It is a well known fact that almost every single Steelers first round pick in the last 25 years has come from a school that Mike Tomlin has attended that player’s Pro Day.  That is why the Pro Day circuit is so important in any Steelers mock draft.  This year Tomlin traveled to six total Pro days.  Those schools included Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ohio St., Notre Dame, and Clemson.  We give special exceptions to Michigan and Ole Miss as well.  Tomlin and company had to skip Michigan to meet with Aaron Rodgers, and Ole Miss was the day before Tomlin and Khan had to be in California for the league meetings.  Assistant general manager Andy Weidl did attend the Mississippi Pro Day in their place.  So from those eight schools in total, there’s a pretty good bet the Steelers first round pick will emerge.

To mix things up, we also did our first trade in a mock draft.  There is a lot of smoke surrounding the Steelers trading down to get back the second round pick they lost in the DK Metcalf trade.  In this scenario we have the Steelers trading back to with the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for picks 32, and 64.  Let’s get to it:

Round 1 (32): Walter Nolan DT – Ole Miss

As we said at the top, the Mike Tomlin almost certainly would have been at the Ole Miss Pro Day had he not needed to be in California the next day for the NFL league meetings.  Defensive tackle remains the favorite among potential positions for any Steelers mock draft in the first round.  Walter Nolan fits the criteria of what Pittsburgh looks for in their defensive tackled.  He’s 6’4”, 296, with nearly 33” arms.  Nolan had a breakout season last year with 6.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for a loss.

There have been rumors of  character red flags associated with this player, but nothing substantiated.  Another concern with Nolan is he did not work out at the combine, or the Mississippi Pro Day.  That may work in the Steelers favor as it might push him back to the end of the first round.  Nolan is a supreme talent, albeit not the cleanest prospect.  Sounds like a Steeler to us.

Round 2 (64):  Jalen Milroe QB – Alabama

There may be a question of whether or not Jalen Milroe lasts this long, but if he does the Steelers will not pass on him. Milroe was part of a Pro Day dinner with Mike Tomlin a few weeks ago, so there is definite interest.  We are all aware of the knocks on Milroe.  His accuracy, and lack of production have been pointed out several times. What will attract the Steelers to him is the outstanding athleticism, and more importantly the leadership qualities of Milroe.  This is a player the Steelers would love to stash and develop for a season, with the possibility of him becoming thier franchise quarterback in 2026.  Milroe was in our Steelers first round pick in 5 tries post here:Steelers first round pick in 5 tries 2.0

Round 3 (83): Tate Ratledge: OG – Georgia

Guard is an underrated need for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into this draft.  Isaac Seumalo is about to enter the final year of his contract, and enters 2025 as a 32 year old.  Not to mention depth along the Steelers offensive line is almost nonexistent as we speak.  Spencer Anderson is the only other potential guard on the depth chart right now.  Ratledge is a three year starter for the Georgia Bulldogs, and was named all SEC in 2024.  Combine that with a near perfect 9.96 RAS score, and this represents great value in the third round.

Round 4 (123): Brashard Smith RB – SMU

Brashard Smith is a running back who tested off the charts at the NFL combine.  He ran a blazing 4.39/40, to go along with a 32.5” vert, and a 9’9” broad jump.  The attraction here is not only can Smith be used as a back, but he is also a converted wide receiver who could be used in a variety of ways on offense.  If that weren’t enough, Smith averaged 29 yards per returns as a kick returner in 2023.  This is a multi dimensional player who would be a steal in the 4th round.

Round 5 (185) Zah Frazier CB – UTSA

At this point in our Steelers mock draft we are looking for players with standout traits.  Zah Frazier stands out in a very big way.  He is a 6’3” corner who ran a 4.36/40 at the combine.  He has nearly 33 inch arms, and scored a 9.36 RAS.  Frazier had 6 interceptions in his final season at UTSA as well.  The Steelers could do much worse deep in the fifth round.

Round 6 (229) RJ Mickens SAF – Clemson

Safety is another low key need for the Steelers in this draft.  Mickens has NFL bloodlines as his father was a corner in the NFL.  This a good athlete, with decent size for the position. Mickens would start out on special teams with the hopes he could develop into something more down the line.

 

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