Trying to figure out who the Pittsburgh Steelers will be select in this year’s NFL Draft is becoming more and more difficult.
With Omar Khan wheelin’ and dealin’ players left and right, Pittsburgh’s needs continue to change. Pro Football Focus tried their hand at selecting for the Steelers in a live two-round mock draft podcast.
On their NFL Stock Exchange podcast, PFF’s Trevor Sikkema did the honors with the team’s first overall selection at 20 overall. He acknowledged from the start that the Steelers now have a major need at wide receiver with the team sending Dionate Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in a recent trade.
Still, Sikkema elected to go a different route, picking cornerback Cooper DeJean out of the University of Iowa.
“This is still corner to me,” said Sikkema after debating on selecting a first round receiver for the team. “I think they’re going DeJean…he can tackle.”
Definitely an interesting selection given the team’s other needs but hard to complain about. DeJean is a perfect scheme fit for the Steelers, profiling as a bigger cornerback with plus tackling and elite instincts. More importantly, he is a movable chess piece that can play every secondary position for the team.
In the same way the Steelers valued CB Cameron Sutton for his ability to play the nickel and boundary, they will covet DeJean for the same reasons. Plus, we already know he looks good in black and gold. For more on DeJean’s game, check out Jonathan Heitritter’s draft profile.
In the second round Sikkema’s co-host Connor Rogers picked for Pittsburgh. Without much hesitation, Rogers immediately singled out receiver as the point of need for the team. He selected University of Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall for the Steelers, citing his ability to separate, aligning with what they lost in Johnson.
“For the Steelers I’m going to go Ricky Pearsall,” said Rogers. “They traded Dionate Johnson. They needed a guy that can separate. That’s what Pearsall could do. He could fill Dionate’s role right away.”
Another interesting selection here from the PFF crew but tough to disagree with. The team does now have a big hole at receiver and Pearsall fits the bill. After watching him a bit closer at Florida, I loved the nuance to his route-running. Subtle footwork and head fakes had defensive backs in a blender. He also has elite hands as seen by one of the best catches all year. Ross McCorkle broke down his game in a draft profile.
I was surprised that Rogers elected to go with Pearsall while Michigan receiver Roman Wilson was still on the board. Tomlin seemed interested in Wilson at the Senior Bowl, telling he and Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell to go agaisnt each other in one-on-one’s. According to Wilson, his relationship with Tomlin extends even before that.
“I met Mike Tomlin a few times even before I played college football,” Wilson said via The Michigan Insider.“ He’s just a great guy, definitely cares about football. You don’t see many head coaches show up at the Senior Bowl. He’s one of the guys, and he’s interacting with the players. Just a great dude.”
Does their prior relationship mean they would unequivocally value Wilson over Pearsall? Probably not, but it could be a deciding factor if it’s a close call.
Absent from this mock draft is a center, a position the team desperately needs to address. There is a chance Pittsburgh fills that hole in another trade or free agent market, but with the crop of talent dwindling, I think it’s a safe bet they’re addressing it early in the draft.
