Without a second-round pick due to the DK Metcalf trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a bit of a difficult situation leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. They have just two picks inside the top 100 with too many holes to try and fill at premium positions with those draft picks.
Not having that second-round really throws some things off when it comes to shaping the draft board, at least from the media side. But ESPN’s Field Yates and Mel Kiper Jr. came up with a creative way to address two massive holes for the Steelers at positions of need.
In an alternating picks three-round mock draft for ESPN.com Tuesday morning, Yates and Kiper paired the Steelers with Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon at No. 21 overall, and then got aggressive early in the third round, moving up 15 spots to land Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe at No. 68 overall in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
At No. 21, Harmon wasn’t a surprise, even with the pick falling to Yates and not Kiper, as the latter had previously paired Harmon with the Steelers twice in his two previous mock drafts. Yates got the memo, apparently.
“Harmon led all FBS players in pressures from a DT alignment last season (34). And while the defensive line is strong in Pittsburgh, the roster could start looking to the future,” Yates writes. “Cameron Heyward will be 36 this season, so I like the idea of building with Harmon and Keeanu Benton. And as for the quarterback situation, I’m holding off.
“Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are off the board. It makes sense to wait until later in the draft (and sign Aaron Rodgers).”
In this scenario, Sanders went No. 9 to the New Orleans Saints, leaving Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart on the board. Yates previously mocked Dart to the Steelers at No. 21, but passed here, addressing the trenches for the Steelers.
Harmon has been a consistent, popular name connected to the Steelers throughout the pre-draft process. By all accounts, it’s a great crop of defensive linemen, and the Steelers have a chance at No. 21 overall to add a high-end, impactful defensive lineman. That’s where Harmon comes in.
He models his game after Cameron Heyward and getting a chance to learn and grow under the seven-time Pro Bowler for the next few years would be fantastic for Harmon. He had a great 2024 season at Oregon, brings great physicality, size and athleticism to the trenches, and could be the next building block for the Steelers along their defensive line.
After the selection of Harmon in the first round, Kiper facilitated a trade in the mock draft, moving the Steelers up from No. 83 in the third round to No. 68, swapping with the Raiders for a 2026 third-round pick and No. 83 overall, giving them the chance to land Milroe.
“There’s still a good chance the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers, but he isn’t under contract yet. They should draft a quarterback for the long term, but they might need to draft a quarterback for the short term, too,” Kiper writes. “Milroe has the arm to hit DK Metcalf and George Pickens downfield, and he can take off as a runner when he gets an opening.”
Like Harmon, Milroe is a name that has been connected to the Steelers heavily throughout the pre-draft process, especially after the Steelers had a Pro Day dinner with him ahead of the Alabama Pro Day, which is a relatively big deal during the process for the Steelers.
There are plenty of questions (and rightfully so) about Milroe’s accuracy issues as a passer, but there’s no denying the arm strength, deep-ball abilities, and his game-changing skill set with his legs.
He still has some developing to do as a passer and needs time to sit and learn, but the ability to make something out of nothing with his legs will help him survive early in his career as he continues to develop and grow as a passer. That could fit well in Pittsburgh, especially in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme.
It would be a bit of a hard pill to swallow to move up 15 spots and give up a third-round pick next year to do so, but the Steelers have been playing the compensatory picks game this offseason in free agency and should have a nice crop of comp picks coming their way next year after losing the likes of Dan Moore, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson and more this offseason.
Taking a swing on a talent like Milroe makes a great deal of sense, especially if Aaron Rodgers ultimately signs, giving the Steelers the ability to sit Milroe for 2025 behind Rodgers and Mason Rudolph and really let him learn and clean up his mechanics.
