As the NFL Draft quickly approaches, we're seeing more and more mock drafts giving the Steelers a quarterback in the first round. And if both Liberty's Malik Willis and Pitt's Kenny Pickett are gone, many of those mock drafts are simply giving the Steelers the next quarterback on the board, Cincinnati's Desmond Ridder.
But what if the Steelers don't have Ridder that high? In my last mock, I actually passed on Ridder to take cornerback Trent McDuffie, instead. I then traded up in the second round to get Ridder.
That, to me, would make more sense.
The Steelers just aren't the kind of team that takes a quarterback just to take one. They never have been. In fact, since 1970, they've take a quarterback in the first round just three times, selecting Terry Bradshaw in 1970, Mark Malone in 1980 and Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.
Besides, there very well could be some players the team has rated much more highly than Ridder on its board.
Less than two weeks out from the draft, the Steelers still haven't signed a starting strong safety. It's a very un-Steelers-like move. Typically, GM Kevin Colbert likes to have his bases covered to ensure he doesn't have to take a player at a certain position.
But this is a pretty good safety class and the team very well could feel it can land one of six or seven plug-and-play players at the position in this draft.
That's what happens in my latest mock draft.
Let's take a look.
First Round
1. Jacksonville Jaguars, Travon Walker, DE, Georgia
2. Detroit Lions, Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan
3. Houston Texans, Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
4. N.Y. Jets, Evan Neal, OT, Alabama
5. N.Y. Giants, Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State
6. Carolina Panthers, Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
7. N.Y. Giants, Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati
8. Atlanta Falcons, Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State
9. Seattle Seahawks, Derek Stingley, CB, LSU
10. N.Y. Jets, Drake London, WR, USC
11. Washington Commanders, Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
12. Minnesota Vikings, Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State
13. Houston Texans, Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame
14. Baltimore Ravens, Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
15. Philadelphia Eagles, Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama
16. New Orleans Saints, Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt
17. Los Angeles Chargers, Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
18. Philadelphia Eagles, George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue
19. New Orleans Saints, Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
20. Pittsburgh Steelers, Daxton Hill, S, Michigan -- Hill is a younger, bigger, more athletic version of Tyrann Mathieu. He can play deep safety. He can drop down into the box. He can play nickel corner. Hill and Minkah Fitzpatrick would be interchangeable from play to play, giving the Steelers the ability to disguise what they're doing defensively. And he's still just 21 years old. At 6-0, 191 pounds, he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He might be good enough to play outside cornerback, as well. A big-school player who is still just 21, he profiles perfectly as a Steelers first-round draft pick.
21. New England Patriots, Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah
22. Green Bay Packers, Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
23. Arizona Cardinals, Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa
24. Dallas Cowboys, Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia
25. Buffalo Bills, Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington
26. Tennessee Titans, Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kair Elam, CB, Florida
28. Green Bay Packers, David Ojabo, OLB, Michigan
29. Kansas City Chiefs, Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State
30. Kansas City Chiefs, Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson
31. Cincinnati Bengals, Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M
32. Detroit Lions, Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
Other Steelers picks
Second Round, Pick 52: Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan -- It was surprising to see Moore still available. But I'll take the gift. There is no doubt in my mind Mike Tomlin would like to add the former Shady Side Academy quarterback to the mix for his team. Moore is better from the slot but also can play outside. He's only 5-9 5/8ths, but he's built like a rock at 195 pounds. Moore would push for Anthony Miller playing time right away in the slot and potentially be a long-term replacement for Diontae Johnson if the Steelers can't get him signed.
Third Round, Pick 84: Carson Strong, QB, Nevada -- Strong might not be the most mobile quarterback in this draft, but he might be the best deep thrower. And he's actually a little more mobile than many might think. He played last season six months after having a knee surgery that was supposed to take him a year from which to recover. Why? He felt he owed it to he teammates. And he's pretty darn accurate, completing more than 70 percent of his passes the past two seasons with 74 touchdown passes and just 19 interceptions in three seasons as a starter. At worst, he serves as the No. 3 QB this season and slides into a No. 2 role next season when Mason Rudolph is gone in free agency. At best, he challenges Mitch Trubisky for the starting role in 2022.
Round 4, Pick 138: Erik Ezukanma, WR, Texas Tech -- A shade under 6-foot-2 and weight 209 pounds, Ezukanma is one of the few bigger receivers in this draft. And he had five catches of 45 or more yards last season. He's a downfield threat thanks to his ability to win 50-50 balls. He's also a strong blocker. Ezukanma averaged 15.7 yards per catch in his career on 138 catches with 15 touchdowns. He'd be a nice addition to beef up the wide receiving group.
Round 6, Pick 208: Spencer Burford, OT, UTSA -- A developmental offensive tackle in Round 6 would make a lot of sense. He has the length to stick at offensive tackle, but even if things don't work out, Burford can shift to guard, as well. That could be his long-term role, serving as a swing tackle/guard. But he could also develop into a starter down the road. At 6-4, 304 pounds, he's a little light, but he's got 34-plus-inch arms and good feet. He kind of reminds me of former Steelers offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum.
Round 7, Pick 225: Esezi, Otomewo, DE, Minnesota -- At 6-foot-5, 282 pounds, Otomewo is kind of a tweener. But he's got the length the Steelers like in their defensive ends and that's where he'll line up when he adds 10 to 15 pounds. He's better as a run defender than he is as a pass rusher right now, but that's OK. The Steelers can allow him to develop. And that's why he slides down the board a little. Otomewo is a nice developmental defensive end to stash away.
Round 7, Pick 241: Tyree Johnson, OLB, Texas A&M -- The Steelers can always add another edge rusher to the mix and Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 248-pounder with good bend around the edge. He needs to continue to improve setting the edge against the run, but he had 18 sacks in four seasons at Texas A&M, including 8.5 last season. A knee injury that was flagged at the NFL Scouting Combine causes him to slip a bit. The Steelers take advantage.
