Steelers mock draft: Wishes come true for Pittsburgh in final 2023 NFL Draft

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