The Pittsburgh Steelers still have lots of time to figure out what the roster will look like at the start of the 2023 season. The team already addressed some of its needs by adding more talent to the offensive line in free agency and snagging former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson to replace the departed Cameron Sutton. The new front office, led by general manager Omar Khan, will be stepping up to the podium at the end of the month to add fresh faces to the roster they think can help the team next season and beyond.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett makes a throw on the run during the 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers made a big investment in Kenny Pickett taking him 20th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft and according to Ray Fittipaldo and Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the team will look to address making sure their second-year signal-caller has enough time and space to be the playmaker they saw him become down the stretch in 2022. The two beat writers played the role of Khan and assistant general manager Andy Weidl and made their best guesses as to who the Steelers will add to the team.
The mock Steelers brass faced a tough decision with their first-round pick with the top options at cornerback like Christian Gonzalez of the University of Oregon , Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State, and Devon Witherspoon of the University of Illinois all off the board and top tackles like Broderick Jones, Peter Skoronski off the board. After debating options like edge rushers Myles Murphy and Nolan Smith, wide receiver Jordan Addison and defensive linemen Calijah Kancey and Bryan Bresee, Fittipaldo opted for offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
"For me, they need a corner and they need a tackle," he said. "I'm going by what I've said all along, this is a deep corner class, so go get your lineman early."
Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright could be the choice if the top tackles are off the board.
Batko agreed that the team would be smart to address the tackle position with pick 17 due to the lack of addressing it much in free agency bringing in only "journeyman" swing tackle Le'Raven Clark.
Staying true to his word on the deep class of corners, at pick 32 after debating taking Kelee Ringo, Fittipaldo decided to get versatile defensive back Brian Branch from Alabama.
"He's a good tackler, he's good in run support so, maybe he's your starting safety next to Minkah Fitzpatrick or maybe he's your day one slot corner," Batko said in support of the pick. "At this point Ray, this seems like a fall for him and we should snatch him up at 32."
After some discussion about taking an outside corner or an inside linebacker with pick 49, the pair opted for defensive lineman Keion White. The Steelers hosted him for a top 30 visit, so they certainly have some interest in him and it gives them a nice prospect who can learn from veterans Cameron Heyward and Larry Ogunjobi.
On the clock in round three, the pair had some discussion about taking a wide receiver as that was another position not addressed in free agency, but ultimately decided it would be the spot to address the outside corner role by taking Texas A&M cornerback Jaylon Jones who has good size at 6"2' and 200 lbs. He still has a number of things to work on at the next level, which Batko and Fittipaldo agreed isn't a huge issue because he'd be behind Peterson in year one.
Steelers Look For Depth On Day 3
Before getting into the specific picks, the duo discussed strategy and ultimately decided that on day three, the team should be looking to add depth to the linebacker and wide receiver positions.
Purdue Athletics
Charlie Jones had a breakout season after transferring to Purdue.
The Steelers third wide receiver as of right now is one of Calvin Austin III or Anthony Miller who both have shown flashes in preseason action, but have yet to really be contributors on game day. To beef up the competition for that spot, Charlie Jones from Purdue, who had a visit with the team, was the pick.
To close out the draft with the pair of seventh round picks, the duo selected edge rusher BJ Johnson to come in to compete with Jamir Jones and Quincy Roche and added a controversial 'Steelers' Mr. Irrelevant' in back to back National Champion Stetson Bennett to occupy the third quarterback spot.
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