Steelers Projected to Land Massive NFL Draft Steal

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have their sights set on the upcoming NFL Draft. After a disappointing five-straight losses to end the season, who the Steelers will draft with their first round, No. 21 pick is up for debate.

Picking the player is important, but the position that player fills is a huge deal for a Steelers roster that has a couple apparent gaps. Several mock drafts have predicted the Steelers draft a quarterback in the first round such as Jalen Milroe out of Alabama. Other projections have the Steelers taking a wide receiver such as Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka or a one of the several defensive lineman prospects that head coach Mike Tomlin has been observing. In a recent mock draft posted by NFL.com's Eric Edholm, the Pittsburgh Steelers select Will Johnson, defensive back out of Michigan.

Since 2014, NFL.com has graded prospects on a 5.6-8.0 scale, with "no grade" also an option. Johnson holds a 6.7 grade which translates to, "Year 1 Starter" according to the NFL's scale. Hailing from Detroit, MI, as the number one ranked defensive back in the state, Johnson decided to stay close to home when he decided to attend Michigan.

That decision paid off in his sophomore season when Michigan won the national championship. The championship-winning defense is often considered one of the best in the college football playoff era as they limited opponents to 10.4 points per game, the fewest by a Big Ten team since 1997 Michigan. On the first play of the second half of the national championship, Johnson picked off Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., his fourth pick of the season.

Johnson suffered a foot injury which forced him to miss much of the 2024 season. In his six games played, Johnson caught two interceptions and returned both for touchdowns.

Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 202 lbs, Johnson has the build and talent to play cornerback in the NFL. Should the Steelers select Johnson with the No. 21 pick in the first round, the Steelers defensive back room will look a little fuller than it does right now.

Hopefully, third-year cornerback Joey Porter Jr., the No. 32 pick in the 2023 draft, continues to improve and can cut down on many of his penalties and Cory Trice Jr, the Steelers 7th round draft selection in 2023, can remain healthy and continue to show flashes. Beanie Bishop Jr. also remains under contract after a pretty solid rookie. But the rest of the Steelers' cornerbacks that started at some point during last season are free agents.

Donte Jackson, who the Steelers got in return for Diontae Johnson, was a quality second cornerback but had a rough end to the season including some injuries. Cam Sutton, who the Steelers brought back for another stint with the team, had an awful year. James Pierre and C.J. Henderson also played more minor roles. Unfortunately, all four cornerbacks are free agents, leaving the cornerback cupboard fairly bare. Drafting Johnson would surely help.

There is still ample time until the Steelers have to make a first-round selection on the evening of Thursday, April 24. Until then, the Steelers must leave no stone unturned until they find their guy.

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