With the Steelers having been on a bye week, I wanted to take some time to assess the current state of this roster and address what needs this team has in a mock draft. While early, I tried to line up the potential needs of this team with players that make sense in their respective rounds. For reference, I used PFN’s mock draft simulator to ensure picks are logical at this stage of the season.
This roster needs a lot of work. Both trenches still need top talent, and I’m not settled on the quarterback position yet, especially with a deep class on paper at the position. Other positions, such as receiver and cornerback, need to be retooled for the future. With that all said, here is an early Steelers mock draft for 2024.
While the offensive line can and should continue to be the focus of the team’s top draft capital. Unless the team lands a top 15 pick though, the elite linemen will likely be off the board. So, I pivoted my target and drafted defensive lineman Maason Smith out of LSU.
The Steelers like a specific type of defensive linemen as their ends. Taller and longer bodies are harder to come by though, but Smith fills that void. While not a stat monster at LSU, he is easily the best lineman who commands the most focus from opposing offenses.
He has a wide array of pass-rush moves already and plays with great strength. His run defense needs to be refined, but he has stretches of dominance. He will need some time to refine his ability, but he has all of the tools to become a dominant lineman and help replace some of the aging veterans on this team.