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Steelers Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Lands Star OC, New QB
The Pittsburgh Steelers address all their needs early, and then add a mid-round quarterback.
There is a palpable buzz that is swarming around the internet right now that a Brandon Aiyuk trade may indeed reach a boiling point on draft night. The Pittsburgh Steelers very well could be that team that is primed to make a move for him and with the restructured deal of Alex Highsmith occurring on the eve of the draft, the winds are favoring a Steelers trade for a wide receiver. Jeremy Fowler also recently reported that the Steelers are a “team to watch” in regards to Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who did not report to team organized activities.
With all these potential moving parts on draft day, it stands to reason that the 2024 NFL Draft has potential to be among the wildest rides we have seen and the Steelers could be the ones that are in the drivers’ seat of that very ride. With all that being accounted for, it’s time to predict just how this draft could unfold for Pittsburgh.
TRADE: Round 1, Pick 31: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
That is right, Pittsburgh elects to swap first round picks in 2024 and potentially give either a 2025 first round pick, or a 2024 second round pick to acquire Brandon Aiyuk. For the sake of this mock, let's go with the hypothetical 2025 first round pick. In trading down, the Steelers snatch the falling Jackson Powers-Johnson, who, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic in his annual draft guide, has medical concerns.
On tape, there is not a single better center in this class, with his only real concern being his lack of knee bend that leads to some taller pad level that he more than makes up for with excellent athleticism and torque generation with his hands, which stems from his high school wrestling background. He is essentially a universal fit for just about any run-blocking scheme. You can ask him to make those difficult reach blocks on outside zone on the 3 technique, pull out in space as a leading blocker on gap/power plays and will consistently generate displacement on down blocks.
If the Steelers were to stay at pick 20, odds are, they will most likely go with Graham Barton with his verified athletic testing and cleaner bill of health. It’s also a possibility they could look at Nate Wiggins in a potential trade down as well, as they have shown quite a bit of interest in him throughout the process.
Round 2, Pick 51: Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
The Steelers still have a need at cornerback, specifically, when it comes to having a player that can fit into the slot. There is a lot of unproven potential on the opposite side of Joey Porter Jr and having brought in Donte Jackson via trade, who has only played on the outside, it makes sense to find a guy who shows that comfort being able to man up in the slot.
Watching Melton against Michigan was one of the stronger games of his entire portfolio. In this game specifically he was asked to essentially shadow Roman Wilson in pre-man coverage in the slot and he took Wilson to woodshed in this game. It did not matter if Michigan was scheming with bunches and motions to free Wilson up, he was able to consistently showcase his speed to carry him horizontally and vertically.
Melton shows a ton of comfort when it comes to just playing press man coverage, but his game will require some seasoning and projection. He is still working on his feel for zone windows and how to position himself, where his eyes can sometimes get too glued to the backfield, something that is correctable, but will require coaching and discipline. Melton would be a strong pick around this juncture.
Round 3, Pick 84: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Blake Fisher is only 21 years old and had a terrific season opposite of Joe Alt. What stands out immensely by Fisher is how broad his shoulders span and helps enhance his overall wingspan. His wide stances give him a strong anchor to access on power rushes, while also generating plenty of displacement/movement in the run game on down blocks.
Fisher has shown better flashes of independent hand usage, even if he does have a tendency to strike first with his outside hand at times, but it can definitely be cleaned up. With Fisher also having a majority of his snaps come from the right side throughout college, this would allow Broderick Jones to be able to move back to the left side and is a pick that makes loads of sense for Pittsburgh if they end up passing on an early-round tackle.
Round 3, Pick 98: Malachi Corely, WR, Western Kentucky
How fitting that the Steelers end up trading for Brandon Aiyuk in this predictive mock and also end up with their potential version of Deebo Samuel. Do not get me wrong, Malachi Corley is not Deebo and is a much more raw player when it comes to his overall route polish, which was painfully on display during the Senior Bowl.
What Corley provides as a potential designed yards after the catch threat on short crossers would give great incentive for quarterbacks with strong vertical tendencies like Justin Fields and Russell Wilson to take what the defense gives them. Corley can bring that and in the correct scheme, he could provide an ability similar to what Rashee Rice brought to the Chiefs. Not going to separate with his routes, but tough over the middle, reliable hands and strong contact balance.
Round 4, Pick 119: Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State
Omar Khan seemed reluctant to rule out a potential quarterback pick later in the draft. With both Fields and Wilson on one year expiring deals, it would be smart to invest into a potential lottery ticket on day three. Enter Jordan Travis from Florida State.
Travis is probably the strongest potential day three option at quarterback in this class, which has a lot to do with his quick twitched everything about his game is. His setup, his delivery, it is one of the fastest I have ever seen and it allows him to get away with having a weaker-than-baseline arm in terms of overall velocity. Travis has similar creation ability to one Brock Purdy in terms of his knack for creating out of structure, with a lot more juice to be a running threat.
Travis has a strong tendency to throw over the middle and shows great anticipation when it comes to zone windows and being able to layer the ball in between. His accuracy can sputter when he gets too upright on his toes, which causes his base to become unsettled and he can miss pretty badly at times. In a scheme like Smith’s where he emphasizes the middle of the field, Travis would be a tremendous scheme fit to stash into this quarterback room.
Round 6, Pick 178: Khristian Boyd, DT, Northern Iowa
Much of Pittsburgh’s interest in defensive tackles this cycle seems to indicate it is on the lower end of the scale when it comes to positions they are looking to address during draft week. The highest I could see them going is a Maason Smith from LSU who is more of your prototypical 4i two gap defender, but is ultra raw at this current stage of his development.
Waiting pays off as Shrine Bowl standout Khristian Boyd makes it to their first 6th-round pick. Boyd did not have the best overall testing when it came to his agilities and he elected not to do the straight line tests. He is a consistent disruptor though with good timing get off at the snap, with notable speed to power and knows how to combo a push pull when linemen start to anchor down with leverage.
Round 6, Pick 195: Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State
Double dipping at offensive tackle could prove smart when we look back through past history of the Steelers drafts. One that comes to mind was the selection of Kelvin Beachum in the seventh round in 2012, after taking Mike Adams in the second round. Travis Glover has potential to be that type of pick for the Steelers.
Glover was a late invitation to the Senior Bowl that went really under the radar, but he seemed to make a strong impression. Glover looked like a natural executing real pass sets that were almost a dime a dozen throughout his tape, with how gimmicky Georgia State’s offense was constructed scheme wise. Glover has a real mean streak to him and really just needs some good old fashioned coaching to unlock the best out of him and we know how much Mike Tomlin is eager to coach these guys.
