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Steelers Have New Name to Watch at Pick 17

The Pittsburgh Steelers are now ready to make another splash in the first round.
Noah Strackbein|
Steelers Have New Name to Watch at Pick 17
Steelers Have New Name to Watch at Pick 17

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Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have their eyes on a number of players in the 2023 NFL Draft, and with the 17th pick, anything can happen. 

There have been reports of them looking to trade up in to the top 10, trade back past 17, of them having interest in offensive tackles, cornerbacks, wide receivers, interior offensive linemen, and defensive linemen. 

Now, there's a new name to watch. 

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, teams around the league have the understanding that if Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith falls to 17, he will be the Steelers' first-round pick. 

"Nolan Smith. Pass rusher from Georgia is a guy I'm watching there," Fowler said. "The teams I've talked to say he won't make it past 17. So that would imply that Pittsburgh might have interest there."

The Steelers do need depth at outside linebacker after missing out on Bud Dupree, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons. The team currently has just one player behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and has struggled to find reliable depth at the position in recent years. 

Smith is expected to go anywhere from the 8th pick to the bottom of the first round. His impressive 4.39 40-yard dash and 41.5" vertical jump had him fly up the draft board, but if the waters settle by the time picks start coming in, he could slide out of the top 10. 

If he does, the Steelers will be waiting, and they'll reportedly be ready to add another edge rusher behind Watt and Highsmith. 

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher for On SI, covering the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. A Jessup, PA native, Noah attended Point Park University, where he fell in love with the Steel City and everything it has to offer. You can find Noah's work at Steelers On SI and weekdays as the hosts of All Steelers Talk.

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