Steelers Ignore Offensive Line In Favor Of Michael Penix Jr. In New 2024 Mock Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished third in the AFC North and made the playoffs as the seventh seed in 2023. They lost in the Wild Card Round to the Buffalo Bills, dropping their fifth consecutive playoff game. Mike Tomlin promised changes on the coaching staff at his final press conference of the season, and Art Rooney II confirmed on Monday that it is up to Tomlin to be the agent of the change.

Pittsburgh’s fortunes improved in 2023 because of significant contributions from the best rookie class the Steelers have seen in a long time. Omar Khan and Andy Weidl delivered three solid starters with their first three selections in 2023 with Broderick Jones, Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton. Darnell Washington and Nick Herbig also flashed significant potential for the black and gold. Based on their first attempt, Steeler Nation has to be excited about the encore.

Abate: Steelers 2024 Mock Draft 1.0

Now that the Steelers have been eliminated from the playoffs, it is the mock draft season. The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers are preparing for the Super Bowl while 30 other fan bases are now searching countless websites that have begun publishing mock drafts, including Steeler Nation. This allows fans to see who their team might add in April to get them over the hump. On Monday, A.J. Schulte from Pro Football Network released his seven-round NFL mock draft for all 32 teams. Here is who he thinks the Steelers will select in the early rounds.

Round 1

Kool-Aid Mckinstry Cornerback, Alabama

Schulte begins his draft with one of the three key needs for the Steelers in 2024. Many fans would prefer a veteran cornerback like L’Jarius Sneed or Jaylon Johnson to pair with Porter Jr., Schulte wrote the following about adding Mckinstry.

“While Joey Porter Jr. has shown flashes, the rest of that unit has not, and several players are slated to hit free agency. Kool-Aid McKinstry can slide right in as the team’s top corner.”

This is dubious reasoning. Porter Jr. is projected to make the All-Rookie Team and had nothing short of an outstanding season for the Steelers. Teryl Austin tabbed him as the number one cornerback by mid-season, and he followed the other team's best wide receiver as a rookie. Mckinstry paired with Porter Jr. would be a solid tandem that would not cost the Steelers the going rate for top cornerbacks over the next three seasons. 

Round 2 

Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington

The Steelers need an answer at quarterback. Michael Penix Jr. is the 2023 Maxwell Award Winner and is projected as the fifth-best quarterback in the 2024 class. He is a clear notch below Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. Here is why Schulte thinks the Steelers will pull the trigger on the first player they have selected from the Pac-12 since JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

"Michael Penix Jr.‘s draft stock varies from scout to scout," Schulte wrote. "But I kept running out of reasons for him not landing with the Steelers. Penix adds a different element to the Steelers’ quarterback room with his downfield ability and pocket management."

Penix Jr. played for six years at two different colleges. He will turn 24 by the time the 2024 NFL season begins. The selection would indicate that they have given up on Kenny Pickett. It just doesn't seem likely with Tomlin's statement that he believes his starting quarterback is already on the roster. Mason Rudolph is a free agent. Mitch Trubisky will probably be a cap casualty, so that leaves Pickett. 

Round 3

Cedric Gray LB, North Carolina

Pittsburgh needs to get younger in the middle of their defense. Cole Holcomb was outstanding until he was lost for the season, something that has happened all too often in his career. Kwon Alexander is coming off of an Achilles injury and is a free agent while Elandon Roberts played very well, but is not an every-down inside linebacker at this point in his career. 

The less said about the Steelers’ linebacker room this season, the better. Pittsburgh needs a significant boost there for 2024," Schulte concluded. "Cedric Gray is a high-energy linebacker prospect with superb sideline-to-sideline range and pursuit ability."

Cedric Gray is hard to miss on a football field. He is 6'3" and 235 pounds, and is very good in coverage. Gray is a smaller inside linebacker and, in a 3-4 scheme, might have some difficulty taking on blockers directly. He would be an ideal fit as a middle linebacker in the 4-3. Gray is a big hitter with a nasty streak. It may take some time for him to get on the field in Pittsburgh, which the Steelers can't afford with a third-round pick. 

Getting Penix Jr. in the second round is intriguing and might be worth the risk, but it would come with the knowledge that the Steelers would be ignoring the offensive line. Schulte does not address the Steelers' offensive line until the fourth round when he mocks the second Pac-12 player of the draft, tackle Sataoa Laumea from Utah, to the black and gold. In a total of seven picks, Schulte picks a pair of cornerbacks, two linebackers, one offensive tackle, a safety and a wide receiver to go along with Penix Jr. 

The quarterback position is the most critical in football, and if Pittsburgh is convinced that Penix Jr. is the answer, then picking him in the second round makes a lot of sense. The problem is that the team doesn't seem very enthusiastic and is reportedly trying awfully hard to bring in an offensive coordinator who believes in Pickett. It would be a very interesting quarterback competition as an alternative to re-signing Rudolph to have Penix Jr. and Pickett compete. 

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Should Khan pull the trigger if Penix Jr. is available in the second round of the draft? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq. 

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