Will63'S MOCK DRAFT
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Draft 4

  • Will63 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Brian Thomas Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (PIT)
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR LSU
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 51 RND: 2 (PIT)
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
CB Missouri
Christian Mahogany Head Shot
PICK: 84 RND: 3 (PIT)
Christian Mahogany
OG Boston College
Hunter Nourzad Head Shot
PICK: 98 RND: 3 (PIT)
Hunter Nourzad
C Penn State
Ty'Ron Hopper Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (PIT)
Ty'Ron Hopper
LB Missouri
Keaton Bills Head Shot
PICK: 178 RND: 6 (PIT)
Keaton Bills
OG Utah
Trey Knox Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (PIT)
Trey Knox
TE South Carolina
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall C+
ValueC NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
Flashes of a plan, unevenly executed. Steelers: C+.

The tape said wait; the Steelers did not. Ty'Ron Hopper went at the 119th overall pick, a good 62 picks before the board was ready. It lands right in the middle: a C+, no more, no less.

Spending an early pick on offensive lineman with quarterback, interior defensive lineman and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.

Rakestraw Jr. at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster.

So much rides on Brian Thomas Jr. that the real verdict is a season or two away.

Pick Analysis
Pick20 Rnd1 Brian Thomas Jr.
In No. 20 they get a weapon on the perimeter. A real need, handled.
Pick51 Rnd2 Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. is a better player than pick 51 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick84 Rnd3 Christian Mahogany
Christian Mahogany in the 84th pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick98 Rnd3 Hunter Nourzad
Of all the spots to shop, they chose offensive lineman. Hunter Nourzad in Round 3, Pick 35 leaves quarterback, interior defensive lineman and other spots for later.
Pick119 Rnd4 Ty'Ron Hopper
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Ty'Ron Hopper. The roster fit checks out.
Pick178 Rnd6 Keaton Bills
Keaton Bills at pick No. 178 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Pick195 Rnd6 Trey Knox
A big swing on Trey Knox at the Round 6 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.