It’s that time of year again. The Senior Bowl, and Shrine bowls have passed. Time for our Steelers mock draft 1.0! Lots can change between now and April. We still have the various pro-days, and free agency to go through. Our first mock always gives a rough outline on position needs as we head into the heart of the offseason.
We decided to start off with a bang. We traded down with Kansas City, swapping pick 20 for picks 31 and 94. With that said, let’s get into our first mock of the season:
Round 1 (31 trade) – Jackson Powers-Johnson C Oregon
We really couldn’t justify drafting a center at 20, thus the trade. Jackson Powers-Johnson was all the rage at last week’s Senior Bowl. He cemented his spot as the number one center in this draft. At this point we can’t think of a bigger need for the Steelers. Add to this the fact that Mike Tomlin was seen talking to Powers-Johnson at the Senior Bowl, and this seems like a near certain lock. https://www.si.com/nfl/steelers/news/pittsburgh-steelers-extra-time-oregon-star-jackson-powers-johnson
Round 2 (51) Ennis Rakestraw CB Missouri
A long, fluid, rangy corner who excels against the run? It’s like Ennis Rakestraw was designed in a lab specifically for the Steelers. Rakestraw had a whopping 89.0 run defense grade via PFF. The only slight drawback is the lack of ball production. Only one career interception in his college career at Missouri. Rakestraw does have some position flexibility having played over 250 snaps in the slot over his college career.
Round 3 (84) Junior Colson LB Michigan
There’s no question the Steelers need to add some young blood to their linebacker room. The uncertainty of Cole Holcomb’s comeback from injury only adds to this need. We would understand Steelers fans reservation with Michigan linebackers after the Devin Bush debacle, but Colson is a diffferent cat altogether. Colson is a big, physical (6’3”, 247), with good instincts. In other words, the exact opposite of Devin Bush.
Round 3 (94 trade) Spencer Rattler QB South Carolina
In our mock trade with the Chiefs we get a bonus third round pick. What better time than to take a quarterback with some serious upside. Spencer Rattler is fresh off his Senior Bowl MVP performance. He was easily the best QB at that game even with players like Bo Nix, and Micheal Pennix in attendance. Rattler was a former 5 star recruit who had some big seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to South Carolina. This is a great risk/reward pick for a team that could use some excitement at the quarterback position.
Round 4a (119) Matt Goncalves OT Pitt
We have a strong feeling that the Steelers are a lot more comfortable with their tackle situation than the rest of us are. They most likely wait until around this area to get some depth at the position. Goncalves is a big, physical tackle who excels in the run game. He’d make a good option for swing tackle with some upside for the future.
Round 4b (120) Braden Rice WR USC
Given how much the Steelers love bloodlines, what better bloodline to have than being Jerry Rice’s son?? Even if new OC Arthur Smith is not a fan of 11 personnel, this team needs to add depth at wide receiver. Rice is a size/speed type of wideout who should test well at the combine.
Round 6 (196) Trey Taylor S Air Force
The Steelers will be looking to add some safety depth in this draft. Taylor is a versatile chess piece playing all over the secondary. His primary role was in the box, but he also played in the slot, and as a deep safety quite a bit in 2023. Taylor should be able to be a good special teams fit as well.
Round 7 (234) Trent Pennix FB NC St.
We couldn’t complete our Steelers mock draft 1.0 without selecting a fullback. This position is a staple of the Arthur Smith offense. Trent Pennix played some tight end, and Hback at North Carolina St. giving him some versatility.