Steelers Mock Draft 3.0: The Final Product
Through a long offseason, the 2020 NFL Draft now rapidly approaches the Pittsburgh Steelers and the remaining 31 clubs in the National Football League.
Since our very first mock draft, we've come a long way. Factors such as pre-draft meetings, media information made available, and overall draft stock of players changing has helped form final opinions on who the team should/will draft.
With no true position that needs immediate attention, the Steelers look to adopt the "best player available" strategy with the 49th overall pick.
In terms of predictability, who the Steelers will have available to help narrow their choices down is about as clear as the Ohio River itself. Running back? Wide receiver? Any position want to announce themselves as the favorite?
Of course, not having a first-round pick (and six selections overall) puts an emphasis on Pittsburgh making every pick count. Through a long process and a slew of articles/interviews, AllSteelers is finally ready to put our final seven-round mock draft to paper.
| Pick | Noah Strackbein | Donnie Druin |
|---|---|---|
Round 2, Pick 49 | Neville Gallimore, DT, Oklahoma | K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State |
Round 3, Pick 102 | Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma | Zack Moss, RB, Utah |
Round 4, Pick 124 | A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College | Tyler Biadasz, G, Wisconsin |
Round 4, Pick 135 | Lynn Bowden Jr., WR/RB, Kentucky | Derrek Tuszka, EDGE/OLB, NDSU |
Round 6, Pick 198 | Jonah Jackson, G, Ohio State | Lamar Jackson, CB, Nebraska |
Round 7, Pick 232 | Myles Dorn, S, North Carolina | Myles Dorn, S, North Carolina |
Donnie- The 49th pick is arguable one of the hardest to predict in recent memory, given the numerous possibilities. With the team wanting to get immediate offensive help for a returning Ben Roethlisberger, there's a solid chance the Steelers select either a RB/WR with their second-round pick unless the likes of a Neville Gallimore or Antoine Winfield Jr. fall.
I badly want Gallimore to fall, as the team possesses no true nose tackle on the current roster. However, even if Gallimore escapes his draft projections and slides to 49, the Steelers appear to be keen on either Isaiah Buggs or Tyson Alualu plugging that role.
Here, Pittsburgh selects Penn State's K.J. Hamler to add another dynamic weapon to their receiving corps. With this pick, the receiving corps can finally be solidified with JuJu Smith-Schuster and an emerging Diontae Johnson. In return, the Steelers take Utah's Zack Moss with their third-round pick in James Conner's contract year. Moss provides Pittsburgh with a three down ball-carrier, a trait that Benny Snell and Jaylen Samuels currently don't offer.
The Steelers are also expected to address the offensive line and add crucial depth with the departures of B.J. Finney and Ramon Foster. With their first fourth-round pick, the Steelers add the highly decorated Tyler Biadasz out of Wisconsin. While Biadasz might not fight for a starting spot in his rookie year, the immediate depth and potential to become a starter in the coming years should prove to be beneficial for the Steelers.
With their second fourth-round selection, the Steelers opt to add depth to another crucial position: Outside linebacker. North Dakota State's Derrek Tuszka excelled in getting to the quarterback during his time in school, and could offer a role in which many fans wanted for Chase Winovich in last year's draft.
Behind Joe Haden and Steven Nelson, the depth at cornerback is shaky at best. We still don't know what Justin Layne has to offer in coverage, and the rest of the depth chart is filled with names that shouldn't see the field unless it's the preseason. Nebraska's Lamar Jackson is a late-round pick that could potentially bolster the defensive backfield. Speaking of bolstering the defensive backfield, Myles Dorn gets taken here in the seventh-round as a safety to rotationally play behind Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick.
It's not a sexy draft by any means, but with JuJu/Conner potentially out the door after this season and depth needed across the defense, this draft has the team prepared for any scenario given.
Noah - The sense Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin gave in their pre-draft conference call was that the goal was to boost the offense.
There wasn't much time spent talking about the defensive side of the ball outside of defensive tackle. Therefore, it's only right to assume a majority of their picks will be at offensive skill positions.
After Neville Gallimore.
If Gallimore is available in the backend of the second-round, the Steelers cannot pass him up. They've always trended towards defense with their first pick and if they have the ability to fill their last remaining hole on the roster, why not do it.
Colbert said the Steelers will "prepare for any position," when asked about selecting a quarterback. A simple answer would've been no, but the Steelers general manager left it wide open for interpretation.
Jalen Hurts is going to fall once the first tier of quarterbacks is taken. The lack of need at the position isn't going to work in his favor, leaving him a late third-round pick at the earliest.
Pittsburgh loves to sit and wait on player they know they can find later, and they will, but with running back. Instead, they'll use the 102nd pick to add depth to quarterback and hope they don't need to use him in 2020.
Sitting and waiting finds you A.J. Dillon out of Boston College. An absolute monster of a running back who doesn't come into the NFL looking to be an immediate starter but can play a significant role this season.
No one's ready to give up on James Conner, but the Steelers need to find better results from their backfield. By not adding an early-round pick, they keep the talent while avoiding the pressure.
Then they follow it up with Lynn Bowden Jr. from Kentucky. The do-it-all player can play anywhere on the field, making him one of the most intriguing players in the draft.
Bowden will step into a role in the return game, add depth at wide receiver and add the ability for Matt Canada to throw some wildcat into the offense.
Jonah Jackson allows them to build the offensive line depth - which isn't a dyer need. A sixth-round guard/center who can work off the practice squad and develop behind the group they already have on the roster.
And finally Myles Dorn. The Steelers need quality backups at safety and they do not have one. So, they're just going to add as many pieces to the puzzle as possible and hope to find another diamond in the rough like they did with Kameron Kelly.
