It's finally here. After months of studying draft film and taking notes of every stop Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan made during the scouting trail, the Pittsburgh Steelers will soon be on the clock with their first selection of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Unlike in years past, it was remarkably difficult to narrow in on which position Pittsburgh will look to target first, and I was torn in several directions with my top selection. Offensive tackle and cornerbacks have been their most pressing needs since the beginning.
Remember, these are the selections I believe the Steelers are most likely to make; not necessarily what I would do. With that said, here is the final version of my 2023 seven-round Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft.
Steelers mock draft round 1 (pick 17): OT Broderick Jones
I struggled so much with this pick. Trying to predict where the Steelers would go, I really wanted to say Joey Porter Jr. here. He has been the player connected to this team from day one and for obvious reasons.
At the same time, I know how badly the Steelers would like to land a premier offensive tackle for the first time in forever. This is something that both Omar Khan and Andy Weidl clearly value. When it comes down to it, there are just three tackles under contract. Both starters (Dan Moore Jr. and Chukwuma Okrafor) could stand to be upgraded, and Broderick Jones projects as a long-time starting left tackle.
Paris Johnson Jr. might be the prize for Pittsburgh in Round 1, but if they can't execute a trade-up, Broderick would be a dream at pick 17. Of course, there's no guarantee he makes it this far. Still, the interest is all here as he is just one of two players to earn the Tomlin/Khan Pro Day meeting, a pre-draft visit, and a formal NFL Combine meeting. It may require them to jump up just a few spots to pull this off, but I have the Steelers taking Jones in the first round.
Others considered: CB Joey Porter Jr., OT Darnell Wright, CB Deonte Banks
Steelers mock draft round 2 (pick 32): CB Tyrique Stevenson
Based on the NFL consensus board, this pick seems like a bit of a reach. Most consider Tyrique Stevenson to be a late-second or early third-round pick. However, I think that the NFL is higher on him than the draft media is.
After doing a deep dive into his tape a few weeks back, it's easy to see why the Steelers could be interested in him with the 32nd overall selection. Stevenson is as physical as they come going downhill, and he's not afraid to body up receivers and make their job difficult.
Because of the Miami label, fans are going to be quick to make the Artie Burns connection -- especially because this would not be considered a value pick. However, Stevenson is a much better prospect than Burns in every way. Though his agility testing was poor, he displayed fantastic mirror ability at the Senior Bowl and was the best cornerback in one-on-one drills.
The Steelers will eye a cornerback if they don't take one with their first pick, and Stevenson fits the mold of what this team looks for. I think it's likely that Pittsburgh tries to trade back from pick 32 to accumulate more selections. But for the sake of sticking to the script, I have them going with a cornerback that will be high on their board.
Others considered: CB Cam Smith, CB Darius Rush, DT Mazi Smith, LB Jack Campbell
Steelers mock draft round 2 (pick 49): C John Michael Schmitz
I think many fans will be caught off guard if the Pittsburgh Steelers take an interior offensive lineman in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. However, I don't think it's any coincidence that Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin just so happened to bring in a whopping five early-round interior offensive linemen for pre-draft visits.
Of the five who earned 30 visits from the Steelers, three of them project as center-capable at the next level: John Michael Schmitz, Steve Avila, and Cody Mauch. Schmitz is the only true center of this group, and he was widely regarded as the best center in the nation this past season.
While Schmitz's size (6'3 1/2'', 301 lbs) could scare Pittsburgh a bit after whiffing on Kendrick Green, they know how much better of a prospect Schmitz is. Additionally, Andy Weidl saw how successful an undersized center like Jason Kelce (6'3'', 280 lbs) has been in Philly.
There is clearly a ton of interest in addressing the interior offensive line, and the Steelers are looking for a long-term option at center and an upgrade over Mason Cole. John Michael Schmitz fits the bill and could be ripe for the picking with the 49th overall selection if he's on the board here.
Others considered: OL Cody Mauch, C Luke Wypler, DT Keeanu Benton, LB Trenton Simpson
Steelers mock draft round 3 (pick 80): EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu
We all know how desperately the Pittsburgh Steelers lack quality edge defender depth. After T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, there isn't another noteworthy name at the position on the roster. The team also witnessed what can happen if one of their starters goes down and there isn't a serviceable backup behind him.
For this reason, I think it's possible for Pittsburgh to dip their feet into the edge defender pool even earlier than this. After building their defense around T.J. Watt, the Steelers need to make sure that they have a respectable insurance policy in place. That's where Tuli Tuipulotu comes in.
The USC product has been linked to Pittsburgh in the past. At 6'3 1/4'' and 266 pounds with short 32 1/4'' arms, Tuipulotu won't be a fit for everyone. It's also a little bit scary that he didn't do any athletic testing prior to the NFL Draft. But it's for this reason that the Steelers have a shot at a good football player here.
Tuipulotu had outstanding production this past season with the Trojans with 22.0 tackles for a loss and 13.5 sacks in 14 games. This will be very enticing to Tomlin and Khan. The Steelers also used a pre-draft visit with Tuipulotu this offseason. He would fix the edge depth and is great value at this point.
Others considered: LB Nick Herbig, DT Gervon Dexter Sr., EDGE Zach Harrison, EDGE Isaiah Foskey,
Steelers mock draft round 4 (pick 120): DT Carl Brooks
The further you get into the NFL Draft, the harder it is to predict the direction that the Pittsburgh Steelers may go. This makes sense, as what they do early will dictate which positions they need to address later on. Because I have them skipping out on the interior defensive line in the first three rounds, I have Pittsburgh going with Bowling Green's Karl Brooks.
This is a player the Steelers liked enough to use a pre-draft visit on. Though his skill set is a little redundant with what Pittsburgh already has in DeMarvin Leal, they simply need good football players on the defensive line, and Brooks knows how to get after the quarterback.
Brooks played on the edge a lot at Bowling Green, but he projects as an interior defender in the NFL due to his 6'3'', 303-pound frame and unspectacular athletic traits. To be quite frank, he's a tweener in a bad way.
However, his elite college production and pass-rush savvy will help him make a better-than-expected transition to his new role. This is probably a round too rich for my likely to take a player like Brooks, but the team certainly has an interest here and he could be the pick at 120 overall.
Others considered: TE Luke Schoonmaker, QB Clayton Tune, DT Jaquelin Roy, TE Brenton Strange
Steelers mock draft round 7 (pick 241): S Daniel Scott
The buzz of the Steelers taking a safety early in the 2023 NFL Draft has really died down over the weeks leading up to this point. After signing Keanu Neal, it became clear that Pittsburgh was simply looking to patch the position heading into the draft.
Brian Branch is quite literally the only safety worth considering in the first two rounds this year, as this just isn't a good safety class. Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan recognized that -- which is likely why they wanted to get a pair of veterans signed at the position to pair with Minkah Fitzpatrick.
Still, that may not stop them from throwing a late-round pick at the position. California's Daniel Scott is an athletic safety who could offer some versatility if he sticks around. As a late seventh-round draft choice, Scott would be asked to contribute on special teams.
At this point in the draft, you are simply looking for players who will have a chance to stick on the roster. Pittsburgh was willing to use a valuable 30-visit on Scott, so there will be at least some interest in taking him late on Day 3.
Others considered: WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, OG Andrew Vorhees, QB Max Duggan, TE Brayden Willis
Steelers mock draft round 7 (pick 251): QB Max Duggan
I never understood why the Pittsburgh Steelers used a second pick on a quarterback last year. After taking Kenny Pickett at pick 20, Kevin Colbert elected to double up with Chris Oladokun at pick 241 in the seventh round. This was knowing that Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph were both under contract and not going anywhere.
This time around, it makes a lot more sense to nab a quarterback at the tail end of the draft. With just Pickett and Trubisky under contract, the Steelers have room for a third QB, and using a pick on that player as opposed to signing one in free agency would save them money on a very cheap seventh-round rookie deal.
Max Duggan could be off the board at this point. The TCU product has a very limited ceiling in the NFL, but that's okay. They could use a smart player with lots of college experience to come in and act as the scout-team QB for Pittsburgh.
While Pittsburgh could take a flyer on a late-round athlete at another position, a QB has a legitimate chance to crack the final roster if the Steelers use a pick on one. Whether that is Duggan or someone else, don't be surprised if Tomlin and Khan decide to go this route.