Steelers NFL Draft scenarios: Four paths to address the team’s biggest needs

Sports

add

As the NFL Draft approaches, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most glaring needs are defensive tackle, running back, wide receiver, quarterback and defensive back.

The question is: In what order should they address these positions?

Today, I’ve taken those needs and shuffled them to create four mini-mocks using evaluations and projections from Dane Brugler’s draft opus, “The Beast,” as a guide. The point of this exercise is to examine which players could realistically be available in each round and how targeting a particular position has a ripple effect in later rounds. For that reason, I’m focused only on the Steelers’ five biggest needs and their first five picks (and will not select players in the seventh round). Consider it a choose-your-own-adventure exercise.

Notes: Trades were not considered, so none of the scenarios have the Steelers picking in the second round. Players who have taken a pre-draft visit with the Steelers are identified with an asterisk.

Scenario 1: Big needs early, wait until 2026 for big QB move

Round 1: DT Derrick Harmon*, Oregon

Top defensive tackle Mason Graham should be drafted within the top five or 10, way too early to consider for Pittsburgh. Behind him, Harmon (16th on Brugler’s board), Michigan’s Kenneth Grant (25th) and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen (31st) all have first- to second-round grades. If I were to predict five players who might be selected by the Steelers in the first round, all three defensive tackles would be on the list. I’ve selected Grant in previous mock drafts but will go with Harmon here. He visited the Steelers this week.

Round 3: RB Bhayshul Tuten*, Virginia Tech

Nine running backs could land somewhere in this range. On the higher end, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson have second- to third-round grades. The Steelers hosted Sampson and took Judkins to dinner ahead of his pro day, so we know there is interest. Tuten and Arizona’s Cam Skattebo are among those with third- to fourth-round grades. Tuten was another pre-draft visitor. The 5-9, 206-pound back has a lot of experience in a zone rushing offense and the speed to hit home runs after posting a 4.32 40 at the combine.

Round 4: WR Savion Williams*, TCU

Seven receivers fall within this range of Brugler’s rankings. At the top are Colorado State’s Tory Horton and Williams (who have third- to fourth-round grades). At the bottom are those with fourth- to fifth-round grades like Auburn’s Keandre Lambert-Smith, Florida’s Chimere Dike and Maryland’s Tai Felton. We’ll be optimistic here and say Williams slides to the fourth round and OC Arthur Smith stands on the table for a versatile player who has drawn comparisons to Cordarrelle Patterson.

Round 5: DB Mac McWilliams, UCF

Brugler has six safeties and 12 corners with grades touching the fifth round. I opted for McWilliams, a 5-10, 191-pound fifth-year senior who has the versatility to play inside or outside and performed well at the Senior Bowl, where the Steelers like to find talent.

Round 6: QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

At this point in the draft, the Steelers would be throwing a dart at a backup. After five seasons at Ohio, Rourke was part of the Hoosiers’ surprising 2024 season, setting a school record with 31 touchdown passes.

Takeaways from this scenario: Drafting a defensive tackle early and a running back in Round 3 or 4 would be the ideal scenario, in my mind. It would significantly address two important positions and offer the team some flexibility. The Steelers should have at least two or three plug-and-play defensive linemen to choose from in the first round. Then, they could count on the depth of the running back class to find a starter with their next pick.

Yes, by waiting on a QB, Pittsburgh would be kicking that can down the road. At the same time, do you really want a shiny new Landry Jones when you can sign a backup without spending a draft pick?

Scenario 2: Who said never draft a running back in Round 1?

Round 1: RB Omarion Hampton*, North Carolina

At 6-foot and 221 pounds, Hampton has the body type and the dynamic skill set to carry the load in the NFL. One thing to consider is the Broncos pick 20th and have made it known they’re interested in an offensive playmaker of some type. Hampton visited the Steelers this week.

Round 3: DT Joshua Farmer*, Florida State

Should the Steelers go a different direction in Round 1, some Round 3 defensive tackle candidates include Toledo’s Darius Alexander, Texas’ Alfred Collins, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders and Ohio State’s Ty Hamilton. I took Farmer, a pre-draft visitor, here. At 6-3 and 305 pounds, he has natural power to make a difference in the run game. However, Brugler noted that Farmer would likely need to begin his career in a rotational role before stepping into a full-time position as a starter — something to keep in mind if the Steelers wait to address the defensive line.

Round 4: QB Will Howard, Ohio State

Brugler gave Syracuse’s Kyle McCord a third- to fourth-round grade in his final evaluation. Howard and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel received fourth-round grades, and Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard has a fourth- to fifth-round grade. The Steelers visited with Howard ahead of his pro day. He has a frame like Ben Roethlisberger and is a proven winner. However, he was surrounded by one of the most talented rosters and doesn’t have the strongest arm.

Round 5: WR Arian Smith, Georgia

As a one-year starter at Georgia, the 6-foot, 179-pound Smith led the Bulldogs in receiving yards. A former track athlete, he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine but doesn’t have the catch radius or ball skills of former Georgia WR and current Steeler George Pickens.

Round 6: CB Cobee Bryant, Kansas

Bryant brings four years of starting experience, a chippy on-field attitude and 13 career interceptions. He’s slight at 6-foot and 180 pounds and ran only a 4.53 40-yard dash, but every prospect on Day 3 will have some holes.

Takeaways from this scenario: Hampton would make a ton of sense for a Steelers offense that ran the ball fourth most in 2024 and just spent two years making serious upgrades on the offensive line. Adding a dynamic first-round back and DK Metcalf would begin to give the offense much more firepower.

However, choosing anything other than a defensive lineman in Round 1 would come with a cost, especially because the Steelers don’t have a second-round pick. Farmer or other possible targets in the third round would need some time to develop. That could put the Steelers in a tough spot early in the 2025 season along the defensive front.

Scenario 3: A big swing on a QB

Round 1: QB Jaxson Dart*, Ole Miss

There’s a chance Shedeur Sanders will still be on the board when the Steelers are on the clock at No. 21. The higher likelihood is that Dart still will be available. Though he doesn’t have a lot of experience making full-field reads, Dart does have arm strength and has shown a willingness to push the ball down the field. If Sanders, Dart or both are still options when the Steelers pick, things could get interesting.

Round 3: RB Dylan Sampson*, Tennessee

Sampson could go earlier, but in a deep RB class, we’ll be optimistic and say he’s still available here. With track-caliber speed, the 5-8, 199-pound back earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2024. He averaged 131.4 rushing yards per game and scored 22 rushing touchdowns. He was also the subject of my favorite quote I found during this process, when a high school coach said Sampson was the only player he ever coached with a GPA higher than his 40-yard dash time.

Round 4: DT JJ Pegues*, Ole Miss

At 6-3 and 309 pounds, Pegues would bring scheme diversity after playing everywhere from the A-gap to outside the tackle. He also played some fullback, which could entice the Steelers’ OC.

Round 5: WR Tai Felton, Maryland

The 6-1, 183-pound receiver led the Big Ten in catches (8.0) and receiving yards (93.7) during his final season. His special teams’ experience adds value at this point in the draft.

Round 6: DB Craig Woodson, California

A three-year starter, Woodson’s value is his versatility. He played nickel and both safety spots in college. At 6-foot and 200 pounds, he could begin his career as a big nickel with the hope that he could develop into more. The more I’ve learned about Woodson, the more I like him for the Steelers.

Takeaways from this scenario: If the Steelers draft a quarterback in the first round and he pans out, it will be a great draft no matter whom else they take. The position is just that important. However, if they try to find their franchise QB in the first round and it fails, it’s going to set the franchise back several years, as the Kenny Pickett pick did.

Beyond the QB, I did like the back half of this draft. Sampson is becoming one of my favorite running backs, especially as I learn more about him as a person. And Woodson could be a really nice Day 3 option for a team that uses DBs in a variety of ways.

Scenario 4: Let’s get weird

Round 1: S Nick Emmanwori*, South Carolina

The Steelers’ pre-draft visits were full of running backs, defensive tackles, some middle-round receivers and quarterbacks. One outlier was safety Nick Emmanwori. For this hypothetical, let’s say the Steelers decided on draft night to go with the best player available and surprise many by selecting a safety early. At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Emmanwori is an impressive athlete who was listed as a free safety but played a lot in the box. Brugler rated him as his 17th prospect.

Round 3: DT Darius Alexander, Toledo

Each year, coach Mike Tomlin causes a stir on social media simply by having a conversation with a player at the Senior Bowl. Last year, it was Roman Wilson, whom he challenged to take every rep in practice against Quinyon Mitchell. This year, it was Alexander. The Toledo defensive tackle has a second- to third-round grade, but given the deep class at the position, we’ll say he slides into the third for this exercise.

Round 4: RB Ollie Gordon II*, Oklahoma State

Gordon burst onto NFL radars in 2023 when he rushed for an FBS-best 1,732 yards. His production dipped considerably last season, as he tallied only 880 yards on 190 carries. The Steelers hosted Gordon for a visit and might be enticed by the upside.

Round 5: WR Isaac TeSlaa, Arkansas

At 6-4 and 214 pounds, TeSlaa has one of the more interesting paths to the pros. A Wing-T QB in high school, he began his career in Division II before making the leap to the SEC in 2023. He has great size and ran a 4.43 40 at the combine, a great time for his size. However, he’s still really raw as a route runner. The Steelers would be betting they could unlock his full potential over time.

Round 6: QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State

The Steelers shouldn’t expect to find a starter at this point in the draft. However, Miller is the son of a high school football coach and shows his football IQ in several ways. He’d be a young backup who might help provide stability to a room that’s been completely remade in each of the past two seasons.

Takeaways from this scenario: It always has felt like a Minkah Fitzpatrick trade has been more media speculation than reality. But the Steelers brought in a first-round safety for a visit and that makes me wonder if they are at least flirting with the idea. If Pittsburgh does take a safety in Round 1, I wonder if the team would try to move Fitzpatrick to recoup that second-round pick and begin to re-allocate some salary-cap space to the offensive side of the ball.

The other takeaway from this mini-mock is … wow, this RB class is deep. Getting college football’s 2023 leading rushing in the fourth round would be nice value.

(Photos of Jaxson Dart, left, and Derrick Harmon: Wesley Hitt / Getty Images, Brian Murphy / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

What I learned about Browns’ 2025 NFL Draft plans during my pro day tour

Sports

Next

trending_flat

How a major resignation further fuels concerns within F1 over ‘unstable’ FIA

Sports