The Pittsburgh Steelers have two second-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. One will be at #32 via the Chicago Bears trade and the other is the standard pick at #49. The Steelers have been great at drafting in the second round in previous years and with a new general manager in Omar Khan, they will look to continue that. Regardless of what they do in free agency, there are still positions that need to be addressed. In this article, I'll be going over those and the best possible scenarios for the Steelers with those picks.
Maya Giron / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers GM Omar Khan (left) and President Art Rooney II (right).
Steelers' Best Scenarios With The #32 Pick
O'Cyrus Torrence, IOL (Florida)
O'Cyrus Torrence is the best IOL in this year's draft by a long shot. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the best guard from the 2022 college football season with a grade of 88.0 overall and a rush grade of 89.9. He also came in at #23 on ESPN's Top 100 College Players for the 2022 season.
In Torrence's first year with the Florida Gators, he was able to help lead their offensive unit to #1 in the SEC for yards per carry at 5.8. With the Steelers trying to establish an identity with running the football, and IOL being a position that usually isn't addressed until late in the first round and early second round, this is a player the Steelers can NOT pass on.
Nolan Smith, EDGE (Georgia)
The Steelers will look to potentially add another second-round steal from the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2023 NFL Draft. Nolan Smith is the best at his position, when healthy, like George Pickens last year. Smith tore his pectoral muscle in the middle of his 2022 season, causing his draft stock to fall down. But when healthy, the play speaks for both these dawgs.
In Nolan's 2021 college season, he did stack seven sacks on 18 hurries. I think Pittsburgh would be the perfect scenario for Smith with TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith playing at an elite level. Smith would be able to grow and heal fully from his injury knowing he has Watt and Highsmith to lean on. Every team wants and needs more than one elite pass rusher. Pittsburgh adding another would only help prolong and help both Watt's and Highsmith's careers.
With the Steelers pick at 32nd, I think they're put in a weird spot. The Steelers have positions that are aging, and obviously, the positions of need (the ones they're not great at). At 32, I see the Steelers taking the best player available to them. Since the Miami Dolphins had their first-round pick stripped from them, the Steelers at 32 are technically a first-round pick.
I think they will be able to catch one or two guys that maybe drop to them that they considered at 17. I don't see them taking the position of need as much as drafting the best talent, especially this high up.
Steelers' Best Scenarios With The 49th Pick
Cody Mauch, T (North Dakota St.)
If this guy isn't a Steeler, I don't know what is. I mean just look at the guy. Mauch has all the fire and energy you could want in a player and it's very much displayed in his work. Not only does he bring a lot of positive energy to the team, but he's also a great player. With talks about tackle Taylor Lewan wanting to come to Pittsburgh, drafting a guy like Cody should still fully be on the table. Both have personalities on the field that are almost copy and paste. So learning from the three-time Pro Bowler wouldn't be a bad thing.
Mauch posted some impressive 2021 stats allowing seven pressures in 15 starts and only allowing one sack. The 2022 season was another great year for him as he saw 12 games of action, only allowing four hurries and one sack. Look for Mauch to light up mock drafts and Steelers fans' eyes.
Steeler pic.twitter.com/na07QsFNBv
— Adam Steel (@RenegadeAdam) January 31, 2023
Kelee Ringo CB (Georgia)
Jamie Schwaberow / Getty Images
Talking about lighting up eyes, Kelee Ringo is that guy. At 6'2" and 200lbs, Ringo has all the size, strength and speed you could ask for at the CB position. He has not put up the stats or production that I'm sure he and his team knows he's capable of, however. With that being said, his physical attributes alone could have him CB1 at the end of the 2023 season.
Ringo has fallen down in almost every mock draft leaving Pittsburgh in a prime position to get him at 49. If the Steelers go corner at 17, I don't think they should shy away from drafting a second in the first-round talent.
It's obvious that this 2023 draft class is deemed to be one of the best in years. This week, I went over what I thought would be the most realistic players the Steelers would have a chance at for both their 2023 second-round draft picks. You never know how the board will go with the NFL Combine and NFL Draft Day, but I think the Steelers will be able to find great prospects at these spots, regardless of how the draft goes. This is the most excited I've been for a Steelers draft in a while, considering they have three picks in the top 50.
Steeler Nation, let me know what yinz think in the comments section about my draft prospects and some of your favorite players in this year's 2023 NFL Draft.
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