With the 2023 Draft a little over two weeks away, the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to figure out what to do with the 2023 first-round choice. The team has the opportunity to do something that we have not seen the organization do very often, trade up. This has not happened since Devin Bush in 2019 when they moved the 20th and 59th overall picks to get the player they believed in. With the draft just around the corner, and a new GM and assistant GM, could we see something we are not used to in Pittsburgh?
The Denver Gazette
Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez is an appealing option for the Steelers with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, if he's available.
Steelers Defensive Options:
With the rumors of Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. being the player that would be selected for the Steelers in the first round, two corner prospects seem to be above Porter Jr. and the rest of the competition. Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez are two versatile corners that are both projected to be drafted well before the 17th selection. Witherspoon, who is projected to be the first corner taken, is an amazing prospect at 6'0" and 181 lbs. The corner out of Illinois is a ballhawk with 3 interceptions and a Big Ten-leading 17 passes deflected recorded by Pro Football Focus. Currently projected to go number seven in Todd McShay's latest mock draft, Witherspoon would be a player the Steelers would have to make a jump for.
Gonzalez being similar is a freak athlete at the position. Standing at 6'1" and 197 lbs., running a 4.38 40-yard dash should describe how special of a talent Gonzalez could end up being. Sometimes Gonzalez's technique isn't always there and gets caught in a bind, but at only 20 years old, getting him in an NFL defensive back room now could do nothing but benefit the gifts Gonzalez plays with. Currently projected to go number eight in McShay's latest mock draft, he is another option the Steelers would have to trade up for.
On the Offensive side of the ball:
Photo Credit: Carlos Osorio/AP Photo
Ohio State offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr.'s foundation won the 2022 Armed Forces Merit Award Friday. Johnson, one of the nation's top offensive linemen, is a Princeton High School graduate.
Paris Johnson Jr. is a player that is already eyeing teams above the Steelers in the 2023 draft. The top OL prospect is an amazing blend of size and speed measuring at 6'6" and having a quick ability to get out of his stance, only giving up 2 sacks and 0 QB hits in his time at left tackle while attending Ohio State. Johnson Jr. would add an immediate boost to the Steelers' line and is currently mocked by McShay to go 14th overall. This is a player that doesn't believe he will be available to Pittsburgh at 17 and would need the Steelers to do some dealing to get the franchise piece.
Mark J. Rebilas / USA Today
Broderick Jones is a big athletic tackle from the University of Georgia. Measuring really well at the combine, Broderick Jones is 6'5" and 311 lbs. With not a lot of experience at the left tackle position, Jones is a young talent at only 21 years of age. Jones has shown flashes of being a great tackle and has actually been mocked to be taken by the Steelers in a few drafts, including McShay's, but the player has been mocked before the Steelers as well. Jones is a player that could be selected 17th overall, but securing a player of his category might require the Steelers to move up a few picks.
What do you think the Steelers will do with their 17th overall pick? Do you think we draft defense of offense? Let me know on Twitter or in the comments.
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