As we draw closer and closer to the 2022 NFL Draft, more mock drafts continue to roll out from some of the biggest names in the national media.
It was NFL Network analyst and Good Morning Football host Peter Schrager’s turn Thursday morning to drop his first version of a first-round mock draft. Per usual, Schrager had some interesting takes, starting with the New York Jets at No. 10 overall grabbing Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams as the first wide receiver off the board.
Along with Williams to the Jets, Schrager had just one quarterback coming off the board inside the top 19 picks as Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett went to the Carolina Panthers at No. 6 overall. You know what comes next though.
Yes, Schrager has the Pittsburgh Steelers landing Liberty QB Malik Willis at No. 20 overall, marking the second quarterback off the board after the New Orleans Saints passed on QB with two first-round picks, grabbing Ohio State wide receiver Garrett Wilson at No. 16 overall and Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis at No. 19 overall.
“Willis certainly could go higher than 20th overall. I know at least one NFL head coach who said the Liberty product is his No. 1 QB on the board,” Schrager writes regarding his selection for the Steelers. “I do believe Pittsburgh is all in on Mitchell Trubisky. But with Willis slipping, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers’ front office select a quarterback with unlimited upside and a ton of charisma.”
It’s hard to fully envision a quarterback with Willis’ traits falling all the way to No. 20 overall for the Steelers, but it is still certainly possible as the draft is rather unpredictable. That would be the dream scenario for the Steelers, as they clearly like Willis a great deal and would love to add him to the franchise under Mike Tomlin.
That said, it’s hard to truly understand Schrager’s belief that the Steelers are “all in” on Mitchell Trubisky, considering the structure of his contract and the amount of time and effort they’ve put into scouting the quarterback class this year in the final offseason for Kevin Colbert as General Manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Willis continues to be the popular mock draft selection for the Steelers, especially with Pittsburgh standing pat at No. 20 overall. The closer and closer we get to the NFL Draft, the more unlikely that scenario is, especially with the buzz Willis continues to generate.
In 21 days though, we’ll get our answer.
