The start of the Pittsburgh Steelers off-season is here, and mock drafts are coming out left and right. Monday, ESPN's Matt Miller released his. After the 2023 Senior Bowl this past week, we saw prospects showcase their skills, compete in drills, and have a game to end it. With that, we also watched prospects jump up the draft board and fall down it. Today, I'm going to go over the prospects he had the Steelers selecting.
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Steelers general manager, Omar Khan smiles while on the field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers' Round 1, Pick 17
In Round 1, Miller has the Steelers selecting Christian Gonzalez, the physical 6'2" cornerback out of Oregon. Gonzalez had a breakout year last season with 4 interceptions and 7 pass deflections, both being the best of his college career. Gonzalez is a very lengthy and athletic corner allowing him to match up well with any WR1. Pro Football Focus has Gonzalez at CB2 of the class and he earned a coverage grade of 81.4 as well.
With 4.3 speed and a 6'2" frame, Gonzalez is a fan favorite for any team in need of a corner. If the Steelers do see him at 17, I don't think you can pass an athlete like this guy. Pairing with Cam Sutton would be lethal.
Here's what Draft Network had to say about him:
"Overall, Gonzalez offers prototypical physical attributes with his size, length, and athleticism and he pairs his elite traits with outstanding instincts and refined technique. He has the potential to be a lockdown corner at the next level and could develop into a Pro Bowl player early in his career."
Steelers' Round 2, Pick 32
With the 32nd pick, Miller has a guy who is shooting up draft boards after this 2023 Senior Bowl. That is center, John Michael Schmitz out of Minnesota. Offensive line help has been a need for the Steelers in the past two years. The Steelers failed to address that in the first round of the 2021, and 2022 NFL Drafts by selecting the big beastly running back in Najee Harris and the future QB1 in Kenny Pickett, respectively. Both play huge parts in this offense, however, missing out on guys like Creed Humphrey and Tyler Linderbaum haunts Steeler fans.
Schmitz opened a lot of eyes at the 2023 Senior Bowl. NFL.com had this to say about him:
"Schmitz is probably the most consistent player here. I'm not sure he had a bad rep in practice. He is strong, powerful and tough. He's interviewed really well during his meetings with teams this week. I've been told his character is off the charts. I don't see him being available beyond Day 2 of the draft. Schmitz is a member of the American team, which is loaded with future NFL starters on the offensive line, including Florida OG O'Cyrus Torrence and TCU OG Steve Avila, who showed he can all play all three spots on the interior during practice this week."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Kenny Pickett (#8). Photo credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers' Round 2 Pick 49
Anton Harrison, tackle, out of Oklahoma, is the last pick Miller had the Steelers selecting in his 2023 NFL Mock Draft. Harrison was a top three tackle to start the off-season. Many mocks had him going as high as 15. After the Senior Bowl, things seemed a bit different as other players have climbed the boards for their first time with coaches around. Harrison is 6'5" and 315 pounds, his downside is not being able to use his size to his advantage according to Miller. Harrison isn't a great run blocker really at all. Harrison not being able to move his feet and get out ahead of the speedy edge rushers is the main reason for that. However, he is a fantastic pass blocker, giving up just 1 sack on 8 hurries in his 2023 season. Under the right coaching and team, Harrison could turn into a young Pro Bowler and still has the talent of a top three tackle in this year's class.
Other than the Harrison pick, I love this Mock Draft. Adding two elite talents with the Steelers' first two picks would be huge for this team. The Schmitz selection could change this Steelers O-line play. With the absence of Maurkice Pouncey, this Steelers O-line has fallen apart. Bringing that core center piece back for Pickett and this offense would be vital. I know it might break some hearts at first for Steeler fans, but the future outcome will far outweigh that.
Miller has been doing Mock Drafts for quiet some time and has a pretty good read for prospects. If the 2023 draft played out like this, I would not complain.
With that being said, let me know what you guys think about his selections and who you might take instead in the comments down below.
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