(Ed. Note – This mock was written prior to the legal tampering period opening up Monday at noon)
The Pittsburgh Steelers are well into the offseason where the pre-draft process has ramped up as the team looks to bolster its roster in hopes of having a better opportunity to compete in the postseason next year.
We recently concluded the NFL Scouting Combine but still have the Pro Days and pre-draft visits prior to the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s never too early to go through mock-draft scenarios and project players the Steelers may be interested in given their current needs on the roster and the talent in this draft class.
ROUND 1 (#20 OVERALL) — KOOL-AID MCKINSTRY/CB/ALABAMA
Pittsburgh just parted ways with Patrick Peterson and pending free agent Levi Wallace’s chances of returning to the team are slim at best at this point. The Steelers need another long-term starter opposite Joey Porter Jr. on the outside, and they take a guy who looks nearly identical to him in regard to size, length, and play style in Alabama’s Kool-Aid McKinstry. McKinstry is dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot and didn’t test at the Combine but appears as if he will be ready to roll come OTAs. He met formally with the Steelers at the Combine and has the length and physical play style Pittsburgh desires in its corners, being able to play bump-and-run coverage with big, fast, and physical receivers on the outside. Given that McKinstry was projected to be a top-10 selection for most of the pre-draft process, landing him at 20th overall could represent a small value for Pittsburgh.
ROUND 2 (#51 OVERALL)— ZACH FRAZIER/C/WEST VIRGINIA
After the release of C Mason Cole, the Steelers have a glaring hole at the center position. They will likely add someone prior to the draft, but GM Omar Khan did say that the Steelers owe it to themselves to find their next great center. In this scenario, they snag West Virginia’s Zach Frazier, who had extensive starting experience in Morgantown and is an aggressive run blocker while also being a sound pass protector. One of the top centers in this draft class, Frazier’s coming off a broken leg suffered last season but appears to be nearly back to full strength and has a pre-draft visit scheduled with Pittsburgh, showing the Steelers’ interest. He could provide steady play early in his career, being reliable while representing the toughness Pittsburgh needs to get back to as a team.
ROUND 3 (#84 OVERALL)— JEREMIAH TROTTER JR./LB/CLEMSON
Khan also mentioned at the Combine the need the team has at inside linebacker given that Cole Holcomb’s timeline to return to the field is still up in the air after suffering a nasty knee injury last season. They address that need with Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He was mocked to Pittsburgh in the first round a lot at the start of the pre-draft process, but his lack of ideal size has affected his draft stock, making him more of a Day 2 prospect. Still, Trotter was a productive player for the Tigers as a fierce leader both on and off the field, making plays in coverage as well as having a knack of getting to the quarterback as a pass rusher. He had 28.5 tackles for loss the last two years, making plays in the backfield against the run. He met formally with Pittsburgh at the Combine and has the pedigree as well as the hearts and smarts that will appeal to the Steelers.
ROUND 4 (#119 OVERALL)— BLAKE FISHER/OT/NOTRE DAME
The Steelers have a need at the tackle position, and they address it with the first of their back-to-back fourth-round picks with Notre Dame OT Blake Fisher. Fisher, who checked in at 6-6, 312 pounds at the Combine, started 27 games for Notre Dame and is still only 20-years-old, having youth and experience on his side. He met with Pittsburgh formally at the Combine and proved to be a quality run blocker during his time with the Fighting Irish. He needs to develop more as a pass protector and play with more consistency, but the tools are there for Fisher to eventually push for a starting job at right tackle. That would allow Broderick Jones to go back to his more natural left tackle position.
ROUND 4 (#120 OVERALL VIA RAMS)— MALIK WASHINGTON/WR/VIRGINIA
The Steelers talked to plenty of wide receivers at the Combine, and Malik Washington is a guy who’s flying under the radar that would make for a strong pick at the position on Day 3 of the draft. He had a breakout season in 2023 with Virginia after starting his college career at Northwestern, posting 110 receptions for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns. He tested well at the Combine and was a Shrine Bowl participant, checking several boxes for Pittsburgh. He can contribute in the slot as a rookie, bringing a nice blend of speed, craftiness, and combative-catch ability as a chain mover to Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
ROUND 6 (#196 OVERALL)— MOHAMED KAMARA/EDGE/COLORADO STATE
The Steelers could stand to add another pass rusher into with Markus Golden becoming a free agent. One guy whom they met with formally at the Combine is Mohamed Kamara, an undersized yet explosive edge rusher out of Colorado State who padded the stat sheet the last three seasons. He racked up 30.5 sacks during his time in college and has a vast array of pass-rush moves. He tested well in Indianapolis but lacks the ideal height and length you want in an edge rusher, which will push him down the board. Still, Kamara can contribute in a rotational role, giving great effort in pursuit as well as having the hand usage and explosiveness to win the corner while also contributing on special teams to earn a roster spot.
ROUND 7 (#237 OVERALL)— JADEN CRUMEDY/DL/MISSISSIPPI STATE
The Steelers close out the draft by selecting Mississippi State’s Jaden Crumedy to add more depth to the interior of their defensive line. Crumedy is a fifth-year senior whose contributions for the Bulldogs go back to 2019, providing a stout run defender in the middle while generating some pass rush. He reached a career high in sacks (2.5) in 2023, being more of a pocket pusher than nuanced pass rusher. The 6-4, 301-pounder has the size and length (33-inch arms) that Pittsburgh finds attractive in its defensive linemen and is a powerful man who flashes underrated athleticism on tape. He can come in and sit behind the starters as he develops into a hopeful rotational piece at either nose tackle or as a base 3-4 defensive end.
