Mock draft season is upon us as you can't seem to scroll through any website that covers the NFL without seeing their latest and greatest 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
Each Monday, Steeler Nation will be putting out our 3M's Mock Drafts by three writers (Mike Stiffler, Matt Papiernik, and Ben Michaelian) who will be rotating through three mock draft simulators. We all coincidentally have a name leading with the letter M, hence the catchy title.
The three simulators we will be rotating through are Pro Football Focus', Pro Football Network's, and The Draft Network's. By doing three different simulators and rotating through them all, it will give everyone a good feel of who will be available and how the Pittsburgh Steelers draft could shake out this April.
Below are the three mock drafts for this week. We started with Mike taking TDN, Ben taking PFN, and I took PFF. Here is a link to last week's as well.
Here is Mike's:
Mike wrote: "The Steelers haven’t been shy about their interest in drafting a quarterback going 4 for 4 last week attending the Cincinnati, Liberty, Ole Miss, and Pittsburgh Pro Days. With Malik Willis off the board, the Steelers decide to take their (next) guy and select Desmond Ridder over the likes of Kenny Pickett, Matt Corral, and Sam Howell. While I have no inside information to this decision, something tells me Ridder is the next quarterback they want after Willis. Ridder is a proven winner going 44-7 during his 4-year career at the University of Cincinnati, going 26-0 never losing a home game. Showcasing his 4.52 speed at the combine, Ridder has remarkable mobility, a trait Head Coach Mike Tomlin discussed ad nauseum during the season. While mechanics can be an issue at times, the Steelers have no problem letting Ridder sit back and develop while Mitch Trubisky steps in under center in the interim. Christian Watson and Jeremy Ruckert go in back to back rounds to add more fire power to a rather stale Steelers offense. While Watson doesn’t have the pedigree of going against the big power 5 schools while at North Dakota State, a 6’4” frame and running a 4.36 40 is hard to bypass. Ruckert will be able to battle Zach Gentry for the second tight end role and has a proven track record as an excellent blocker while at Ohio State, something that could help take the hits off Pat Freiermuth. Ruckert also is a very capable pass catcher, although his opportunities were limited in college.
Flipping to the defensive side of things for the remainder of the draft, the Steelers pick Eyioma Uwazurike to add further depth along the defensive line, given the uncertainty of Stephon Tuitt. Uwazurike has shown the ability to play any position along the defensive front and has no problem as a 3-4 end, nose tackle, or playing a 3-technique in sub packages. Isaac Taylor-Stuart isn't going to be someone you see in his first couple years in the NFL, but with a good blend of size and speed, he should be an instant impact on special teams. He will require some time to learn the NFL game and work on being a more complete NFL corner. Finally the Steelers close out their draft double dipping (again) in the Aggie pool with safety Leon O’Neal Jr. and edge Micheal Clemons. O’Neal could be someone the Steelers rely upon sooner than later as he is more of a traditional strong safety. He has no problem coming in and meeting the ball carrier, but needs to find a way to be more effective in the passing game. Clemons has the measurables to succeed, but his time in college was mixed due to injuries and a run in with the law. While he has all the tools, Clemons will be well served as a rotational player learning from the reigning Defensive player of the Year on how to put those tools to use.”
Now let's take a look at Ben's:
Ben wrote: "First, I reached a bit for Daxton Hill, but for good reason. Hill is a versatile DB who can play safety or CB. The Steelers need a safety who can start and Hill checks all those boxes. Then I grabbed Desmond Ridder in the 2nd. This is the first time I mocked the Steelers drafting a QB and they seemed to like what they saw from Ridder. He’ll do well learning from younger veterans to groom him into a starting QB. Then in the 3rd, I took Skyy Moore. I’ve loved Moore as one of the top slot receivers since Day 1 and nothing has changed my mind. Moore is a perfect fit for what they need in a new receiver. Following that, I took Alontae Taylor. Taylor has very similar physical traits of Tennessee-alum Cam Sutton and can play outside. He does well in press coverage too and can fit into a zone scheme. After Taylor, I took Noah Elliss. Elliss is another I’ve liked as a Casey Hampton type DT. He’s a massive, strong body and can be a headache for offensive guards to block. Jeremiah Moon is a converted edge player to inside linebacker and did well in his 2021 at the position. He has long arms and is athletic enough to cover tight ends or slot receivers, yet physical enough to collapse on the line and plug gaps. Moon would be a nice fit behind Devin Bush and Myles Jack. Then finally, I took Spencer Burford last. Burford is an athletic, versatile offensive lineman and can play either guard or tackle. At the last pick I consider him a steal, as he could easily be that reliable back-up who can plug in anywhere. He’s what the Steelers need on the depth chart."
Lastly, let's take a look at mine:
What I had to say about my mock: "I rarely make trades in mock drafts as they are incredibly difficult to predict, let alone predict accurately. However, it makes a lot of sense for the Steelers this season. Tomlin and Steelers GM Kevin Colbert have both at times talked about their limited draft capital over the next two years, and they likely will miss out on the top QBs they could take like they did for me. I traded back with the Kansas City Chiefs as they have two first round picks and it makes sense for them to make a move to snag one of the top wide receivers. After trading back, I ended up choosing Jaquon Brisker. Safety may not seem like the top need, but currently they don't have a starting strong safety, and while there are some starters left out there, they might only sign short deals at this point in the free agency cycle. Brisker would be a great strong safety to compliment Minkah Fitzpatrick as he is a downhill, physical, and strong player who excels in the box, but is far from a liability in coverage. In the 2nd round, I was at a tricky spot at 52. I ended up going with Drake Jackson, a fast and twitchy edge rusher who could be a great #3 behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. They currently are without a proven 3rd rusher, and Jackson could be that. He is NFL ready to be a designated pass rusher due to his speed/explosion, but needs to add lower body strength to be a 3-down player. With the 2nd round pick I added from the Chiefs, I selected a forgotten about QB in Carson Strong. Strong arguably has the most NFL ready arm in the draft, as he showed tremendous zip, touch, and ball placement during his career at Nevada. He may not be as mobile as some people would like due to a knee injury, but he could take some time to get that worked out while being a redshirt in his first year with tremendous upside due to his arm talent. Most people would consider a 3rd round running back unnecessary, but adding someone to take workload off of Najee Harris is a must, and James Cook would be a great compliment. He excels in the passing game but also is more than capable of working between the tackles. Cordale Fort is a bit of a projection at cornerback in the NFL, but the Steelers have some depth there and can afford to take someone like that. He has the length, speed, and mentality for the position, but is extremely light, so he will need time for his body to mature. The team could definitely add some speed to their offense, and Danny Gray does just that running a 40-yard dash in the 4.3s. He is also a lanky wide receiver that has good, fluid movements in his routes that can expand on his route tree. Both 7th round picks will be longshots to make the roster like always, so I took two guys with upside. Hansford and Rosenthal are both raw for their positions, but have very good physical traits for their respective positions with the upside of starters down the road."
All of these simulators obviously rank people in very different locations, but you can see trends, as well as some overlapping names. These different simulators now have all the same picks as the compensatory picks have finally been announced!
Let us know below what you think of all of our mocks we did this week and who you think would be good prospects to look into! Click to comment below!
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