Closer and closer. Day by day. The NFL Draft nears as the never-ending NFL calendar moves on.
It’s Monday – you know what that means.
Now we go back to the Pro Football Focus mock draft simulator.
Alright, here we go…Donny Football’s Steelers Mock Draft 9.0
ROUND 1 – PICK 17: CALIJAH KANCEY (DT, PITTSBURGH)
Last Week: Deonte Banks (CB, Maryland)
This one is for Mark Kaboly, who I know loves all of the different names I’ve mocked to the Steelers in the 1st round. And it just so happens that a player he has mocked there recently is available at 17 with Joey Porter Jr. gone and all three top tackles off the board. That player is Calijah Kancey, the Pro Football Focus darling. A grade of 80 or higher in his entire college career and topping it with a 91.8 this past season. Eight sacks and 30 quarterback hurries in 2022 has him as one of the top interior defensive linemen in the draft. But does he fit with the Steelers? He’s an undersized player for his position, but he plays well beyond that. He’s a menace on the field and his tape is off the charts. I won’t use the common comparison that has been used because he’s undersized, he played at Pitt and he tore up the NFL Scouting Combine. However, his comp from Lance Zierlein? John Randle – pro football Hall of Famer John Randle. If he becomes THAT guy, he should be the first defensive player off the board.
ROUND 2 – PICK 32: ANTON HARRISON (OT, OKLAHOMA)
Last Week: Will McDonald IV (Edge, Iowa State)
We rolled the dice as picks drew closer to 32 and it paid off with a potential plug-and-play tackle to kick off the 2nd round. We know two things – the Steelers aren’t sold on Dan Moore Jr. and they brought in Harrison for a visit last week. The big man from Oklahoma could very well be there to begin round two and assuming tackle is still a position of need, he could be the pick. Just one sack allowed this past season in 447 pass blocking snaps, where he has shined with a grade over 83 in that aspect of his game. Scouts don’t love his work in the run game, but he’s not a slouch in that area either. Harrison mainly made left tackle his home during his time as a Sooner and could find himself playing either end of the line in the pros.
ROUND 2 – PICK 49: TULI TUIPULOTU (EDGE, USC)
Last Week: Matthew Bergeron (OT, Syracuse)
The Steelers always have their eyes on an edge rusher and Tuipulotu is one that can serve multiple needs with his mix of size, strength and speed on the defensive front. He’s a player that has seemed to fly under the radar despite a great final season at USC, boasting 13 sacks and 37 quarterback hurries with an 82.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. Another thing worth nothing is Tuipulotu taking an official visit to the Steelers so they will obviously have their eyes on him if he makes it to the middle of the 2nd round.
ROUND 3 – PICK 80: GARRETT WILLIAMS (CB, SYRACUSE)
Last Week: Jammie Robinson (S, Florida State)
I’ve made this exact pick before and if the Steelers avoid corner with their first three selections, a pick like Williams would make a lot of sense. PFF has him as a 2nd round prospect and a top five player at his position. A drop for Williams could take place because of his torn ACL in October of 2022, but if the Steelers fall into a situation where they need to pick a corner at pick 80, Williams should be the guy if he’s there.
ROUND 4 – PICK 120: IVAN PACE JR. (LB, CINCINNATI)
Last Week: Kobie Turner (DL, Wake Forest)
The Steelers decided to rehaul their entire inside linebacker group this off-season, only keeping Mark Robinson around from last year’s corps. Pace was a menace at Cincinnati and despite the size, was very productive in college.
262 total tackles (34.5 tackles for loss) in his last two collegiate seasons, showing significant improvement each year at Cincy. 13 games in back to back seasons and PFF grades of 83 in 2021 and 93.2 in 2022. He can be a great downhill linebacker found in the middle rounds, similar to what the Steelers had with Vince Williams for a handful of years. He showed great skill in the blitz game and the run game with a 70+ grade in coverage as well. As I’m typing this, I’m becoming more interested in this being the pick at 120.
ROUND 7 – PICK 234: QUINDELL JOHNSON (S, MEMPHIS)
Last Week: SirVocea Dennis (LB, Pittsburgh)
There is still a need at safety even after swapping out Terrell Edmunds for Keanu Neal and I’d expect a late round pick to be spent on the position. Johnson was a steady force in the backend of the Memphis defense over the last four years, barely missing a game and registering good grades on the PFF scale. He was great against the run this past season, earning a grade just shy of 90 and good in coverage, collecting 10 interceptions in his college career (4 last season).
Big, productive and versatile – Johnson checks a lot of boxes late in the draft.
ROUND 7 – PICK 241: KEYTAON THOMPSON (WR, VIRGINIA)
Last Week: Brenton Strange (TE, Penn State)
This pick has pretty much been set aside for big targets that are available. It’s been a back and forth between a big wide receiver or tight end. We roll with the big wideout from Virginia here that didn’t have stellar career, but an interesting one at UVA. He’s also a player that played some QB at the college level too while putting together his best receiving year in 2021 with nearly 1,000 yards. Thompson is older, playing three seasons at Mississippi State and three more at Virginia. But he’s a very unique player that could be worth taking a shot on.