Following the first week of free agency, and with a number of trades having taken place to shuffle around the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 selections, this is my first attempt of the season at an every-round mock draft for the team.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. This will probably be the last mock that I do until the days leading up to the draft.
ROUND ONE – 20TH OVERALL: AMARIUS MIMS/OT GEORGIA – 6076, 340 LBS.
Analysis: This may not be the most creative, with many other mocks linking him to the Steelers, but it makes too much sense to pass up. He would add an enormous frame to the offensive line and could play on the right side, allowing Broderick Jones to flip back to the left. The Steelers have two new quarterbacks who are dual threats with their arms and legs, and they figure to lean heavily on the two-headed monster of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in 2024. Shore up the offensive line at all costs to protect the new quarterbacks and propel the rushing attack to further success.
Mims may not be a completely polished prospect, having only started eight games, but his tape in those games suggests he could be the next great offensive tackle in the NFL. This, along with my second-round pick below, would give the Steelers a chance at having one of the best offensive lines in the league.
ROUND TWO – 51ST OVERALL: ZACH FRAZIER/C WEST VIRGINIA – 6025, 313 LBS.
Analysis: Drafting offensive linemen with the top two picks may feel like overkill, but the Steelers are in dire need of a center. The options in the free agency market have dried up, and that could leave James Daniels or Nate Herbig playing out of position if they don’t find another option. Powers-Johnson is almost certainly going to be gone by this pick, so you turn to the next-best option in Frazier.
He has everything you want in a center: the competitive toughness, play strength, balance, and football IQ to be a successful leader of the unit. His highly successful high school wrestling career gave him a unique understanding of body control and leverage that will serve him well in the NFL. Grab Mims and Frazier, and the Steelers’ offensive line is cooking with gas.
ROUND THREE – 84TH OVERALL: MALACHI CORLEY/WR WESTERN KENTUCKY – 5110, 215 LBS.
Analysis: The Steelers traded away Diontae Johnson and released Allen Robinson II, and just like that, the WR position shot to the top of the team’s needs. Thankfully, it is one of the deeper receiver classes in recent memory. They already have the big playmaker who can stretch the field in George Pickens., but they lost their possession receiver who excels at getting open and creating yards after the catch. Enter WKU’s Corley.
He is from a smaller program out of Conference USA, but he has 22 touchdowns and over 2,000 yards in the last two seasons. He excels after the catch with good play strength and short-area quickness and was used around the line of scrimmage a lot as a catch-short, run-long weapon.
Malachi Corley Scouting Report
ROUND THREE – 98TH OVERALL: MAX MELTON/CB RUTGERS – 5111, 187 LBS.
Analysis: This is where the Kenny Pickett trade really comes in handy, moving up 22 spots back up into the third round where a slot corner would be the best use of the team’s resources. Currently they have no logical option to play in the slot other than S DeShon Elliott, but he will be playing strong safety more than anything. Melton would be a great pickup as he could become a great player in the slot and provide a meaningful impact on special teams while he develops.
He had an incredible showing at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine with a 40.5-inch vertical jump, an 11’4″ broad jump, and a 4.39-second 40-yard dash time. He blocked four or five punts in college and was a gunner under head coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers. He played primarily in the slot, so his experience there is exactly what the team needs. He may have tested his way out of range for this pick, but there are so many corners in this draft that he could fall right into the Steelers’ lap.
ROUND FOUR – 119TH OVERALL: MCKINNLEY JACKSON/DL TEXAS A&M – 6014, 326 LBS.
Analysis: It isn’t the greatest draft class for defensive line talent, but the Steelers have a huge depth problem up front on defense, and one or two players will need to be added via the draft. Jackson doesn’t have the length to play all along the line, but he could be a valuable run-stuffer to use on early downs. He played a lot of 0-tech and 3-tech in college and has surprising quickness for his size to provide some juice as a pass rusher. He was also a two-time team captain.
McKinnley Jackson Scouting Report
ROUND SIX – 178TH OVERALL: JAHEIM BELL/TE FLORIDA STATE – 6020, 241 LBS.
Analysis: Bell is listed as a tight end, but he was much more than that at both South Carolina and Florida State. He played a little h-back, tight end, receiver, and even running back. When I asked him at the combine about potentially playing fullback, he said some teams have indeed talked to him about that possibility. He has the right frame for it, and could provide the team with more usage than just being a fullback in certain packages. He is a weapon with the ball in his hands and can make difficult catches in traffic. His blocking improved greatly over his time in college and was actually pretty good in his final season.
He tested very well at the combine, but his size will leave him off some teams’ boards as a tight end. The Steelers figure to utilize the fullback position in Arthur Smith’s offense, and I would bet they were one of the teams that discussed it with him. They had a formal meeting with him at the combine, which is pretty notable given that they barely met with any other Senior Bowl players there.
ROUND SIX – 195TH OVERALL: ERIC WATTS/DL UCONN – 6055, 274 LBS.
Analysis: With the final pick of the Steelers draft, it makes sense to grab a guy with all of the correct measurables to develop into an eventual defensive end. In Alex Kozora’s “what the Steelers look for” study on drafting defensive ends, Watts checks every box other than his weight. He would need to add 15-20 pounds, but he would not be playing in his first year or two anyway. At the combine, he said he had some informal meetings with the Steelers, and he also said that some teams have asked him to put on a little weight if they draft him. He told me that would be no problem to add some weight to his frame. If he can, his testing numbers at the combine are something to marvel at.
