We’re officially just a few weeks away from finding out what players are added to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s an unusual excitement regarding the upcoming NFL Draft. Fans seem more engaged due to the fact that the black and gold have three top-50 selections. Additionally, the 17th overall pick is the highest that Pittsburgh has personally had since 2014, when they took LB Ryan Shazier with the 15th pick. Of course they selected Devin Bush 10th overall in 2019, but they did that by trading up.
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CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo did a full, seven-round Steelers mock draft on Wednesday morning. He drafted quite the interesting haul for the black and gold, which starts with University of Pittsburgh defensive lineman Calijah Kancey at 17th overall. While defensive line is a need and Kancey is a possibility, most mock drafts have had him going in the second round.
"The 6-foot, 275-pound Kancey was extremely adept at getting to the passer at Pitt as he collected 14.5 sacks during his final two seasons in college. He also recorded 34.5 tackles for loss while being a consistent presence in opposing backfields. Pittsburgh would present an ideal situation for Kancey as he would be flanked on the Steelers' line by perennial Pro Bowler Cameron Heyward and fellow veteran Larry Ogunjobi."
Next, the Steelers take the top safety in this year’s class in Brian Branch out of Alabama. After Terrell Edmunds surprisingly left to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles, safety suddenly became a need. Pittsburgh’s front office has since signed Keanu Neal, which will help, but it’s not a long-term solution. Branch could be seen as just that, and it would continue to add nothing but versatility throughout the back seven.
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New Steelers safety Keanu Neal figures to have a big role on the defense in 2023.
DeArdo went on to give the Steelers an offensive tackle, one that hasn't been talked about much at all in the pre-draft process. That would be Matthew Bergeron out of Syracuse, who seemingly has seen his draft stock rise a bit recently. With the remaining four selections, Pittsburgh went wideout, edge rusher, another offensive tackle, and running back in that order.
Would it be a mistake if Steelers didn't draft a CB?
Three obvious positions that DeArdo avoided were cornerback, quarterback, and linebacker. While the Steelers have their quarterback in Kenny Pickett, it's clear they are trying to find a QB3 behind Mitch Trubisky. They have recently met with a few in their pre-draft process, making their intentions clear. While they signed a few linebackers in free agency, it remains a need long-term, especially depth-wise.
What do you think of this seven-round mock draft haul? Do you think Kancey is a bit of a reach with the 17th overall pick? Comment below!
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