Who doesn't love a good mock draft? The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a crucial next few months as the NFL Draft in April gets closer. There are needs all across the board for the organization and with three picks in the top 50, there are a number of different avenues that general manager, Omar Khan could go down in a few months. The Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator is a great tool to put oneself in Khan's shoes.
Steelers’ owner Art Rooney II introduces Omar Khan as General Manager in May of 2022. | Photo Credit: Maya Giron / Post-Gazette
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The offensive line could absolutely use some tweaking over the off-season, but after really addressing the offense early on in the last two drafts, an aging defense needs some support and in my first mock draft of the season, Pittsburgh fills up the holes on the defense early on.
Round 1 (#17) - Devon Witherspoon, CB - Illinois
Joey Porter Jr. has been the most popular amongst the national outlets, but it was impossible not to select Witherspoon here. He is projected in the top 15 for the most part, but without a clear plan at the cornerback position, a polished and physical player like Witherspoon falling into the hands of Khan at #17 is a perfect match.
Witherspoon had three interceptions in 2022 and locked down a whole side of the field for Illinois.
Round 2 (#32) - Calijah Kancey, DL - Pittsburgh
The Steelers will have their choice of everyone available on the board come day two. This pick was originally the Chicago Bears', but a mid-season trade for Chase Claypool sent the selection to Pittsburgh. The extra 24 hours to make this decision from day one to day two didn't mean much as the organization is quite familiar with this guy.
Kancey has been a menace for the Panthers' defense the last three seasons and totaled 16 sacks in his collegiate career. He is on the smaller side and not exactly a large presence like Cameron Heyward, but he would bring a ton of quickness and fresh legs to an older unit. He's still 275 pounds with room to fill out at the next level. He could be the next dominant Steelers defensive lineman.
Round 2 (#49) - Emmanuel Forbes, CB - Mississippi State
The first two rounds here sees a complete revamp of the secondary. The anchor is Minkah Fitzpatrick, but the cornerback situation is in flux and depending on what happens with Cameron Sutton's free agency, drafting two cornerbacks is not out of the realm of possibility, especially when the two players have as much potential as these two. Forbes had 14 interceptions in 35 collegiate games including six in 2022.
Mississippi State CB Emmanuel Forbes in man coverage this season:
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 22, 2022
🔒 1 Catch Allowed (11 Targets)
🔒 5 INT’s
🔒 0.0 Passer Rating Allowed
🔒 90.0 Coverage Grade pic.twitter.com/moDxi6W2U2
Round 3 (#80) - Dawand Jones, OT - Ohio State
Now comes the tackle that the Steelers are bound to go after at some point. While Jones was the Ohio State Buckeyes right tackle in 2022 and he isn't projected to be as great at the next level as Paris Johnson Jr., it's not out of the question to put him up against Dan Moore Jr. in training camp. Jones is gigantic as 6'8", 350 pounds and is projected as a second rounder. It made sense to take the dominant run blocker as he fell.
Round 4 (#120) - Colby Wooden, ED - Auburn
The Steelers might not have the financial capability to sign Alex Highsmith long-term and are lacking in depth on the outside behind him and TJ Watt. Wooden had 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks in 2022. He forced three fumbles and was consistently in the offensive backfield for the Tigers.
AP Photo / Matthew Hinton
Round 6 (#195) - Mohamoud Diabate, LB - Utah
The Steelers, barring a trade, will wait a while after round four due to the lack of a fifth round pick. Diabate is an incredibly athletic linebacker who has the ability to go sideline to sideline quickly. With the departures of Devin Bush and Robert Spillane a real possibility, Diabate would have the potential to make an impact right away. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in 2022.
Round 7 (#236) - Hunter Luepke, FB - North Dakota State
Derek Watt is unlikely to return and while Connor Heyward could potentially fill this role, Luepke could be a key lead blocker for Najee Harris and co. The Steelers offense utilized the fullback position strategically in 2022 and with Matt Canada returning, Luepke could fit in and bolster a running game that improved drastically throughout the season.
Here's PFF's analysis of my first 2023 NFL mock draft:
The last time the Steelers selected two defensive backs in the first two rounds was 2016. Artie Burns and Sean Davis didn't exactly pan out to say the least. One could argue the franchise hasn't truly attempted to emphasize defense since that year and 2019 was the last time a defensive player was the team's first selection.
This is a defensive heavy draft and by design. Retooling this part of the Steelers is extremely important given the age of the unit. It's a definite possibility, especially if Pittsburgh focuses on certain offensive pieces in March's free agency. The offense is young and plenty of pieces are in place for 2023. The defense, although the highest paid in the NFL, has plenty of question marks and should be addressed accordingly.
What picks do you agree with? Which ones do you dislike? Let me know in the comments below!
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