It’s now time to release the final version of my Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 mock draft and once again this year, it is my only offering of the offseason.
As usual, I have adhered to several historical principles related to past Steelers drafts when putting my final mock together. One of those is making sure I pay close attention to players who played in or were invited to the annual college all-star games, as we’ve seen the Steelers draft quite a few of those non-underclassmen players from various rounds over the years. Obviously, our annual pro day tracker was closely followed in addition to the reports of which players came in for pre-draft visits.
In addition to providing my guess for every round, I also included four other players I considered while building this one and only mock so you can see where my head was while putting it together. As usual, my primary goal is to have several of the 35 total players listed below ultimately wind up being selected by the Steelers.
Due to me being so busy with the site once again this year and not being much of a fan of doing mocks these days, I only managed to do just one this year. I apologize for that.
I invite everyone to post their final mocks in the comments below and hope all of you enjoyed our pre-draft coverage this year. We look forward to covering the real thing for you beginning Thursday evening. Don’t forget to get entered into our annual mock draft contest as well.
If you would like to take a look back at my 2023 final mock draft for the Steelers, you can do so by following the link below.
Bryan: 2023 Steelers Mock Draft: Version 1.0 – Final Version
DISCLAIMER: AS USUAL, THIS IS WHAT I THINK THE STEELERS MIGHT DO IN THE DRAFT, NOT WHAT I WOULD DO.
ROUND 1 (#20 OVERALL): ZACH FRAZIER/OC – WEST VIRGINIA – 6025, 313 LBS.
I do believe that I have some serious explaining to do here. First, why center in the first round? Since right around the NFL Scouting Combine, I never really have been able to get past GM Omar Khan saying this about the position in an interview with WPXI.
“There’s a standard here,” Khan said. “I got spoiled. I was around Maurkice Pouncey and Jeff Hartings. That was my time here. Obviously, Dermontti Dawson. There were plenty of great centers here. There’s a high standard, so we owe it to ourselves to look at everything to try to find the next great Steelers center.”
Obviously, the Steelers have a pretty big hole at the center position right now. Could they possibly address that position in the second round? Sure, but it might require a trade up if they want one of the perceived top three centers. In short, the draft feels a bit less messy with a center in the first round.
So, why Frazier and not Graham Barton out of Duke or Jackson Powers-Johnson out of Oregon?
First, I think all three have the potential of being the pick. I also enjoyed the tape of all three, even though most of it with Barton was at left tackle. Of the three, Frazier logged the most time at center and it’s not even close with 2,667 snaps there, to be exact. There is no projection there. You know what you are getting with him at center and it’s certainly not bad at all. He is a center through and through.
I’m not scared of Barton; there is just more projection involved, which makes it tough. He might even make a great guard in the NFL in addition to possibly being a great center. I will say this about his 2020 tape at center, however: it did not knock my socks off. Even so, he was just 18 at the time and a freshman. I can’t unequivocally say he won’t be a great center in the NFL. It’s just a tough projection with him is all. His athletic testing profile is one for the books for sure.
As for Powers-Johnson, I wonder if his weight is a feature or a bug. Don’t get me wrong, he moves fantastically well for a player at 328 pounds. Really fantastic. Even so, he would be the heaviest center drafted in some time. Look it up. Many also probably forget he reportedly weighed in at Senior Bowl at 334 pounds. I thought that was an error at first. He reportedly has some injury concerns connected to him as well, but if that is indeed the case, they don’t surface easily in Google searches. Plus, he seemed to make through the 2023 season just fine. Can he carry that weight in the NFL? Can he play at a lighter weight and be just as effective? We’ll see.
Overall, the hearts and smarts and experience at center when it comes to Frazier won out with me. Sure, he’s coming off that broken leg last season, but according to him, there was no ligament damage, and he should be fully recovered very soon, if not yet already. It was requested during the Combine that Frazier get extended medicals done on his leg and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Steelers were the team to request such.
Frazier has an impressive wrestling background and was also a three-time captain at West Virginia. Remember, Blaine Stewart, who was formerly a member of the Steelers coaching staff, is now on the West Virginia coaching staff. In short, the Steelers had no issue learning more about who Frazier is and isn’t during the pre-draft process. They probably know more about Frazier than they do Barton and Powers-Johnson combined.
I get that many have Frazier as more of a Round 2 prospect. Even so, the consensus still seems to be that the Steelers would need to trade up for Frazier in the second round should they bypass the center position altogether in the first round. Why not just take him in the first round if that’s the guy they want/need?
I’m not concerned about Frazier’s overall lack of ideal length. Draftniks, including myself, had the same concerns about Tyler Linderbaum a few years ago, and he ended up being selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round. I’m not saying Frazier will be Linderbaum, but I do think he has everything needed to be a very good center in the NFL and just the kind of center that fits perfectly into the offense I believe that new OC Arthur Smith wants to run in Pittsburgh.
In closing, this is really a gut feeling for me when it comes to Frazier being the 20th overall pick. I think the Steelers really, really like him and enough to possibly take him in the first round. If it’s not him, I really think the pick will be one of Barton or Powers-Johnson. If not one of those three, it’s easy to default to Georgia OT Amarius Mims, as he checks all the normal Steelers pre-draft boxes that we look for from top to bottom.
College Bio: https://wvusports.com/sports/football/roster/zach-frazier/17041
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: West Virginia C Zach Frazier
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=25068&ovl=West+Virginia
Others Considered: OC Graham Barton, OC Jackson Powers-Johnson, OT Amarius Mims, WR Adonai Mitchell
ROUND 2 (#51 OVERALL): ROMAN WILSON/WR – MICHIGAN – 5106, 185 LBS.
Like most mock drafts you’ll see, it’s not a stretch to have the Steelers selecting a wide receiver during the second day this year. Even Round 2 is not too early even though this is deep-ish class this year at the position. When it comes to Day 2 fits for the Steelers at the wide receiver position, one can easily build out the list to at least 10 players. If you do so, Wilson should be on that list.
A Michigan product, Wilson caught 107 passes for 1,707 yards and 20 touchdowns during his college career. Forty-five of those catches resulted in gains of 15 yards or more. Twenty-two of them went for 25 yards or longer. As Dane Brugler pointed out in his annual draft guide, Wilson, who played a lot in the slot at Michigan, had 71.7 percent of his 2023 catches happen between the numbers. His average depth of target in 2023 was 13.1 yards and his average depth of completion was 11.8 yards. He had just one drop in 2023 and caught 72.7 percent of the passes on which he was targeted. On top of everything else, Wilson is a willing blocker, albeit not the best blocking wide receiver in this year’s draft class.
The Steelers had Khan and HC Mike Tomlin at the Michigan pro day this year and that wasn’t a bit surprising. Tomlin also seems to have quite the relationship with Wilson to this point and dating back to even before this year’s Senior Bowl.
“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.”
It’s not hard to connect the dots between Wilson and the Steelers during the pre-draft process. Sure, Wilson was not a pre-draft visitor this spring, but that’s probably because the Steelers already knew enough about him.
College Bio: https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/roman-wilson/24421
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Michigan WR Roman Wilson
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=25144&ovl=Michigan
Others Considered: WR Ricky Pearsall, WR Malachi Corley, WR Xavier Legette, DL Ruke Orhorhoro
ROUND 3 (#84 OVERALL): MIKE SAINRISTIL/CB – MICHIGAN – 5093, 182 LBS.
I can hear it now; “Dave, Sainristil won’t be there by the time this pick rolls around.”
I get it, really, I do. Even so, Sainristil’s measurables might cause him to slide some. Since at least 2017 (the furthest I looked back), not one cornerback has been selected in the first 83 picks of a draft who measured in under 5-10. Sure, not many other cornerbacks under that height deserved to be drafted that early and all it takes is for one team to love Sainristil enough to break that trend. Even so, I will take my chances here just the same.
The fact that I am even mocking the 5093 Sainristil to the Steelers should be a huge shock because normally I shy away from cornerbacks under 5-10. He certainly is fun to watch, however, and he is a physical dude for a player his size. He is a true nickel cornerback prospect in this year’s draft and perhaps even the top one as well on a few teams boards.
The Steelers have missed CB Mike Hilton (5086, 178) ever since he left Pittsburgh several years in free agency for greener pastures. Sainristil appears to be the closest thing to him when it comes to slot cornerbacks in this year’s draft class and the Steelers certainly could use him.
A converted wide receiver while at Michigan, Sainristil recorded 102 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, seven interceptions, 13 passes defensed and two forced fumbles in his final two years of college action.
Sainristil was also a team captain in his final two years at Michigan, and that’s yet another reason why the Steelers will be attracted to him.
With Khan and Tomlin being present at Michigan Pro Day, much like with Wilson, there probably wasn’t much need to bring Sainristil in for a pre-draft visit. They have to like him, and the only real question is if they can get him to fall to them.
College Bio: https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/roster/mike-sainristil/24406
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Michigan DB Mike Sainristil
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=25010&ovl=Michigan
Others Considered: CB Max Melton, CB Andru Phillips, DL Maason Smith, OT Blake Fisher
ROUND 3 (#98 OVERALL): CEDRIC GRAY/ILB – NORTH CAROLINA – 6014, 234 LBS.
The Steelers had inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry very busy this year during the pro day cycle and those actions certainly can’t be ignored by us. While the Steelers did address the inside linebacker position in grand fashion in free agency with the signing of Patrick Queen, the rest of the depth chart could use some strengthening, especially with Cole Holcomb coming off his serious 2023 knee injury.
Curry was present for the North Carolina Pro Day this year and as part of that, he helped put Gray, who is not even 22 years old, through his positional drills.
Gray registered a whopping 369 total tackles during his college career with 363 of them coming in the last three seasons. He wasn’t just a tackling machine for North Carolina as Gray also recorded 8.5 sacks, five interceptions, 13 passes defensed five forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries during his college career. All of those stats were also compiled in his last three seasons.
Gray, a team captain while at North Carolina, was a Senior Bowl participant and the Steelers brought him in for a pre-draft visit to boot. He should be able to contribute as a rookie on special teams as he works on developing his overall game with the hopes that maybe he can become more than just a backup.
College Bio: https://goheels.com/sports/football/roster/cedric-gray/24259
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: North Carolina LB Cedric Gray
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=25078&ovl=North+Carolina
Others Considered: ILB Trevin Wallace, WR Jalen McMillan, CB D.J. James, OC Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
ROUND 4 (#119 OVERALL): LUKE MCCAFFREY/WR – RICE – 6015, 198 LBS.
Last year, the Steelers did not draft a single wide receiver and that was a rarity for them. Since then, they have traded WR Diontae Johnson earlier in the offseason and thus the wide receiver room could use some fortifying during this year’s draft, even after the additions of two veteran free agents in Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins. So, with all of that, is it unthinkable that the Steelers might draft two wide receivers this year? I don’t think so.
Enter Luke McCaffrey, son of Ed McCaffrey and brother of Christian McCaffrey. Yes, an NFL bloodline player and one the Steelers seemed to have some interest in during the pre-draft process as evidenced by them bringing him in for a pre-draft visit.
A converted college quarterback, Luke McCaffrey is still developing as a wide receiver after registering 128 receptions for 1,703 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Rice. Forty-three of those catches, which is roughly one-third of his total the last two seasons, gained 15 yards or more. Additionally, 16 of them resulted in gains of 25 yards or more. He played both inside and outside at Rice so there is some position flexibility with him.
According to Pro Football Focus, McCaffrey ranked ninth in the nation in contested targets with 28 for the 2023 season. His contested-catch percentage on those throws was 60.7 and that was second best among receivers with 25 or more such targets. The Steelers love those contested-catch wide receivers. He did, however, have eight drops the last two seasons, just as full disclosure.
Had McCaffrey completed the bench press during the pre-draft process, he may have just checked all of the boxes when it comes to what the Steelers look for in wide receivers they draft.
While not deemed a great blocker, McCaffrey shows effort in that phase of his game. He needs to work on that phase at the NFL level and get stronger overall. Maybe that’s why he didn’t do the bench press.
McCaffrey was not asked to play much on special teams in college and he’ll likely be asked to do that at the NFL level. He needs to get himself on at least one unit and hopefully two. Personally, I don’t see that being an issue with him.
For whatever it’s worth, McCaffrey was a team captain during his final season at Rice. He was also a Senior Bowl participant and that means a lot. The Steelers surely got to know him there as well as at the Combine.
If drafted by the Steelers McCaffrey would obviously have a great shot to make the roster as a rookie, especially if he shows he can play on special teams. He could easily slot in as the team’s fourth or fifth wide receiver on the depth chart as a rookie.
College Bio: https://riceowls.com/sports/football/roster/luke-mccaffrey/9035
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Rice WR Luke McCaffrey
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=25146&ovl=Rice
Others Considered: CB Renardo Green, CB Jarvis Brownlee, DL Gabe Hall, OC Hunter Nourzad
ROUND 6 (#178 OVERALL): TRAVIS GLOVER/OT – GEORGIA STATE – 6060, 317 LBS.
Could Glover be the most underrated tackle in this year’s draft class? I think that’s quite possible, and I bet Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network would likely agree. Glover, a smaller-school prospect out of Georgia State, has most all of the measurables the Steelers look for in their tackles. He also has some position flexibility to boot, meaning he played both tackle spots and a little bit of guard during his college career.
Glover was considered one of the biggest Combine snubs this year and that’s even after he had an impressive showing at the Hula Bowl and as an emergency replacement at the Senior Bowl.
As Alex Kozora pointed out in a previous post dedicated to Glover, the Steelers have had more than just passing interest in him throughout the pre-draft process. Not only did the Steelers have assistant offensive line coach Isaac Williams and director of college scouting Dan Colbert at Georgia State Pro Day this offseason, but they also brought Glover in for a pre-draft visit. That’s some real interest there.
The Steelers have drafted non-Combine invites from smaller schools before so selecting Glover this year wouldn’t be a huge development for them. If the team decides to pass on the bigger-school tackle prospects in the first two days of the draft, selecting a player with big upside like Glover in the sixth round would make sense.
College Bio: https://georgiastatesports.com/sports/football/roster/travis-glover/6635
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Georgia State OL Travis Glover
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=26332&ovl=Georgia+State
Others Considered: DL Jaden Crumedy, WR Cornelius Johnson, ILB Tyrice Knight, OT Walter Rouse
ROUND 6 (#195 OVERALL): ZION LOGUE/DT – GEORGIA – 6055, 314 LBS.
If players were drafted off physical measurements alone, the Steelers would be all over Logue in the fourth round of this year’s draft. The only box that Logue failed to really check when it comes to what the Steelers look for in measurables was his bench press result (17).
Logue, however, didn’t put up the sort of production at Georgia that you would think you would get out of a player with his measurements, and because of that, he’s considered a late Day 3 prospect at best. He did hold his own against the run and that seems to be his calling card ahead of the draft.
Logue did receive an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl this offseason so there is that. He also managed to stick on the Georgia roster for five seasons, a huge accomplishment that resulted in him logging just over 1,000 total defensive snaps.
While Logue isn’t likely be an every-down player in the NFL, he could be developed into a rotational backup with the right coaching if he can refine his overall game and start playing up to his measurables more. He’s also still not even 23 years of age.
College Bio: https://georgiadogs.com/sports/football/roster/zion-logue/7386
Draft Profile: 2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Georgia DL Zion Logue
RAS Profile: https://ras.football/ras-information/?PlayerID=24966&ovl=Georgia
Others Considered: S Evan Williams, WR Bub Means, ILB Steele Chambers, CB Daequan Hardy
