2024 Steelers Mock Draft
by Bo Marchionte
Published August 27, 10:49EDT
While I’m extremely optimistic about the teams’ chances of exceeding preseason expectations, let’s project the team is picking between 18 to 25. Within that soft zone, we can begin to work out which players might be available. Again this is a mock draft being done in August. It’s in essence it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but at least we’re in the barn.
After sorting out where the Steelers like to eat, it turns our attention to potential needs heading into the 2024 season. Alex Highsmith recent contract extensions puts potential 2024 free agents absent of marquee names. It’s the following season when Diontae Johnson, Cameron Heyward, Pat Freiermuth and five offensive linemen. Three of them are currently listed as starters.
From my perspective Pittsburgh hopes to identify the best player available coinciding with filling a critical need. However, drafting an elite prospect over a need is the rule of thumb. Then as the talent dissipates and the process of drafting for need becomes more relevant. Grant it, every player and drafting scenario is different. When things get started at Campus Martius Park on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit the Steelers should have their eye on 2025 and possible free agent casualties.
Creatures of habit. It’s something that seeps into every aspect of society regardless of occupation or interests. When putting together this ‘Way Too Early Steelers Mock Draft’ I felt it was valid to include who Pittsburgh is picking and what schools they are going to the well the most on.
| Steelers Selections by School/Round (Last 5 years) | |||||||
| School/Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Pittsburgh | X | ||||||
| Georgia | X | X | X | ||||
| Alabama | X | X | |||||
| Michigan | X | X | |||||
| Penn State | X X | ||||||
| Wisconsin | X | X | X | ||||
| Notre Dame | X | ||||||
| Texas A&M | X | X X | |||||
| Illinois | X | ||||||
| Charlotte | X | ||||||
| Toledo | X | ||||||
| Michigan St. | X | X | |||||
| Memphis | X | ||||||
| Maryland | X | X | X X | ||||
| Louisiana-Lafayette | X | ||||||
| Kentucky | X | ||||||
| Miami (FL) | X | ||||||
| Northern Illinois | X | ||||||
| Akron | X | ||||||
| Purdue | X | ||||||
| Mississippi | X | ||||||
| South Dakota St. | X | ||||||
| Oklahoma | X | ||||||
| Georgia Tech | X | ||||||
| Nebraska | X | ||||||
The soon to be defunct Pac-12 saw no Steelers being selected out of their conference in the last five years. In fact, the last time Pittsburgh drafted a player out of the Pac-12 was in 2017 when they took JuJu Smith-Schuster and Brian Allen. It will be interesting to see if that changes once USC enters Big-10 play. The Big-12 had one, while the Big-10 reigned supreme on filling the Steelers roster via the NFL Draft with 16 selections.
| Steelers Selections by Conferences (Last 5 Years) | ||||||||
| Conf/RDs | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Total |
| SEC | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | |
| Big-10 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 |
| Big -12 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| ACC | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| MAC | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||
| MVFC | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Sun Belt | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| CUSA | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| AAC | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Independent | 1 | 1 | ||||||
Background Check: 1st Round Last 6 NFL Drafts
2023 | Broderick Jones | OT | Georgia | 14th
2022 | Kenny Pickett |QB | Pittsburgh | 20th
2021 | Najee Harris | RB | Alabama | 24th
2020 | No Pick
2019 | Devin Bush | LB | Michigan | 10th
Pick Is In
Maason Smith, DT, LSU, rSo, 6060, 310, 4.85
Team leader Cam Heyward hits the open market in 2025 and will also be 36-years old by the time the 2025 NFL Draft concludes. Pittsburgh has invested a second third round pick in DeMarvin Leal in 2022, a second-round pick on Keeanu Benton in 2023 and will invest a first round pick on the Tigers’ stud Smith in 2024. His one game suspension for autographs in 2021 won’t detour his draft status.
Background Check: 2nd Round Last 5 NFL Drafts
2023 | Joey Porter Jr. | DB | Penn State | 32nd
2023 | Keeanu Benton | DL | Wisconsin | 49th
2022 | George Pickens | WR | Georgia | 52nd
2021 | Pet Freiermuth | TE | Penn State | 55th
2020 | Chase Claypool | WR | Notre Dame | 49th
2019 | No Pick
Pick Is In
Ladd McConkey, WR, Georgia, rJr, 6000, 185, 4.48
Pittsburgh won’t be shy of going to Georgia for another prospect. Broderick Jones, George Pickens, and Darnell Washington are played their college football with the Bulldogs. With Diontae Johnson’s contract expiring in the spring of 2025, the Steelers take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the curve.
Background Check: 3rd Round Last 5 NFL Drafts
2023 | Darnell Washington | TE | Georgia | 93rd
2022 | DeMarvin Leal | DL | Texas A&M | 84th
2021 | Kendrick Green | OL | Illinois | 87th
2020 | Alex Highsmith | LB | Charlotte | 102nd
2019 | Diontae Johnson | WR | Toledo | 66th
2019 | Justin Layne | DB | Michigan State | 83rd
Pick Is In
Jack Nelson, OT, Wisconsin, rJr, 6062, 305, 5.15
Wisconsin is a school the Steelers monitor closely and with the need of offensive linemen on the horizon, Pittsburgh snags the back-to-back All-Big Ten honorable mention (consensus) selection.
Background Check: 4th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | Nick Herbig | LB | Wisconsin | 132nd
2022 | Calvin Austin | WR | Memphis | 138th
2021 | Dan Moore Jr. | OT | Texas A&M | 128th
2021 | Buddy Johnson | LB | Texas A&M | 140th
2020 | Anthony McFarland | RB | Maryland | 124th
2020 | Kevin Dotson | OL | Louisiana-Lafayette |135th
2019 | Benny Snell | RB | Kentucky | 122nd
Pick Is In
TJ Tampa, CB, Iowa State, Sr, 6010, 198, 4.45
Heading into this upcoming season, the defensive back position is the one that concerns me the most. Rookie Joey Porter Jr. must develop quickly, and veteran Patrick Peterson must avoid father time creeping in, and the depth behind them is suspect.
Background Check: 5th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | No Pick |
2022 | No Pick |
2021 | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DL | Wisconsin | 156th
2020 | No Pick |
2019 |Zach Gentry | TE | Michigan | 141st
Pick Is In
Javion Cohen, OG, Miami (FL), Sr, 6043, 305, 5.10
Spent first three seasons of career at Alabama and in 2022 was named second team All-SEC honoree by league coaches. Cohen was also named to the 2020 All-SEC Freshman Team at Alabama and he could very well be ranked an entire round higher by the time the 2024 NFL Draft begins.
Background Check: 6th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | No Pick |
2022 | Connor Heyward | TE | Michigan State | 208th
2021 | Quincy Roche | LB | Miami (FL) | 216th
2020 | Antoine Brooks | DB | Maryland | 198th
2019 | Sutton Smith | LB | Northern Illinois | 175th
2019 | Isaiah Buggs | DT | Alabama | 192nd
2019 | Ulysees Gilbert | LB Akron | 207th
Pick Is In
Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall, Jr, 6012, 210, 4.56
The Kenny Pickett to George Pickens connection appears to be one of the more lethal young connections in the league. That means Najee Harris will never receive big money and Harris won’t have any of that. Ali was named the 2022 Myrtle Beach MVP and has shown he can be incredibly productive.
Background Check: 7th Round Last 5 Drafts
2023 | Corey Trice | DB | Purdue | 241
2023 | Spencer Anderson | OL | Maryland | 251
2022 | Mark Robinson | LB | Mississippi | 225th
2022 | Chris Oladokun | QB | South Dakota State | 241st
2021 | Tre Norwood | DB | Oklahoma | 245nd
2021 | Pressley Harvin | P | Georgia Tech | 254th
2020 | Carlos Davis | DT | Nebraska | 232nd
2019 | Derwin Gray | G | Maryland | 219th
Pick Is In
Sheridan Jones, DB, Clemson, 6001, 190, 4.53
The Big-10 usually shows up on the box score when it comes to seventh round selections, but the ACC sneaks a player in with Jones. GM Omar Khan picks of Porter Jr. and Corey Trice indicate a preference of big defensive backs and Jones fits the mold of the secondary.
