It is mock draft season for the Pittsburgh Steelers fan base and mostly all others throughout the NFL currently. All but four teams have nothing to play for and in the next few months, speculations will swarm surrounding which players are the right fits in specific organizations. Pittsburgh has needs all over the field and after a 7-2 finish to the season and a relatively easy schedule in 2023, as far as the eye tests go, the draft could make a huge difference right away. It is anybody's guess which direction general manager, Omar Khan and the franchise will go early on come April.
Steelers General Manager, Omar Khan sternly looks in the distance on the field prior to a game. | Photo Credit: George Gojkovich / Getty Images
Many have speculated on whether the team will go after a former teammate of quarterback, Kenny Pickett. Wide receiver, Jordan Addison played with Pickett at the University of Pittsburgh and the connection between Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase for the Cincinnati Bengals has been so successful that a reunion for the Steelers could spark a dangerous connection.
While the band getting back together could relieve the challenge of building a rapport, wide receiver is not at the top of the list for the Steelers in terms of needs. They could absolutely address the position late in the draft, but another former Panther could be available at #17 or at the first pick in the second round (#32).
Calijah Kancey smirks on the field as a member of the Panthers at the University of Pittsburgh. | Photo credit: Joe Sargent / Getty Images
Calijah Kancey, an interior defensive lineman, has been mocked as high as #10 by ESPN's Mel Kiper and as low as out of the first round by some other outlets. The bottom line is that the guy can flat-out play football and the Steelers are in desperate need of someone to make an immediate impact on the inside in 2023.
Kancey's stock dramatically rose in 2022. He had 31 total tackles and a shocking percentage of them were for a loss. He ended up with 14.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. He was an offensive line and quarterback's nightmare. He has been a force on the inside all three years at Pitt and just like Pickett, the Steelers have a familiarity with him due to where he has played in collegiate football.
The unanimous All-American selection could give an instant boost to a unit that currently only has four players on the books for 2023. The run defense was much better in 2022 compared to the season prior but still faltered at the end of certain matchups. A young and fresh set of legs paired with the dominant force that is Cameron Heyward could wreak havoc on opposing offenses.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle, Cam Heyward (#97) participates and laughs during the 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
It's apparent that the Steelers' offense is still a long way away from competing at an elite level against NFL defenses. Going forward, it will be imperative that the defense continues to step up, as it did late in 2022, to ensure that the team is in every game that they play next season. The addition of Kancey would provide more depth as well as a guy with an enormous upside. As a bonus, he already knows his way around the building.
Would you support the addition of Kancey via the draft in a few months? Let us know in the comments below!
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