2023 Pre-NFL-Combine forecasts for the Steelers Mock Draft.
NFL combine in Indianapolis will feature players vying for spots in the league. In case you were unaware, the combine is likely your best opportunity to increase or decrease your stock. When reading this mock draft, keep in mind that many players’ perceptions will undoubtedly change after the combine.
In addition, I want to emphasize how crucial it is to think about how free agency will affect the Steelers’ NFL Draft targets. It doesn’t mean that I’ve decided to avoid a position just because you can’t see it targeted.
Let’s imagine for this exercise that General Manager Omar Khan has hired former Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd to fill the slot and former Broncos cornerback Lloyd Cushenberry to take his place at the line.
Let’s talk about the trade first. It’s one of the deepest offensive line and cornerback classes in recent memory. I took Buffalo’s trade offer, acquired a second-round selection, and still managed to take a lineman that many experts predicted the black and gold would select at pick 20. To further emphasize my point, at this moment, Zach Frazier of West Virginia and Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma’s enormous overtime player, were also available.
Mims has only made eight starts in the last two years, making him a raw potential. However, he is stronger, more athletic, and—above all—an improvement over Dan Moore Jr.
Every year, players fall through the cracks that we never see coming. That’s just the way the chips fall sometimes; it doesn’t imply that their stock is declining. One of the best examples of that is Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr., who was selected with the first pick in Round 2 after being selected out of the first round the previous season.
If Sweat is still available at 51, that’s a home run. He was awarded the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Outland Trophy in 2023, which is given to the top interior lineman in NCAA football. At 6’4 and 362 pounds, Sweat is a formidable opponent at nose tackle. In addition, he is among the most athletic 362-pound players in the sport’s history.
