With the Pittsburgh Steelers very clearly reeling in recent weeks after dropping two rather painful, embarrassing games to the lowly Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots in a span of four days, things seem a bit dire.
You wouldn’t be blamed for potentially looking ahead to the offseason where the Steelers, under the brain trust of GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl, have a shot at correcting some problems on the roster.
With the offseason comes mock drafts, and though there are still four weeks to go in the season with the Steelers controlling their own playoff destiny, a peek at draft season never hurts.
ESPN’s Matt Miller understands that, having released his latest first-round mock draft Tuesday morning. In it, Miller paired the Steelers with a potential star wide receiver in the first round, giving them a legitimate answer at the position for quarterback Kenny Pickett to work with, especially in a potentially new offense depending on what the franchise does at the offensive coordinator position this offseason.
That would be Washington star wide receiver Rome Odunze. Miller pairs the Steelers with the big, physical, play-making receiver at No. 14 overall in his mock draft.
“Diontae Johnson’s contract expires at the end of 2024, so there’s room for Pittsburgh to add a physical, downfield threat with elite after-the-catch ability to the depth chart,” Miller writes regarding his selection of Odunze for the Steelers.” Odunze has been the WR1 at Washington for three seasons, catching 25 touchdowns in that time while proving himself to be one of the most physical wideouts in college football. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze could pair with George Pickens to form a duo that would rival Cincinnati’s WR group in the AFC North.”
Odunze certainly is a fun name to think about in Pittsburgh for at least the 2024 season with Johnson and Pickens.
At 6026, 215, Odunze has a great build for the position and utilizes his size. He’s physical at the catch point, very good after the catch and really was the go-to guy for the Washington Huskies the last three seasons, culminating in helping them reach the College Football Playoff this season with Heisman Trophy-finalist quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
In four seasons at Washington, three as a full-time starter, Odunze has recorded 203 receptions for 3,060 yards and 25 touchdowns. In 2022 and 2023, Odunze cracked the 1,000-yard mark, including a career-high 1,428 and 13 touchdowns on 81 receptions this season, averaging 17.6 yards per reception.
He was named first-team All-Pac 12 in 2022 and 2023.
Odunze is a great talent, one who would be a welcome addition to the Steelers’ wide receiver room. But a first-round pick on a receiver seems rather rich, considering some of the holes the Steelers have elsewhere on the roster, like safety, cornerback, inside linebacker and offensive tackle. Adding a first-round receiver, even one of Odunze’s talents, just doesn’t seem like the smartest use of a premium draft pick, especially for a team that isn’t a wide receiver away and still has more questions than answers at the quarterback position.
Elsewhere in the AFC North, Miller paired the Cincinnati Bengals with Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton at No. 18 overall and the Ravens with Alabama EDGE Chris Braswell at No. 31 overall. The Cleveland Browns do not have a first-round pick due to the trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson with Houston.
