Pittsburgh Steelers Find Franchise Left Tackle In 4th And Final PFF Simulator Mock Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers are less than a week away from providing the answer to the question that Steeler Nation has been asking for months. Who are they going to pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft? Are they going to trade up to make a huge splash to move up or trade back to get more picks? Can Omar Khan and Andy Weidl be even better at drafting than they are at free agency and trades? Art Rooney II is less than a week away from finding out.

Steelers Make A Trade In PFF Mock 3.0 And Then Stock The Trenches

The sad thing is that the mock draft season is coming to a close. When your team doesn’t make the NFL playoffs or win the Super Bowl, fans head to the simulators to get a head start on who will be available and who could be wearing black and gold in 2023. There is time for one more bite at the apple so it has all come down to the mercy of the PFF simulator.

In case you missed the first three versions of this experiment, let's use the default setting on the Pro Football Focus simulator. PFF moved the seven-round simulator behind a paywall, but you can still simulate the first two rounds without a subscription here. Please remember that this simulation is governed by who is available when the Steelers pick in the simulation. The last two versions resulted in A grades, so the pressure is on!

Round 1 Pick 17

Broderick Jones - Tackle - Georgia Bulldogs: The Steelers get the best-left tackle in the draft according to NFL Network analyst, Brian Baldinger. Baldinger compared Jones favorably to Andrew Thomas who was a second-team All-Pro in 2022. Jones gave up zero sacks last season for a National Championship Bulldogs team. 

He is a plug-and-play left tackle and would secure the Kenny Pickett's blind side for the foreseeable future. The Steelers fill a huge need in the first round and just like in free agency, the dynamic duo of Khan and Weidl get off to a good start.

Round 2 Pick 32

Emmanuel Forbes - CB - Mississippi State Bulldogs: The only negative about Forbes is his weight. He stepped on the scale at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and only weighed 166 pounds. When he weighed again at his Pro Day Forbes was up to 170 on his 6'1" frame. The Steelers expect their corners to be very good tacklers in the run game and have typically not employed pure coverage cornerbacks, but Forbes should be the exception. 

He is a threat to score when he gets his hands on the ball. That trait has been missing from the Pittsburgh secondary at cornerback since the days of Rod Woodson. For his size, Forbes is surprisingly willing to play the run which is unlike traditional cover cornerbacks and has the potential to be elite.  

Round 2 Pick 49

Jack Campbell - LB - Iowa Hawkeyes: Campbell is a throwback linebacker and is a steady force in the middle of the defense. He is a complete inside linebacker that can play three downs at the NFL level. The signings of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, who are sure tacklers, means that they can bring Campbell along slowly if they choose, but he is far better than both in coverage. 

Campbell is the 2022 Butkus Award winner and a consensus All-American. He doesn’t have the eye-popping speed of a Ryan Shazier but at 6'5" and 250-pounds, Campbell is just going to make plays and consistently at that. The Steelers finally plug the hole in the middle that has been leaking since 2017.

Round 3 Pick 80

Jordan Battle - S - Alabama Crimston Tide: Battle was a four-year starter at Alabama under Nick Saban. Saban made his bones as a defensive back coach and still has a very active hand in the development of that position. Very few players have started four years in the Alabama secondary under Coach Saban. Battle is excellent in zone coverage and while he isn’t great at anything, he is good at everything.

Battle knows his limitations and would be an ideal partner next to Minkah Fitzpatrick in the long term. Like Campbell, he doesn’t have to start right away with the presence of Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee, but his tendency to be consistent could get him on the field sooner rather than later.

Round 4 Pick 120

Jacquelin Roy - DL - LSU Tigers: Roy was a top 100 overall recruit in high school from Baton Rouge. He stayed home at the collegiate level and played in 22 games as a freshman and sophomore but only started 1 game. In 2022, he started 12 of 13 games for the Tigers and then surprisingly declared for the NFL Draft. Roy could have benefited from an additional year at LSU and might have climbed to a day-two pick if he had. 

Roy is a very solid player and should project well as a 3-4 defensive end in the NFL. He has an extremely high motor and violent hands. The best part is that he is still developing and will fit comfortably with DeMarvin Leal in a rotation behind Larry Ogunjobi and Cameron Heyward.

Round 7 Pick 241

Grant DuBose - WR - Charlotte 49ers: DuBose is a feel-good story. He went from Division II Miles College to then bagging groceries due to the COVID crisis canceling his 2020 season. He transferred to Charlotte in 2021 and put together two solid seasons. DuBose considered transferring when Will Healy was fired but after careful consideration, decided to enter the NFL Draft. 

He has good size at 6'2" tall and is 204 pounds. DuBose ran a 4.57 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. His vertical jump and broad jump were equal to Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s and his three-cone drill time of 6.89 seconds was the third-best of all receivers tested. He is quick, not fast, which is why he is falling this far. He should be a natural slot receiver at the NFL level, but needs seasoning and should contribute on special teams while he is getting the hang of it.

Round 7 Pick 251

Aubrey Miller Jr. - LB - Jackson State Tigers: Miller was snubbed from the NFL Combine but the young man who patrolled the middle for coach Deion Sanders jumps out when you watch the film. Miller is a little undersized and will take some time to develop but when you turn on his tape, the nose for the football and violent contact is evident.

At pick 251, the Steelers will be looking for the ability to contribute on special teams and potentially develop into something more. The Steelers’ track record with HBCU players that are undervalued once helped create a Super Bowl roster. The tradition is revived with this selection.

A third consecutive A draft! The only players who did not get A grades from the simulator were Battle, who received a B+, and Roy, who got the lowest grade of a C+. The Steelers trading for Allen Robinson eliminated the need for reaching in a poor wide receiver draft class and the selection of DuBose in the seventh round should help the special teams unit in 2023 and allow him to potentially grow into the long-term solution in the slot if the combination of Robinson and Calvin Austin III doesn't work out.

What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you happy with how the simulator fell? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.