The Pittsburgh Steelers' Best Case Scenario For The 2023 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers' preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft is in full swing, as the team has brought in more high-profile names for a scheduled visit before the big day on Thursday, April 27th. Seeing all of these visits taking place and knowing that Pittsburgh has more early draft capital than usual, has me coming up with a perfect dream scenario that the team could walk away with when the weekend is all said and done. The team has a total of four selections within the first 80 draft picks this year (17th, 32nd, 49th and 80th overall), which is what I’m going to be predicting here. 

Round 1, Pick 17: Joey Porter Jr - CB Penn State

Joey Porter Jr and the Steelers seem like a match that’s just too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, it might just be that, because Porter Jr’s stock has done nothing but rise in the last few weeks. Several other teams such as the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders have taken notice and are bringing in the top prospect for a visit, and both teams have first-round selections ahead of the Steelers at #17. With that being said, however, I still believe there is at least a decent chance that Porter Jr will be available when the Steelers are on the clock.

According to an article by Bryan DeArdo with CBS Sports, Porter Jr was quoted on The Rich Eisen Show to have had a very productive visit with the team and stated just how much it would mean to both him and his family if he were able to stay home in Pittsburgh.

 "It was great," Porter said of his meeting with Tomlin. "I hadn't seen him in a while, obviously because I've been at Penn State taking care of business, same as him. It was a good reunion to see him and some of the staff there. I've been going there since I was a kid. I saw a lot of old faces. I already know the facility. It was a great visit." 

In my opinion, cornerback is still the team’s top position of need as of right now. The team lost Cameron Sutton to the Detroit Lions in free agency and brought in former All-Pro Patrick Peterson to attempt to fill the void. I’m as thrilled as anyone to have Peterson on the team, but at 32 years old, he alone won’t be enough to elevate this below-average cornerback room to compete with these high-powered AFC offenses. Bringing in a young stud like Porter Jr early in this year's draft, who Peterson could mentor into that CB1 role, would be of tremendous value to the team’s defense going forward.

Other potential names that I’d love with this pick: Deonte Banks (CB Maryland) and Paris Johnson Jr. (OT Ohio State)

Round 2, Pick 32: Dawand Jones - OT Ohio State

Looking at this offensive line class as a whole, and who Pittsburgh has visited with, it really seems like the team is focused on that second tier of prospects. For me, this tier includes names like Anton Harrison (Oklahoma), O’Cyrus Torrence (Florida) and Cody Mauch (North Dakota State). In my opinion, however, Dawand Jones leads the pack for this tier, and I would love to see him in the black and gold protecting Kenny Pickett for years to come. Jones is definitely a project, but how could you not be enticed by his 6'8" frame? The guy is massive, and with the right coaching, could easily become a franchise-caliber piece on the offensive line.

Other potential names that I’d love with this pick: Siaki Ika (DL Baylor), Tyrique Stevenson (CB Miami Fl) and Kelee Ringo (CB Georgia)

Round 2, Pick 49: Keeanu Benton - DL Wisconsin 

Pittsburgh has made it pretty obvious that they are looking to add some depth up front to help bolster the defensive line. Keeanu Benton visited with the team on Monday, April 3rd, and I think he’s the perfect day two selection when looking at both current team needs, as well as looking at what positional groups the team is clearly honed in on. Other names along the defensive front that Pittsburgh has already scheduled visits with include Siaki Ika (Baylor), Keion White (Georgia Tech) and Gervon Dexter (Florida). I’m a fan of these prospects as well, but I would be shocked if any of them are available at pick #49. I believe this area in the draft is the perfect spot to address the position with either Benton or the best player available.

Other potential names that I’d love with this pick: Tuli Ruipulotu (DL USC) and Julius Brents (CB Kansas State)

Round 3, Pick 80: Jonathan Mingo - WR Ole Miss

Nothing in this world is said to be certain, except death, taxes and the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting (and nailing) mid-round wide receivers. It’s become known around the league just how successful the team is at drafting wide receivers, and this year will be no different. The need is still there, and upon looking at the handful of receivers the Steelers have visited so far, I’d be willing to bet we see one selected with this pick in the third round. And with that pick, my choice would be Jonathan Mingo. 

Diontae Johnson is still the team’s WR1 and is under contract for two more seasons. 2022 rookie standout George Pickens came out swinging with his weekly highlight reel grabs and has the league on notice heading into year two. After that, however, all we have left are a bunch of question marks at the position. Pittsburgh did double dip into the wide receiver pool last year, and selected Calvin Austin III out of Memphis in the fourth round, but was unfortunately sidelined his entire rookie season with a foot injury. 

Austin III is set to be 100 percent for the 2023 season, but is far from a guarantee at the NFL level, which is why I think the team will use a mid-round pick again this year to add some depth to the position. At this stage of the draft, I think Jonathan Mingo’s combination of size and speed fits the bill, and would be a great addition. The team has also had visits with Charlie Jones (Purdue) and Jayden Reed (Michigan State), and I wouldn’t be surprised if any of those guys’ names are called here with the 80th pick. 

Another potential name that I’d love with this pick is Darius Rush (CB South Carolina).

Well, there you have it. With this draft, the Steelers would be walking away with several of my favorite prospects, while also boosting several areas of need that are currently present on the roster. But what do you think? Am I way off base? Or are there some other players or positions you would like the team to target instead? Be sure to drop a comment and let me know! 

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