2024 Steelers Mock Draft
by Bo Marchionte
Published April 23, 2024, 10:49EDT.
Pittsburgh, PA – A fervent passion for NFL scouting is akin to being an artist meticulously crafting a masterpiece, except the canvas is a football field, and the paintbrush is an astute eye for talent. It’s about diving deep into player statistics, dissecting game footage, and decoding the intricacies of player performance.
“It’s all encompassing. It’s the tape. It’s getting to know the person,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “It’s doing the homework on him, talking to people that have been around him.”
The Steelers held their annual pre-draft press conference which included the combination of the teams general manager and head coach. Monday offered the opportunity to speak with second year GM Omar Khan and Super Bowl winning coach Tomlin.
Each prospect is a puzzle waiting to be solved, their potential waiting to be unearthed. It’s not just about identifying the obvious stars but also discovering the hidden gems, the diamonds in the rough, and envisioning how they could fit into the intricate tapestry of a team’s roster. The thrill lies in the anticipation of unearthing the next great talent, knowing that your insights could shape the future of a franchise.
“It’s exciting, particularly when you are prepared,” Tomlin said.
The GM and head coach duo travel together hitting the major programs in the country trying to unearth the next Steelers great. It’s about harnessing individual strengths, aligning visions, and fostering unity to achieve a common objective – All-Pro level talent.
“We go to Georgia, we go to Bama, we go to Michigan, kind of routinely, because you see a lot of prospects,” Tomlin said. “Michigan had I think 18 Combine invites and so, obviously all those guys aren’t first rounders. I’m trying to gain information about any and all of those guys, but, you know, that’s just the mindset.
“We step into town. You come in prepared enough on the front end, it allows you to cast a big net and get an exposure to everyone. And so, the key for us in an effort not to get hyper focused on the high-level draft picks, as you mentioned, is to go in with a certain level of preparedness.”
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. The above-mentioned schools (Georgia, Alabama and Michigan) are also the three programs Pittsburgh went to for their first round picks in 2019. No pick in 2020 in Minkah Fitzpatrick trade and Kenny Pickett (the guy next store) hailed from PItt.
So, in this particular mock draft we will follow the track record of the Steelers over the last five seasons and try to connect the most prominent college conference in conjunction with the talent available with their draft selections.
Background Check: 1st Round Last 6 NFL Drafts
2023 | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia | 14th
2022 | Kenny Pickett |QB | Pittsburgh | 20th
2021 | Najee Harris | RB | Alabama | 24th
2020 | No Pick
2019 | Devin Bush | LB | Michigan | 10th
Pick Is In (20th overall)
Graham Barton, C, Duke or Olumylwa Fashanu, OT, Penn State
The Big-10 and SEC are the predominant conferences the Steelers have sourced out recently to acquire first-round talent. Two elite center prospects in Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon, Pac-12) and Graham Barton (Duke, ACC) aren’t from either the Big-10 nor SEC. The last Pac-12 first-rounder drafted by Pittsburgh was Troy Polomalu in 2003 out of USC. However, the ACC in conjunction with Barton has been a conference often used by Pittsburgh.
Since 2005, five first round picks have played in ACC schools. The list includes Heath Miller (Virginia 2005), Lawrence Timmons (Florida State, 2007), Artie Burns (2016, Miami), Terrell Edmunds (2018, Virginia Tech), and Kenny Pickett (2022, Pittsburgh). An honest assessment of the picks looking back says the ACC hasn’t provided much bang for its buck since 2016.
Outside the center position while still focusing on the offensive line, Pittsburgh’s current draft position at 20th overall should provide them options on Oregon State’s Taliese Faugu, Washington’s Troy Fautanu or Penn State’s Olumuylwa Fashanu.
Using the chart above would indicate that the former Nittany Lions tackle Fashanu would be the guy there. So, we narrowed it down to Barton or Fashanu.
Background Check: 2nd Round Last 5 NFL Drafts
2023 | Joey Porter Jr. | DB | Penn State | 32nd
2023 | Keeanu Benton | DL | Wisconsin | 49th
2022 | George Pickens | WR | Georgia | 52nd
2021 | Pet Freiermuth | TE | Penn State | 55th
2020 | Chase Claypool | WR | Notre Dame | 49th
2019 | No Pick
Pick Is In (51st overall)
Kamari Lassiter, DB, Georgia or Javon Bullard, S, Georgia
Over the last five years the Big-10 has a strong hold on Steelers’ second round selections. Three of the last five picks have come from the conference of the defending champion Michigan Wolverines. Maybe it’s that northeast flavor that resonates in Pittsburgh that correlates the players to the team, who knows, but nonetheless the numbers don’t lie.
The receiver position which could be considered a need since the team traded away Diontae Johnson this off-season goes unaddressed in the second round. The combination of need, schools, and conferences leads us to Georgia and two secondary standouts for the Bulldogs.
Take your pick with either defensive back Kamari Lassiter or safety Javon Bullard. Pittsburgh acquired corner Donte Jackson in the Diontae Johnson trade and signed safety Deshon Elliott via free agency earlier this spring.
They are the projected starters alongside incumbents Joey Porter Jr. and Minkah Fitzpatrick. The new additions add veteran savvy, but Jackson will be 29 by early November and Elliott will turn 28 days before the 2025 NFL Draft. A potential star in Lassiter or Bullard while providing youth brings me to one of these two Bulldogs finding their way to becoming a Steeler on the second night of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Background Check: 3rd Round Last 5 NFL Drafts
2023 | Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia | 93rd
2022 | DeMarvin Leal | DL | Texas A&M | 84th
2021 | Kendrick Green | OL | Illinois | 87th
2020 | Alex Highsmith | LB | Charlotte | 102nd
2019 | Diontae Johnson | WR | Toledo | 66th
2019 | Justin Layne | DB | Michigan State | 83rd
Kris Jenkins, DL, Michigan
Once again, the powerhouse conference of college football reign supreme in the third round for Pittsburgh. The Big-10 and SEC combine for four of the last five third round picks since 2019. Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins, son of four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle (Kris Jenkins Sr.) is a little light but that’s what the weight room is for.
At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Jenkins plays with good strength and like Cam Heyward coming out of Ohio State wasn’t exactly a productive sack guy but learned and turned his abilities into very prominent numbers in the sack category. Steelers also seem to lean towards NFL pedigree leaving Jenkins as the guy with the 84th selection in the third round.
Background Check: 3rd Round Last 5 NFL Drafts
2023 | Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia | 93rd
2022 | DeMarvin Leal | DL | Texas A&M | 84th
2021 | Kendrick Green | OL | Illinois | 87th
2020 | Alex Highsmith | LB | Charlotte | 102nd
2019 | Diontae Johnson | WR | Toledo | 66th
2019 | Justin Layne | DB | Michigan State | 83rd
Pick Is In (98th overall via Philadelphia)
Devontez Walker, WR, North Carolina
In 2019 the Steelers selected Diontae Johnson out of Toledo, a MAC school. Pittsburgh takes another MAC receiver or should I say a wide out with MEAC then MAC and eventually ACC connections throughout his collegiate career in 4.3 speedster Devontez Walker.
His route running lags noticeably from his amazing vertical game but in the third round his upside and the Steelers history of nailing their receiver picks brings me to think when the card is handed in for the 98th pick of the draft, it will have Walker’s name on it.
Background Check: 4th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | Nick Herbig | LB | Wisconsin | 132nd
2022 | Calvin Austin | WR | Memphis | 138th
2021 | Dan Moore Jr. | OT | Texas A&M | 128th
2021 | Buddy Johnson | LB | Texas A&M | 140th
2020 | Anthony McFarland | RB | Maryland | 124th
2020 | Kevin Dotson | OL | Louisiana-Lafayette |135th
2019 | Benny Snell | RB | Kentucky | 122nd
Pick Is In (119th overall)
Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Continuously harping on the same subject (Big-10, SEC) can become tiresome akin to beating a dead horse. However 71% of the Steelers fourth-round selections come from the two conferences listed in this paragraph.
Face it we all are creatures of habit and the tendencies shown indicate the Steelers feel comfortable with talent found in the two conferences that have won the last 18 of the last 20 college titles over the last twenty years.
However, that chart does show two picks in the fourth round since 2019 that failed to come out of the Big-10 or SEC, which allows me the option to get Notre Dame offensive lineman Blake Fisher added to the Steelers roster in round four.
Background Check: 6th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | No Pick |
2022 | Connor Heyward | TE | Michigan State | 208th
2021 | Quincy Roche | LB | Miami (FL) | 216th
2020 | Antoine Brooks | DB | Maryland | 198th
2019 | Sutton Smith | LB | Northern Illinois | 175th
2019 | Isaiah Buggs | DT | Alabama | 192nd
2019 | Ulysees Gilbert | LB Akron | 207th
Pick Is In (178th overall via Cardinals via Panthers)
Casey Washington, WR, Illinois
The chart above has added several more conferences in the sixth round. This alteration could stem from various factors such as the top players in other conferences with lower grades than the elite conferences finding some common ground in the eyes of draft evaluators.
With two MAC selections I’d love to keep the trend going but only Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo) and Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan) should be top MAC players and possibly the only MAC players drafted in 2024.
Washington is a scrappy widout who doesn’t shy away from the physical aspects of the position required for a late-round prospect to survive the final roster cuts. His demeanor towards physicality should provide him the mentality to play special teams and excel, while giving the Steelers more depth at receiver.
Background Check: 6th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | No Pick |
2022 | Connor Heyward | TE | Michigan State | 208th
2021 | Quincy Roche | LB | Miami (FL) | 216th
2020 | Antoine Brooks | DB | Maryland | 198th
2019 | Sutton Smith | LB | Northern Illinois | 175th
2019 | Isaiah Buggs | DT | Alabama | 192nd
2019 | Ulysees Gilbert | LB Akron | 207th
Sione Vaki, S, Utah
In a nutshell Vaki is one of the most versatile players available in the draft. A guy who can play both sides of the football has athleticism to be that ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of the Steelers roster.
“They are going to see my versatility on offensive reps as well,” Vaki said at the Senior Bowl in what NFL scouts are going to see first and foremost. “I can play both sides of the ball, the film doesn’t lie. I’m relentless and I don’t quit on the ball.”
With zero players drafted from the Pac-12 over the last five drafts and the demise of one of college football’s most prominent conferences the Steelers bid farewell to the Pac-12 by adding a former Utah Utes player to the roster in round six.
