For the last time this draft season, my predictions for what the Pittsburgh Steelers will do during this week’s 2022 NFL Draft. Based on all the information we know, my best guess as to what will happen on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Again, to make it very clear. I think that’s Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin will do during the draft. This is not my list of ideal picks I would hit if I were leading the team. Keep that in mind if you comment below, but of course let me know your thoughts and what you would change.
If you want to look back, here are my previous three Steelers’ mock drafts.
Version 1.0
Version 2.0
Version 3.0
Round 1 (#20 overall): Desmond Ridder/QB Cincinnati – 6033, 213 lbs.
Analysis: I’ve debated and wrestled with the first round pick more than any other pick in this mock and more than any other first round pick in years. Quarterback still feels like the favorite to me, picked pre-draft because of all the interest in the position, even though the 20th-ranked pick creates so many variables.
Let me start with that. Similar to 2019 with Devin Bush, although I haven’t officially mocked it, I believe the team will try to step up for Liberty QB Malik Willis if he slips past #6. I think Mike Tomlin is blown away by Willis’ talent and personality and if there’s one guy they want to attack, it’s him. Will a trade take place? Who knows. But I think he’s their #1 quarterback.
On Rider. There is no doubt that he impressed them with his maturity and leadership at the Pro Day dinners and his pre-draft visit. Ridder also has attractive physical attributes, with his straight-line speed and an overall good arm. He’s a player, a winner, and he turned the Bearcats program around. He’s also taller than some of the other quarterbacks in this class. And whatever it’s worth, it was the only Pro Day that featured the entire Steelers offensive staff, including QBs coach Mike Sullivan.
A lack of accuracy is the biggest concern here since Kevin Colbert values it so much. But Tomlin should drive this bus more than Colbert. He’s the one he’ll be coaching longer than Colbert will be GM. With a good QB coach like Sullivan and now a dedicated assistant, Pittsburgh likely believe they can train Ridder’s mechanical flaws in his year on the bench. It’s a good situation to come.
Honestly, you could convince me that any of the top five QBs could/would be the guy at #20. I thought hard about all of them, including Kenny Pickett and Sam Howell. I think Pickett is 20th off the board; If I was a little less convinced of that, I might have included it here.
Of non-QBs, Georgia NT Jordan Davis or Notre Dame S Kyle Hamilton falling for sure would be interesting. Safeties like Lewis Cine from Georgia or Dax Hill from Michigan are also in play. But I don’t want to hedge any more than I already am. Rider is my choice.
Ridder Scouting Report
Others under consideration: QB Kenny Pickett, NT Jordan Davis, SS Lewis Cine
Round 2 (#52 overall): Nick Cross/S Maryland – 6001, 215 lbs.
Analysis: That might feel a lap early. But for Terrell Edmunds it felt a lap early. Checks virtually every box. From the Power 5, hyper athletic (9.87 RAS value, the way the Steelers like it) and in my opinion the youngest player in this class at well under 21 years old. He was also college roommates with Mike Tomlin’s son, Dino, which made an interesting connection.
Cross is raw and needs time to develop and become more consistent. But with Terrell Edmunds back in the herd, Cross can be an underpacker out of goal. Things are starting to look a bit crowded, but too much secondary depth is better than not enough, and Cross could take over next year when he’s 21 and a year in the league.
Cross Scouting Report
Others under consideration: S Jaquan Brisker, WR Skyy Moore, OT Daniel Faalele
Round 3 (#84 overall): Marcus Jones/CB Houston – 5080, 177 lbs.
Analysis: Secondary heavy at the top of this draft. Pittsburgh re-signed Ahkello Witherspoon and added Levi Wallace, but they’re not options. Jones would be the slot corner they’ve been looking for since Mike Hilton left after the 2020 season. Jones isn’t quite the over-the-top player that Hilton was, but Pittsburgh struggled to find a reliable slot option last year, rolling through the likes of Arthur Maulet, Tre Norwood and Cam Sutton and never quite getting along with anyone. Norwood shows promise, but I don’t know if he’s an everydown slot guy. Jones is another good athlete with ball skills, and while it’s doubtful Pittsburgh will use him there, he’s an excellent returnman.
Jones was invited for a pre-design visit and expressed interest. He’s had surgery on both shoulders and wasn’t able to train in the pre-draft process, which isn’t great for a little guy, but I don’t think it precludes the team from taking him on.
Jones Scouting Report
Others considered: EDGE Drake Jackson, WR Danny Gray, DL DeMarvin Leal, CB Damarri Mathis
Round 4 (#138 overall): Justyn Ross/WR Clemson – 6035, 210 lbs.
Analysis: Wrestled with bringing Ross or Baylor’s Tyquan Thornton (coached by Steelers WR coach Frisman Jackson) here. Finally, I leaned towards Ross. He has serious medical flags, but Jackson coached him personally at Tigers’ Pro Day, signaling he’s still on their radar. The doctor who performed Ross’ rare spinal surgery was the Steelers’ neurosurgeon, which may create more comfort with Ross medically.
Before his injury, Ross was a dominant player and enjoyed an incredible two years with the Tigers. He missed the entire 2020 season through injury but returned in 2021 despite struggling with a foot problem. At its best it has a large catch radius and is a big frame for butchering smaller DBs. He moved to the slot later in his Clemson career, playing in Pittsburgh to replace JuJu Smith-Schuster. JuJu has tested better than Ross, but his training numbers haven’t been outstanding and he hasn’t come off the injuries Ross has that may have hampered his testing.
None of that sounds like ringing confirmation, but here’s the 30,000-foot view. If Ross can recover, he was a first-round player for Clemson’s first two years. Even just going through a few clips, his movement skills and YAC ability were so much better in 2018-2019. That foot has bothered him quite a bit all season and if he’s 100% you might end up in the top 32 talents in the fourth round. Not a bad game.
He was also really good at Clemson’s bowl/playoff games. 6/148/1 and 6/153/1 against Notre Dame and Alabama in 2018, and 5 for 76 in a loss to LSU in 2019. As we wrote in an article about Frisman Jackson, he said that the production bowl games is something he values greatly when evaluating potential customers. So Ross is my pick here. Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney has consistently praised Ross. Swinney and Colbert/Tomlin have a close relationship.
Determining Ross’ draft slot is difficult given his medical history. But fourth round sounds about right. Personally I wouldn’t love the pick but I can see the Steelers are the team to draft him.
Ross Scouting Report
Others under consideration: WR Tyquan Thornton, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, CB Cordale Flott, S Joey Blount
Round 6 (#208 overall): Eric Johnson/DL Missouri State – 6043, 299 lbs.
Analysis: I’ve previously left d-line out of my mock designs, but haven’t completely ruled out the idea given Stephon Tuitt’s ongoing uncertainty. It was just difficult to find a suitable name. It feels like there’s only a handful of candidates, especially for overdubbing Tackle/4i. Coming from a small school, Johnson doesn’t improve his chances of being drafted, but his pre-draft visit to the team says a lot about their interest.
Johnson is a near-prototypical height of over 6ft 4,299lbs with long 34 1/4 inch arms. As a Combine nudge, he scored a 4.87 40 on his Pro Day, an outstanding number for a man of his frame. He also showed the ability to hold his own against better competition in this year’s Senior Bowl and in his 2021 contest against Oklahoma State, where he held his own. He chases the ball hard and could play up and down the line, two things the team will appreciate.
Johnson Scouting Report
Others under consideration: DL Jayden Peevy, EDGE Jeffrey Gunter, RB Hassan Haskins
Round 7 (#225 overall): Leddie Brown/RB West Virginia – 6001, 215 lbs.
Analysis: I went back and forth with running backs in my mock drafts. I really wanted to put Hassan Haskins in here somewhere but couldn’t get him fit so I went back with Brown. My criteria for choosing an RB are simple. From the Power 5, tall, and has carried a heavy workload. It only leaves me a few options. Brown made the most sense late on day three. 6,001 and 213 pounds, he carried the ball 233 times for the Mountaineers last year and ran for over 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons. He lacks burst and big play ability, but catches the ball cleanly and checks the Steelers’ boxes. Assistant Blaine Stewart guided Brown through drills at his WVU Pro Day.
Brown scouting report
Others considered: OL Cade Mays, LB Josh Ross, OL Tyler Vrabel
Round 7 (#241 overall): Chris Oladokun/QB South Dakota State – 6012, 213 lbs.
Analysis: Large center curveball to finish off this mock design. This is not an accident. Two quarterbacks, one mock draft.
As every year, the team will go to camp with four QBs on the roster. There are two on the way into the draft – Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. I added Desmond Ridder at the top as third and now Oladokun is fourth.
Taking two QBs isn’t unprecedented. Washington made it more aggressive in 2012 with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins. Indianapolis did it in 2011 with Andrew Luck and Chandler Harnish, making QB the first and last pick of the entire draft (Harnish was Mr. Irrelevant). Green Bay did a similar thing in 2008, taking Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh round. It was Flynn who ended up having the better career.
Pittsburgh has shown interest in Oladokun, attending his Pro Day and inviting him to his pre-design visit. He’s been making a splash over the last month with several workouts and visits to other teams. If the Steelers want to guarantee they get him, they have to call him up. Pittsburgh doesn’t exactly pay well in the UDFA pool either.
Quarterback is the most important position and the Steelers need their space to be as strong as possible. While this is an unusual move that you probably won’t like, I could imagine Pittsburgh pinching his draft with position due to his weight.
Oladokun scouting report
Others considered: LB Baylon Spector, LB Mark Robinson, S Nolan Turner