My third Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft, the first following a wild and busy first wave of free agency. The 2024 Pro Days have also largely wrapped up, key indicators of where and who the team intends to draft. The Steelers also made several trades that have shaken up the draft order in significant ways.
I’ll release at least one more mock draft before Round 1 kicks off on April 25. If you missed my previous versions, you can read them below. As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Kozora Mock Draft Version 1.0
Kozora Mock Draft Version 2.0
Here’s my latest prediction.
ROUND ONE – 2OTH OVERALL: Graham Barton/OL Duke – 6053, 313 pounds
Analysis: This one comes with plenty of projection, I admit. Barton is a less-commonly mocked name to the Steelers. When it comes to Pittsburgh and first-round offensive linemen, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Georgia’s Amarius Mims are the most common inclusions.
But I’ll go with Barton, the Duke left tackle who would switch to center, the spot where he’s most commonly projected to play on Sundays. Though most of his time came at tackle, Barton played center his freshman year and has repped there throughout the pre-draft process. He’s athletic with good hand placement and punch and a nasty finish. While it’s easy to call this the same maneuver as Kendrick Green, Barton is far more experienced overall, more technical, and refined while bigger than Green (who was 6017, 305 pounds with 32 1/4-inch arms).
Choosing Barton would break a longstanding trend of having head coach and general manager attend the top pick’s Pro Day, a trend I’ve long touted. But Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan, for a variety of reasons, appeared at only four Pro Days this year, shrinking that pool. If there’s a year for an exception, this is it. Waiting on a center makes Day 2 an anxiety-ridden one, potentially forcing the Steelers to trade up early into the second round. And I figured I should have at least one mock draft that doesn’t feature Zach Frazier in the second round.
Others Considered: OT Amarius Mims, WR AD Mitchell, CB Terrion Arnold
ROUND TWO – 51ST OVERALL: Ricky Pearsall/WR Florida – 6010, 189 pounds
Analysis: Day 2 has been Pittsburgh’s sweet spot for drafting receivers and that trend continues here. The team has brought in a slew of second-round candidates for visits, including Pearsall. They’ll like the combination of his size, athleticism (9.90 RAS), production (over 2,400 career yards, 14 TDs) trustworthy hands, and willingness to block.
There’s an obvious need opposite WR George Pickens and even though the passing game runs primarily through him, the Steelers can’t be completely weak opposite the third-year man. They need to feature as many weapons as possible and give this offense every chance to succeed. The Steelers’ defense will hold up its end of the bargain, finishing sixth in scoring defense last year despite a unit decimated by injuries. Pearsall should make an immediate contribution.
Ricky Pearsall Scouting Report
Others Considered: C Zach Frazier, CB Mike Sainristil, DL Ruke Ohorhoro
ROUND THREE – 84TH OVERALL: Andru Phillips/CB Kentucky – 5106, 190 pounds
Analysis: Slot corner is an under-discussed need for a Steelers team with no current option on the roster. Circling back to Chandon Sullivan and/or Patrick Peterson after the draft is plausible but the team needs to find a long-term option. Phillips was among tops in the NCAA in slot snaps last season.
His production doesn’t stand out, 10 pass breakups and no interceptions the last two years, but he’s physical with size and plus testing. Even Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy noted the draft media has been sleeping on him. Pittsburgh may finally land on a three-down option to truly replace Mike Hilton instead of the committee approach it has used since he left in free agency.
Phillips has been on our radar for awhile, and a report dropped over the weekend that he was being brought in for a pre-draft visit, only strengthening this possibility.
Andru Phillips Scouting Report
Others Considered: CB Max Melton, CB Cam Hart, WR Ja’Lynn Polk
ROUND THREE – 98TH OVERALL: Maason Smith/DL LSU – 6051, 306 pounds
Analysis: Starting defensive linemen aren’t an immediate priority but depth is thin and the unit is aging. Pittsburgh is a great place for Smith to land. He’s raw and underdeveloped but can learn behind Cam Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi while not being counted on to play starter snaps out of the gate. A torn ACL in 2022 stunted his development and his production has been average throughout his career. In fact, it was best as a freshman in 2021.
Smith checks every box in the size profile you look for with height/weight/length that’s rare to find in today’s NFL. He has pedigree and will learn under DL Coach Karl Dunbar, hopefully seeing a starting role in 2025.
Others Considered: OC Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, CB Renardo Green, OT Blake Fisher
ROUND FOUR – 119TH OVERALL: Cedric Gray/ILB North Carolina – 6014, 236 pounds
Analysis: Even after signing Patrick Queen, ILBs Coach Aaron Curry was all over the Pro Day trail, a strong and obvious signal that the team wants to keep adding at the position. They want depth to be strong after losing so many players last year. Cole Holcomb’s timetable is unknown while Elandon Roberts is a free agent after the 2024 season. They’ve yet to trust Mark Robinson, too.
Gray is a good athlete with decent size and heavy production, recording nearly 250 tackles the last two seasons. He’s also made impact plays, recording six sacks, 10 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and three interceptions over his last two combined seasons. Those are big plays the Steelers were searching for – and got – when they re-tooled the room a year ago. You could argue he’s drafted a round higher but it’s a relatively weak inside linebacker class with some of these names likely to be selected ahead of him: Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper, NC State’s Payton Wilson, Clemson’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Michigan’s Junior Colson. That could push Gray outside the top 100.
Others Considered: OT Christian Jones, DL Gabe Hall, OL Matt Goncalves
ROUND SIX – 178TH OVERALL: Travis Glover/OT Georgia State – 6064, 317 pounds
Analysis: Glover is a prospect the Steelers have been all over during the pre-draft process, a smoke signal that suggests fire around a non-Power Five prospect the team typically doesn’t go after. Assistant OL Coach Isaac Williams coached him at the Senior Bowl and attended his Pro Day while Glover reportedly has/had a pre-draft visit.
Glover is big and long while also showing up to his Pro Day at a good weight, dropping 15 pounds since the Senior Bowl.
He uses his length well and can displace in the run game with guard/tackle versatility. Due to a lack of top-end lateral movement, his best home is at guard, less of a need for the team. But given the boxes he’s checked, he’s got a chance to be one of the team’s late-round selections.
Waiting until Glover does essentially leave Broderick Jones at right tackle. But you can’t solve every need in the top four rounds in this draft based on the current voids on the roster. Something’s gotta give. And there’s more to work with what the team currently has at tackle than it does at the above positions.
Others Considered: WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, QB Jordan Travis, OC Kingsley Eguakun
ROUND SIX – 195TH OVERALL: Deantre Prince/CB Ole Miss – 6000, 183 pounds
Analysis: A name we haven’t brought up before, Prince tested well in the pre-draft process. He ran a 4.38 40 with a 10’5″ broad. He offers well-rounded production, recording five tackles for a loss last season with one sack, one forced fumble, and one interception.
Pittsburgh double-dips at corner needing to address slot and the outside, even if Prince’s roster spot will be far from assured. He’ll compete with Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. for a roster spot. We’ll have a report on Prince before the draft.
Others Considered: QB Carter Bradley, SS Dominique Hampton, ILB Dallas Gant
