After landing Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon in the first round at No. 21 overall Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ attention shifts to Day 2 Friday night in Green Bay.
The Steelers currently have just one pick, sitting at No. 83 overall in the third round. So, they’ll find themselves waiting for a bit, unless GM Omar Khan can swing a trade to get back into the second round or early in the third.
For now, though, it seems like they’ll stay put. There, they’ll have some options. Across the NFL media landscape, there are quite a few avenues the Steelers could go. In Day 2 mock drafts from CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus and The Athletic, the Steelers go in a number of directions.
PFF and The Athletic has the Steelers addressing quarterback, while CBS Sports goes defense again, this time addressing the secondary.
In PFF’s Day 2 mock draft, the Steelers land Ohio State QB Will Howard at No. 83 overall.
“Howard checks a lot of boxes: experience, size and a willingness to attack all coverages. He doesn’t bring special arm talent, but he could develop into an NFL starter,” PFF writes.
That Howard pick comes with Shedeur Sanders and Jalen Milroe off the board.
Howard is a QB who makes a great deal of sense for the Steelers. They did quite a bit of work on him and attended Ohio State Pro Day in force. He’s big, strong and works well off play-action, and can throw on the run, which fits Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme.
Howard measured in at 6042, 236 pounds at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine with 9-inch hands. He added a 31.5-inch vertical jump, a 9’4″ broad jump, a 4.33 short shuttle and a 7.13 3-cone. He’s a big, thick quarterback who can stand in the pocket and deliver. He also brings good mobility and athleticism to the position.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Alex Kozora stated that he likes Howard quite a bit and compared him to former NFL QB Matt Hasselbeck.
“Overall, I was impressed by Will Howard’s game. He has a lot of the basic tools to succeed and importantly, has a defining trait. Every franchise quarterback needs to have a calling card. They can’t be just average/above average at everything. Howard’s touch and overall accuracy are impressive and will serve him well at the NFL level. And I don’t think it’s a flash in the pan from one playoff run. This isn’t Cardale Jones 2.0.”
In The Athletic’s Day 2 mock draft, Nick Baumgardner had the same idea as PFF, pairing the Steelers with Syracuse QB Kyle McCord at No. 83 overall.
That pick in Baumgardner’s mock comes after Sanders, Tyler Shough and Milroe came off the board in the early stages of the second round, leaving quarterback a bit thin.
McCord was a pre-draft visitor to the Steelers, and their interest in him is real.
He had a tremendous 2024 season with Syracuse after transferring from Ohio State. McCord led the nation with 4,779 passing yards, led the Orange to 10 wins, won the Holiday Bowl MVP award, and broke former Clemson QB Deshaun Watson’s ACC single-season passing record.
In Syracuse’s up-tempo, spread offense, McCord lit it up all season, showing off his accuracy, timing and ability to anticipate. He’s limited athletically and doesn’t have a strong arm, but he’s able to succeed above the neck with his processing skills, ability to move defenders with his eyes, and his quick release to fit throws into windows his arm strength doesn’t allow.
He might not have a strong arm, but according to ESPN’s Matt Miller, McCord is the best deep-ball thrower of this class. He completed 37 passes of 20 or more air yards last season, which led the nation.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Tom Mead compared McCord to Gardner Minshew II and wrote that he has solid arm strength, good pocket presence and reads defenses well.
“McCord has solid height, good weight, and a good football IQ. He has solid arm strength, a good understanding of the offense, and reads defenses effectively. He has a good pocket presence, gets the ball out quickly and accurately, and uses the whole field. His accuracy and timing are good and give the receiver a chance to run after the catch.
“Areas to improve include his mechanics and accuracy when off-platform, staying on his toes in the pocket, and accuracy on crossing routes. Manipulating defenders with his eyes and letting the ball fly on deep routes outside the numbers will benefit him in the future.”
As for CBS Sports’ mock draft, Chris Trapasso has the Steelers selecting Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts at No. 83 overall.
He’s a guy who checks some boxes with the Steelers having a heavy presence at Notre Dame Pro Day and holding a formal meeting with Watts at the Combine.
Safety is a position that the Steelers have been quietly looking at all offseason, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them address it early with Watts here.
In a scouting report for Steelers Depot, Jonathan Heittritter had this to say about Watts.
“Xavier Watts is a well-rounded safety who has played all over the formation and can wear plenty of hats for a defense. He is a ballhawk who can make splash plays in the passing game and also is a quality tackler in run support as a defensive back. Watts should be able to play free or strong safety at the next level, but his best fit would likely be as a free safety who can roll down into a robber role.”
The second day of the 2025 NFL Draft gets underway at 7 PM/EST.
