Many different things can happen between now and when the draft kicks off in late April. Prospects will rise on boards and some others will fall. Some news will break about issues regarding certain players that will either help their draft cause or make it a nightmare. Plenty of scenarios will play out over the next several months.
Draft needs will also change and that is something the Steelers will have to keep in mind. They still have to solve their current cap situation which has them sitting roughly seven million over the cap. They will need to get that number down before they move on to free agency. Their roster could look totally different by the time they have to make decisions during the draft process.
Trade! Pittsburgh pulls off a trade on night one of the draft
We have a trade to announce! On the first night of the draft, Pittsburgh sits back and watches the first 19 picks roll through. They are willing to work the phones and see if any offers reach their expectations. Eventually, the Cowboys come calling as they see a player they feel the need to trade up for.
Dallas makes a significant offer here and is willing to swap their second-round choice for the Steelers' second pick in the fourth round. That is a significant haul just to move up four selections in the first round. Pittsburgh quickly agrees there as they will now have two second-round picks for another draft class.
This trade-back allows the Steelers plenty of flexibility moving forward. They can add another position of need and figure out a trade up if they see fit. There are plenty of holes to fill across the roster, so a move back could be a good option if the draft board falls a certain way. This mock draft starts off strong with this trade.
Steelers stay aggressive by adding some physical offensive lineman with their first two picks
Three picks have gone by since the trade back and the Steelers are back on the clock. Plenty of good options are still available for the black and gold to choose from. They settle on a different route than usual and take Kingsley Suamataia out of BYU. He is a material at right tackle and instantly upgrades the Steelers front.
Chuks Okorafor will likely be gone as a cap casualty. Ideally, Pittsburgh wants Broderick Jones at right tackle, and another option to be the starter on the right side. This would slide Dan Moore Jr. into a backup role. It would be an instant upgrade at tackle for this team and boost the offensive line. They end up investing a first round pick into both tackle positions in back-to-back years.
Seems a little early here for Zach Frazier at the moment. He will probably rank as the third-best center option in the draft when it is all said and done. Both Jackson Powers-Johnson and Sedrick Van Pran are gone by this pick. The Steelers stick to their gut and take Frazier. He should be able to fit right into what Pittsburgh wants to accomplish as an anchor to their offensive line.
He should come in and challenge Mason Cole for the starting center job on day one. Frazier is a tough prospect coming out of West Virginia, and the Steelers will like that local connection. Frazier should be someone on the rise as the draft process plays out. He is currently projected as a potential third-round option, but the Steelers worry about missing out and take him here.
A Big Trade for a Quarterback in this Mock Draft hits in Round three
T.J. Tampa gets the call from Mike Tomlin and he's good value at this juncture of the draft. We know Tomlin and company spent a lot of time at the Iowa State Pro Day last year to see other prospects. It's likely that they did talk to Tampa a good amount and could carry that over to this draft cycle. Tomlin and Omar Khan love to be active during Pro Days, so keep an eye on Iowa State.
Joey Porter Jr. was outstanding during his rookie campaign, but he needs help on the opposite outside corner spot. Tampa would jump into that role, if not immediately then sooner rather than later. He has good size and athletic ability at the position. Another nice upgrade for the Steelers here as they try and move past Levi Wallace and company from last season.
A huge trade here as Pittsburgh shows they're willing to move on from Kenny Pickett. They get Justin Fields to jump in and challenge Pickett for the tip spot during the preseason. Fields hasn't had a good track record as a starter yet, but at this price, it's worth the gamble. The Steelers don't have to give up much and they get a guy that could bloom outside of Chicago.
Making this move would be something Chicago had to decide upon. They ended up taking Caleb Williams first overall. That made Fields request a trade and Pittsburgh swooped in on day two of the draft to get a trade done. Another trade in this mock draft as the Steelers try to figure out a future quarterback option.
Some depth pieces secure some spots on the roster for the Steelers
Right after the Steelers trade for Fields, they kick off their final day of the draft by taking Michael Pratt out of Tulane. It's a small school and Pratt is coming out as a Junior, but he has put up solid numbers in college. He will probably end up being a backup option, but Pittsburgh needs a long-term quarterback in that role.
This means that Pickett and Fields would battle for the starting spot and the loser would hold the backup spot. Pratt will be in the third-string position but could elevate from there with a solid preseason and practices beyond that. This mock draft scenario rebuilt the Steelers entire quarterback situation for this upcoming season.
Building back into the trenches here, but this time on the defensive side of the ball. Tyler Davis is the pick here and someone the Steelers will hopefully be able to mold further. Davis is a solid run defender and has some great raw abilities that could turn into a high upside if he develops.
Davis struggles to rush the passer for the most part and can't really finish in that department. He could remind some of Keeanu Benton in some regards, but Davis is more raw. He would be a nice developmental depth piece to get an expanding role as time tolls on.
Pittsburgh rounds out this mock draft with a couple of defensive players
Edge rusher isn't something that seems like a need right now. Nick Herbig has been doing great things as a rookie and one would have to imagine Markus Golden should be re-signed. If he isn't, then this position could very well be in the cards for Pittsburgh to draft this offseason. Keep an eye on some late day three options that could be available.
They take Xavier Thomas out of Clemson and he is a project kind of player. The coaches will have to get the most out of him through technique. He has a lot of physical skill sets that you can't teach, which is a positive. He needs a lot of work at the next level to not solely rely on those traits to get him success.
Bud Clark rounds out this mock draft as the final selection by the Steelers. He has been highly productive in college, and that will entice some teams. He does need some work in a couple of areas of his game as he enters the NFL. When players are chosen this late, most of them will have to figure out different ways of sticking to the team as they develop further.
He makes a lot of plays in coverage, but he does gamble at times. He does seem to make some hiccups defending against the run and tackling. Clark will need to clean that up at the next level. A good get here this late in the draft as he will compete at safety for a variety of roles both on special teams and defense.