Welcome to the Championship Sports Media Mock Draft Series! We will be taking you through mock drafts of all 32 NFL teams from now until the draft on Thursday, April 28th. You can find all of our mocks on championshipsportsmedia.com, and follow us on Twitter for updates!
PITTSBURGH STEELERS MOCK DRAFT 4.0
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has officially retired from the NFL. And Pittsburgh still has a slew of other starters from this season set to be Free Agents:
For the second year in a row the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a lot of holes to fill this offseason. The following players are unrestricted free agents following the season:
- JuJu Smith-Schuster
- Trai Turner
- Chukwuma Okorafor
- Joe Haden
- Ahkello Witherspoon
- Terrell Edmunds
As of today, the Steelers will have just under $30 million in cap space at the start of the new league year. In a perfect world, we’ll see a mix of external and internal free agents be signed with that money.
At this time it is still unclear about all of the team’s draft picks for this April’s draft. Up in the air is seemingly the 6th round draft pick from Kansas City from the Melvin Ingram trade. In a recent podcast, Dave Bryan of Steelers Depot noted the “conditions” of the pick may make it a 7th rounder instead of a 6th rounder. In this mock I’ll go with that formula. This gives Pittsburgh a pick in rounds 1-4, and three picks in the seventh.
ASSUMPTIONS GOING INTO THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS MOCK DRAFT 4.0
In order to do this mock draft effectively, I am going to give some assumptions I am working under for what else the team might do. For example, if I don’t draft a Strong Safety, it is because I am working under the assumption, for this exercise, that the team will be re-signing safety Terrell Edmunds. These assumptions could change as the off-season unfolds, (and I have used different ones in previous mocks) but here are the assumptions I am working with today:
- The Steelers re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster
- The Steelers re-sign Safety Terrell Edmunds
- Head Coach Mike Tomlin does not want to start a rookie quarterback next year
- Pittsburgh spends in free agency for a starting center and another QB to compete with Mason Rudolph
In this post-Senior Bowl world, everyone wants the Steelers to draft a QB even more. For this mock however I will still pass on one. Although it is more in consideration for me than it was pre-Senior Bowl. As we learn more about the Steelers process for the 2022 Draft via Pro Days, I will likely end up including a Quarterback somewhere.
With all of that said here is the Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft 4.0!
Round 1 – Andrew Booth Jr. CB, Clemson
Drafting a top cornerback is becoming a higher priority for teams in this pass-happy NFL. While the Steelers had a good year in pass defense last year they are still lacking that number one shutdown corner. Enter Andrew Booth Jr. The Clemson product has the blend of size, speed, and ability to develop into a top level corner. ABJ is better in man coverage, which has been the Steelers preferred method in recent years. He is also a physical and willing tackler, but at times has issues missing due to overaggressiveness. He also has the ability to play in the slot thanks to his quickness, should Pittsburgh ever need him to shadow a certain assignment.
Round 2 – Damone Clark LB, LSU
Damone Clark out of LSU is an ultra-athletic middle linebacker prospect. Pittsburgh had a huge problem at that position last year with both Devin Bush and Joe Schobert underperforming. Clark provides more size and downhill playmaking than Bush thanks to his 6’2, 240 pound frame. Clark has the size and athleticism to play sideline-to-sideline as well as get behind the line of scrimmage. A leader of the highly regarded LSU defense, Clark was a captain and wore the number 18 the last two years. The number signifies not only a talented player, but hard worker and true leader in the team locker room. Clark was highly productive this year with 135 tackles, 15 for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 1 interception. That’s production Pittsburgh is missing from the middle of their defense.
Round 3 – Abraham Lucas OT, Washington State
Abraham Lucas is an offensive tackle prospect from Washington State. Lucas is a supreme athlete in the body of a 6’6, 315 pound body. He ran a 4.92 40 with an 8’11 broad jump and 7.25 3-cone. He has a good level of competitive toughness that with his size and speed should produce a good run-blocking tackle. With good hand usage and footwork already he can also develop into a really good pass-blocker as well as he gets a little stronger. But his smoothness and size are excellent starting points to deal with speedy edge rushers. He was a four-year starter at right tackle, and could potentially be a Day 1 starter at the position.
Round 4 – Tyrese Robinson OG, Oklahoma
Tyrese Robinson isn’t the flashiest name out there, even among interior offensive linemen. But he is a three year starter out of Oklahoma who showed both scheme and positional flexibility. In 38 starts he started 23 at right guard and 15 at right tackle. Due to his size and experience he is a better fit at guard. Just a hair under 6’3 and 317 pounds he has prototypical size for a Pittsburgh guard. He has the athleticism to pull to either side, but the strength and nastiness to play with power. If Pittsburgh needs to wait to the mid rounds for a guard, Robinson could be one that’s ready to play sooner rather than later.
Round 6 – Tre Turner WR, Virginia Tech
Each of my offensive picks got pushed down a little further than I would have liked, but Tre Turner can certainly provide a lot of value this late on Day 3. Not an elite athlete, but certainly enough of one to get the job done. At the NFL Combine he came in at about 6’1, 185 and ran an official 40 of 4.51. He was extremely productive at VT, leaving the school top five in receiving yards and receptions. While he didn’t run a ton of routes in Blacksburg he did play in a number of spots of the offense and do different things. Whether he was stretching the field from the outside, working the middle of the field from the slot, or making things happen close to the LOS with screen and handoffs, Turner can make plays. He averaged over 17 yards per reception and nearly 10 yards per carry. For Pittsburgh Turner can be a playmaker as a number three or four WR, and potentially develop into more.
Round 7 – Michael Clemons EDGE, Texas A&M
Michael Clemons is a big EDGE player out of Texas A&M. At the NFL Combine he came in at 6’5, 263 pounds with 10-inch hands and nearly 35-inch arms. However he didn’t test super well with just a 24″ vertical and 9’8″ broad jump. But Clemons has been a proven run defender on the edge thanks to his size and length. A very important trait for a Pittsburgh rotational outside linebacker. Think back to the 2020 season with Cassius Marsh. A decent pass-rusher and special teamer, but whenever he rotated in the opposing offense would run right at him. Clemons wouldn’t have that issue. He is also improving as a pass-rusher with a career high seven sacks this past season. The real questions is will he provide help on special teams? Pittsburgh backups are always tasked with special teams work. Last year’s Day 3 EDGE selection, Quincy Roche, had this exact issue. A converted defensive end, Roche hadn’t played a lot of special teams, which ultimately led to him not making the Pittsburgh roster. If Clemons can provide some value in that phase of the game, he could be the number three OLB they’re looking for.
Round 7 – Isaiah Pola-Mao S, USC
Another fun Steelers connection for my final pick (In my Mock Draft 3.0 I selected Connor Heyward here). But like Heyward this pick would still provide value for the Steelers. Troy Polamalu’s nephew, Isaiah Pola-Mao, is a versatile defensive back from USC. At 6’4 and 205 pounds he has the size to play anywhere you need. Primarily playing free safety for the Trojans Pola-Mao has five interceptions and four fumble recoveries in about 2.5 years of consistent playing time. His size, speed and physicality will make him an excellent special teamer first, and another potential swiss army knife DB down the road, like Tre Norwood this past season.
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