In just 15 days the 2024 NFL Draft will kick off in Detroit, where teams will have the opportunity to land some franchise-altering players, potentially putting them on the path toward contention.
The Pittsburgh Steelers hope to be one of those teams to land a franchise-altering piece, especially at a key area of need. With just over two weeks until the start of the draft, the needs on the roster for GM Omar Khan are quite clear: center, offensive tackle, wide receiver, defensive line, cornerback and safety.
Some of those needs are much greater than others as things currently stand, but they are all needs.
In the latest two-round mock draft Wednesday morning from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the Steelers address two of those key needs on the offensive side of the football, that being center and wide receiver.
In the first round at No. 20 overall, Kiper paired the Steelers with Duke center Graham Barton, and then followed up in the second round at No. 51 overall with Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.
Barton was the pick in the first round to plug the glaring hole at center. At that point in his mock draft, Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga, Alabama’s JC Latham and Washington Troy Fautanu were all off the board, leaving the Steelers to pick from the likes of Barton, Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Georgia’s Amarius Mims.
“Cornerback, wide receiver, center — I wouldn’t be surprised with any of these positions for Pittsburgh, which has made a few intriguing additions this offseason. The Steelers parted ways with starting pivot Mason Cole in February, and taking Barton, my top-ranked center, might even be an upgrade,” Kiper writes regarding the selection of Barton for the Steelers. “Barton played center as a freshman but spent the past three seasons at left tackle for the Blue Devils, and I see his pro future along the interior. He allowed just three sacks over the past two seasons.”
Barton has been a name that has started to gain steam in the last month or so for the Steelers, especially after new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith — a former offensive lineman himself — was in at Duke Pro Day to get a look at Barton.
Though he played tackle the last three seasons at Duke, his experience there as a freshman has many believing he will make the transition back to the position seamlessly. He’s an elite athlete at the position, testing out at a perfect 10.0 RAS as a center in Kent Lee Platte’s metrics. He brings a certain edge and athleticism to the position, too.
In his scouting report of Barton for Steelers Depot, Jim Hester spoke highly of the Duke offensive lineman:
“I came away highly impressed with Barton’s dedication to his craft, his passion for football, the effort he plays with, and the desire to continually improve. His consistency is what sets him apart from his peers, and he shows exceptional athleticism and physicality that will translate to the pro game. Barton can be overwhelming for opponents more often than not. He is a positionally versatile player who has significant experience playing as a left tackle, but his lack of length will most likely kick him inside to guard or center at the NFL level.”
After the last few years of struggling to find an adequate replacement for Maurkice Pouncey following his retirement after the 2020 season, Barton could be that piece that solidifies the position long-term once again.
Following the selection of Barton, Kiper paired the Steelers with McMillan at No. 51, plugging a glaring hole at receiver following the trade of Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers earlier in the offseason.
“George Pickens is the Steelers’ clear No. 1 wideout with Diontae Johnson traded to Carolina, but who’s their No. 2? Van Jefferson? I’m not sold. If they can add a difference-maker in Round 2, Russell Wilson would have a really solid group of pass-catchers,” Kiper writes regarding the selection of McMillan for the Steelers. “McMillan was overshadowed by Rome Odunze at Washington, but he’s a dynamic slot receiver. He missed a few games with injury last season, but he had 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022.”
McMillan is a name that hasn’t been mentioned much with the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process, but there is certainly a fit there. The Steelers held a formal meeting with him at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where new receivers coach Zach Azzanni got a good look at the Washington product, putting the receivers through position drills at the Combine.
Despite dealing with injuries during the 2023 season, McMillan still found a way to put together a strong season in the Huskies’ explosive offense. He hauled in 45 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns. In 2022, McMillan broke out, recording 79 receptions for 1,098 yards and nine touchdowns.
In his scouting report of McMillan for Steelers Depot, Jonathan Heitritter compared McMillan to veteran receiver Demarcus Robinson as a bigger slot receiver:
“Jalen McMillan is a bigger slot receiver that has some experience playing out wide in college and can do so in the pros, but his best fit at the next level is inside where he can use his side and route running savvy to best smaller slot defenders or linebackers and safeties tasked with covering him. He lacks high-end speed or quickness but tends to do everything right as a route runner and a YAC threat who can also make the tough grabs in coverage to move the chains.”
Addressing those two holes quickly in the 2024 NFL Draft is ideal for the Steelers, especially after they overhauled the roster this offseason, bringing in some big names to address the quarterback position, as well as linebacker.
It’s a solid two-round haul for the Steelers in Kiper’s latest mock.
