Steelers Mock Draft: The Final Product
The 2021 NFL Draft is almost here.
With just two days until the draft is set to begin in Cleveland, OH, the Pittsburgh Steelers (among 31 other teams in the league) have begun final preparations in what has undoubtedly been a long process for scouts, coaches and front offices alike.
Include us, the media, in that process. Devouring scouting reports, doing mock drafts (such as this one) and diving deep into any Steelers-related draft analysis has indeed prepared us for the three-day gauntlet that is the annual NFL Draft.
As with each draft, the Steelers have a series of questions to answer for themselves.
Exactly how important is addressing the running back position, and where does it rank on the priority list? What piece of the offensive line should be addressed first, center or tackle? Does the tight end position carry any significance heading into the second or third day?
Alas, AllSteelers' final team-oriented mock draft is ready for your viewing pleasure. Site Publisher Noah Strackbein (@NoahStrack) and Deputy Editor Donnie Druin (@DonnieDruin) give you the "final product" before Roger Goodell takes the stage.
Final Steelers 2021 Mock Draft
| Round, Pick Number | Noah's Pick | Donnie's Pick |
|---|---|---|
Round 1, Pick 24 | Najee Harris, RB, Alabama | Najee Harris, RB, Alabama |
Round 2, Pick 55 | Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama | Dylan Radunz, OT, North Dakota State |
Round 3, Pick 87 | Walker Little, OT, Stanford | Josh Myers, C, Ohio State |
Round 4, Pick 136 | Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame | Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama |
Round 4, Pick 140 | Shakur Brown, CB, Michigan State | Israel Makuamu, CB, South Carolina |
Round 6, Pick 216 | JaCoby Stevens, S, LSU | Nick Eubanks, TE, Michigan |
Round 7, Pick 245 | Patrick Johnson, EDGE, Tulane | Wyatt Hubert, EDGE, Kansas State |
Round 7, Pick 254 | Dax Miline, WR, BYU | Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas |
Day One Picks
Noah- It's Najee Harris. It's always been, Najee Harris. When Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert took the stage during he and Mike Tomlin's pre-draft press conference, he continued to say how "deep" the NFL Draft is. Offensive tackle, center, inside linebacker, cornerback - all positions Colbert believes can be found throughout the entire draft. The one position that wasn't mentioned as "deep," running back. And when the Alabama star slides to the 24 pick, Pittsburgh grabs him.
Donnie- It's so convenient for Najee to fall here, right? The Steelers will likely be relegated to using the "Best Player Available" strategy. Harris projects to be one of the best available around this time, and would provide an instant upgrade to the Steelers' backfield. You'll hear arguments for an offensive linemen here at this pick, and truth be told, I'd rather the Steelers wait on a running back. Yet I don't believe the Steelers, who are believed to be committed to addressing the running game early, aren't willing to wait to see if a guy like Javonte Williams is there in round two.
Day Two Picks
Noah- Day Two starts with finding offensive line help and ends with filling in depth. Landon Dickerson sliding to the 55th pick is a blessing, allowing the Steelers to open competition with B.J. Finney. Walker Little might not be a Week 1 starter, but he carries as much potential as any mid-round tackle in the draft.
Fixing the run game is the team's top priority, which they complete by the end of round three. The three positions at the top of their draft board are now checked off.
Donnie- With the Steelers now possessing their running back of the future, they're now able to take advantage of a deep class on the offensive line at both tackle and center. In my opinion, barring a fall of a prominent player, the Steelers are intent on going some sort of order with RB-OC-OT.
Here, the Steelers grab both a starting-caliber offensive tackle Dillon Radunz (NDSU) that is versatile in his ability to play either left or right tackle, a characteristic the Steelers value in their offensive linemen. Switching to the third round, Pittsburgh grabs Ohio State center Josh Myers, a big/strong center that could potentially win the starting job from day one. Day two is all about beefing up the offensive line for the future, and that's precisely what the Steelers did here.
Day Three Picks
Noah- Tommy Tremble is a steal in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. The Steelers need a tight end behind Eric Ebron, and no one in the middle of the draft has more upside and better blocking ability than the Notre Dame product.
Colbert and Tomlin highlighted how many cornerbacks are in the draft this year, and have enough faith in James Pierre to wait it out on drafting one. Shakur Brown provides a player who can fill in on the inside or outside, but his 5'10 185-pound frame suggests he'll be best at nickel.
JaCoby Stevens and Patrick Johnson add depth at positions the Steelers need help in. They continue to search for the hybrid safety/linebacker, which Stevens seems to be the perfect fit for. Johnson becomes the backup to Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt.
Finally, Dax Miline is a late-round steal who can be a physical slot option. The Steelers love their receivers with big upside and for a seventh-round pick, no one has the potential of Miline.
Donnie- With five picks on the final day of the draft, the Steelers are able to fill quite a few holes. Although the depth at inside linebacker is commendable, a player with the potential such as Alabama's Dylan Moses in the fourth-round simply can't be passed up thanks to his athleticism at the mike linebacker position.
The loss of Mike Hilton will certainly be felt by Pittsburgh's defense, but the addition of Israel Mukuamu may help fill that void. Mukuamu's ability to play in the slot, boundary or safety could provide the Steelers with an eventual chess piece on the defensive side of the ball.
With picks 216 and 245, the Steelers add depth at much-needed positions, adding to the EDGE (Wyatt Hubert) and tight end positions (Nick Eubanks), respectively. Lastly, the Steelers add a special teams presence in the form of speedy receiver Jaelon Darden, who could find a potential role as a slot receiver who can stretch the field.
