Steelers final mock draft: Finding a Day 1 starter at DT and an explosive RB

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Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you’ve officially made it to draft week. Maybe even more importantly, we’re now in the final days of mock draft season.

With my first mock draft, way back in February, I selected Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 21 … and then the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf. You can go ahead and rip that one up.

In my second mock, I tried to illustrate how the Steelers could maneuver in the draft by projecting some trades. And wow, commenters really hated it. (I hope you aren’t as critical when GM Omar Khan makes some trades on draft weekend.)

Today, for my third and final mock draft of the year, I’m doing my best to use all of the nuggets I’ve gathered along the way, rumblings I’ve heard behind the scenes, clues from the Top 30 visits and some of my own opinions to piece together a seven-round projection. The strategy for this one is to target a defensive tackle in the first round and then tap into a deep running back class in the third round, which feels realistic. In just a few short days, we’ll know whether I should book that trip to Vegas or not.

Pre-draft visitors are noted with asterisks. 

Round 1 (No. 21): Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

When the Steelers (wisely) cut Larry Ogunjobi and (perhaps unwisely) chose not to substantially address the defensive line in free agency, an early-round defensive tackle went from a priority to a necessity. Given the need for a plug-and-play, Day 1 starter and the lack of a second-round pick, Round 1 is the best chance to find one. That makes three defensive tackles the most likely candidates at 21: Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant and Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen.

We’ll assume that Harmon, rated 16th by draft expert Dane Brugler, is off the board. (The AFC North rival Bengals actually might take him.) The next-best player at the position is Grant, who is rated DT3 and 25th by Brugler.

At 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, Grant was dominant against the run and boasts surprising athleticism for a man of his size. He showed his burst and motor by chasing down Penn State running back Kaytron Allen 30 yards downfield in 2023. Though Grant has the body of a nose tackle, he’s also played a ton of three-technique. With time, he has the upside to turn into a three-down player.

Also considered: Oregon DT Derrick Harmon*, Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen, North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton*, Texas WR Matthew Golden*

Round 3 (No. 83): Dylan Sampson*, RB, Tennessee

In case there was any doubt the Steelers are strongly considering a young ball carrier to round out their running back room, nine of their top-30 visitors were running backs, the most of any position group.

They hosted a Round 1 option in Omarion Hampton and could luck out if likely second-round picks such as Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson fall (or if a trade into the second round is possible). But the Steelers are fortunate that a position of need is also, arguably, the deepest position group in this draft. They should have a number of good options, even in the third or fourth rounds.

The Steelers might be looking to replace some of Najee Harris’ physicality with another bruiser like OSU’s Quinshon Judkins, but I prefer the speed, home run-hitting ability and high-level character of Sampson.

At 5-8 and 199 pounds, he’s a bit undersized. However, he proved his durability in the rough-and-tumble SEC last season, setting school records for rushing yards (1,491) and rushing touchdowns (22) on the way to winning offensive player of the year in his conference. A former track athlete, he ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at his pro day and may play even faster, averaging a touchdown every 12.1 carries. He’s also a schematic fit, doing a lot of his best work on zone runs.

He also appears to have outstanding leadership and intelligence. During his sophomore season, Sampson was routinely asked to give the pregame speech even though he was just a backup at the time. And his high school coach joked that he’s the only player he’s coached with a GPA higher than his 40 time.

Also considered: Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins, UCF RB RJ Harvey*, Virginia Tech RB Bhayshul Tuten*, Texas QB Quinn Ewers, Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor

Round 4 (No. 123): Will Howard, QB, Ohio State

First-round options such as Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart have generated a lot of buzz in Pittsburgh. Though that makes good sports talk radio fodder, I’m just not sold on what’s largely considered an underwhelming QB class. My preference would be to wait until next year, package some of their compensatory picks and make a more aggressive first-round move when the talent is considered stronger.

For that reason, I almost didn’t draft a QB at all in this mock. (And I could certainly make a case that the Steelers should simply sign another backup instead of using a draft pick on one). However, I ultimately decided to take a flier on Howard.

At 6-4 and 236 pounds, he brings prototypical size and is a winner who played the best football of his career when it mattered most. In the four-game College Football Playoff run to the national championship, he completed 75.2 percent of his passes for 287.5 yards per game with eight touchdowns and two interceptions.

Best case, he surprises and becomes a starter someday, similar to how Kirk Cousins outperformed his draft position in Washington. Worst case, the Steelers finally have some young talent and stability in a QB room that’s been completely remade in each of the past two seasons.

Also considered: Florida WR Chimere Dike, Oregon DT Jamaree Caldwell*, Louisville CB Quincy Riley, Minnesota CB Justin Walley*

Round 5 (No. 156): JJ Pegues*, DT, Ole Miss

Yes, I know what you’re thinking: The Steelers already drafted a defensive tackle in Round 1. But hear me out for a second. When I was looking for trends from the Top 30 visitors, it stuck out that the Steelers hosted at least four or five defensive tackles who are likely to be selected on Day 3: Oregon’s Jamaree Caldwell, Ole Miss’ JJ Pegues, Iowa’s Yahya Black and SMU’s Jared Harrison-Hunte.

By taking the double-dip approach, the Steelers would be counting on the first-round pick to step in from Day 1 and the late-round pick to develop into a possible replacement for Cameron Heyward much longer-term.

At 6-3 and 309 pounds, Pegues is a unique athlete who played everywhere from the A-gap to outside the tackle. He began his career at Auburn as a tight end. Even after finding his home on defense, he continued to tap into the versatility at Ole Miss as a short-yardage back. On 21 carries in 2024, he recorded 11 first downs, 10 broken tackles and seven touchdowns. If the Steelers are creative, Pegues could play some fullback in his rookie year while working toward a rotational role on the defensive line.

Also considered: Iowa DT Yahya Black*, SMU DT Jared Harrison-Hunte*, Tulane DB Caleb Ransaw, Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard (instead of Howard)

Round 6 (No. 185): Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas

At one point in this process, many (including myself) expected the Steelers to strongly consider a receiver as early as the first round. However, the Metcalf trade has diminished the immediate need at that position.

With the team having addressed other priorities in this mock, I’d be a fan of rolling the dice here on an enticing athlete who might only be scratching the surface of his potential. A former no-star recruit and Wing-T high school QB, TeSlaa began his collegiate career at Division II Hillsdale College. He made the big leap to the SEC in 2023 when he enrolled at Arkansas. In two seasons at the Division I level, his production was modest (62 total catches for 897 yards and five touchdowns). However, his upside is much greater.

At 6-4 and 214 pounds, TeSlaa ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine, a great time for his size. He also impressed during the All-Star circuit to begin to generate some buzz. As a big, physical receiver, he’d fit an Arthur Smith offense. But the bottom line is: At this point in the draft, you’re buying lottery tickets. TeSlaa is an interesting one.

Round 7 (No. 229): Carson Bruener, ILB, Washington

If you recognize the last name, you should. Carson’s dad, Mark Bruener, played nine of his 14 NFL seasons with the Steelers and now serves in the scouting department. We know the Steelers love NFL bloodlines. At this point in the draft, they’d be looking for a player who could stick on special teams while fighting for a larger role. Carson Bruener checks a lot of those boxes. A 6-1, 227-pound inside linebacker and four-phase special teamer in college, he racked up 104 tackles last year.

(Photos of Dylan Sampson, left, and Kenneth Grant: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images, Junfu Han / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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