination of Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee to handle the starting role and supplement Minkah Fitzpatrick. Mixed play, injuries, and suspension derailed that, and it seemed like a new face was constantly rotating in at safety every week.
I’d rather see the Steelers land an every-down strong safety, and the middle rounds of the draft have proven to be a good spot to find those guys. The same can be said this year, so I take Jaden Hicks out of Washington St. in the fourth round.
While Hicks lacks the coverage skills to be an elite deep safety, he has the size and physicality to play in the box and closer to the line of scrimmage. While not an uber athlete, he plays hard every down and is never not involved in the play. While coverage isn’t his strength, he matches up well with physical targets and tight ends given his willingness to play so physically.
Hicks reminds me of a more unathletic Terrell Edmunds. No, he won’t completely change this defense, but he could provide a stable face in the secondary and a viable run defender in the box. Getting a player like that on day three is a no-brainer, and his fit with this defense seems almost perfect on paper.
Steelers mock draft round 4: Ainias Smith, WR, Texas A&M
This offense sputtered down the stretch due to a lack of weapons. While Diontae Johnson and George Pickens are both bonafide stars and Pat Freiermuth can do some damage over the middle of the field, there needs to be another compliment to this offense. Calvin Austin is more of a vertical threat while Allen Robinson, assuming he isn’t cut, is a possession receiver with some size.
Ainias Smith is a classic catch-short, run-long type of receiver. He lacks the size to be a consistent outside option, but he can do some damage out of the slot and on screens. He has a knack for making the first guy miss, and when he gets into open space he can be deadly to an opposing defense.
The worst aspect of his game is his vertical ability. His size makes him a poor contested catch receiver, and he struggles to track the ball on deep-go routes. He will have to do most of his damage in the short and intermediate part of the field.
Considering the amount of vertical options in this offense though, that shouldn’t be a huge deal. Add in his ability in the run game and you can easily scheme him some touches. He adds another element to this offense, and he could become a stable weapon underneath as the rest of the team continues to excel on deeper routes.
Steelers mock draft round 6: Gabe Hall, DE, Baylor
I would love for the Steelers to land a prototypical defensive end in this draft class, as I think their defense is missing it. Cameron Heyward is another year older and can’t be counted on for many more seasons. Keeanu Benton was arguably the best rookie from the team’s class, but he profiles as a hybrid nose tackle that can also play on the end. Larry Ogunjobi has been a disappointment since joining the team.
Unfortunately, this draft class doesn’t have a lot of the classic Steelers defensive ends. Most of the options are shorter, lighter, penetrating interior options, and we haven’t seen great success from those types with the Steelers. With this being a sixth-round pick, I decided to find someone who fits the type and hope to develop them.
Gabe Hall is just that player, as he measures in at 6’6 and roughly 290 pounds. He wasn’t extremely productive at Baylor, but he has all of the potential to develop into something for this defense. He is a freak athlete for his size, has extremely good strength for a lineman, and plays extremely hard when on the field.
He lacks any sort of technique, but if given the time to work through his kinks, he has starter potential. He seems to be a boom-or-bust player. If he can’t refine his game, he likely won’t make it long in the league. That said, I’m willing to take that kind of risk in the sixth round.
Steelers mock draft round 7: Donte Kent, CB, Central Michigan
I purposely neglected the cornerback room in this draft, as I am willing to take a risk with the players on the roster holding their own. Joey Porter is locked into a starting role, and ideally, this team gets a better slot option on the roster. From there, they have another outside opening, and I would love to see what Darius Rush or Cory Trice can do there.
To round out this draft though, I do land a cornerback for this team. Donte Kent doesn’t have the freakish size this team has coveted in recent years, but he plays with a lot of feistiness. He has plus coverage abilities and has shown the ability to blitz out of his cornerback spot.
While he mostly played outside in school, I think he could shift to more of a slot role as a pro. There, his physicality can shine and he can still use his coverage skills on passing downs. Mostly ignoring cornerback is a risk, but I’m willing to take it given the makeup of this roster.
The Steelers have a lot of needs this offseason, and while this draft doesn’t address all of them, it sets up the foundation for the future. The line should be a better unit while the defense gets some more pieces to work with. Long-term, I think this sets up the team for success.