LJ'S MOCK DRAFT

Steelpicks

  • LJ DRAFTING FOR THE
    Steelers
Draft Selections
Jordan Morgan Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (PIT)
Jordan Morgan
OT Arizona
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 52 RND: 2 (PIT)
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
CB Missouri
Mekhi Wingo Head Shot
PICK: 84 RND: 3 (PIT)
Mekhi Wingo
DT LSU
Mike Sainristil Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (PIT)
Mike Sainristil
CB Michigan
Ainias Smith Head Shot
PICK: 119 RND: 4 (PIT)
Ainias Smith
WR Texas A&M
Javon Foster Head Shot
PICK: 120 RND: 4 (PIT)
Javon Foster
OT Missouri
Omar Speights Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (PIT)
Omar Speights
LB LSU
Carson Steele Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (PIT)
Carson Steele
RB UCLA
Draft Picks Received
Jordan Morgan Head Shot
PICK: 22 RND: 1 (PHI)
Jordan Morgan
OT Arizona
Mike Sainristil Head Shot
PICK: 97 RND: 3 (PHI)
Mike Sainristil
CB Michigan
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (PHI)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (PHI)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Terrion Arnold Head Shot
PICK: 20 RND: 1 (PHI)
Terrion Arnold
CB Alabama
Draft Grade — Steelers
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB- TradesB- FutureB
A solid, sensible weekend for the Steelers: B-.

It is a puzzling start. The Steelers had quarterback, safety and other spots to solve and reached instead for Javon Foster, an offensive lineman, at Round 4, Pick 20. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up. The Rakestraw Jr. pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. If Steele pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.

They left with interior defensive lineman solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.

In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick22 Rnd1 Jordan Morgan
In the 22nd overall pick they get protection for the quarterback at fair value.
Pick52 Rnd2 Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at the Round 2 slot. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick84 Rnd3 Mekhi Wingo
A slide stopped in Round 3, Pick 20, with Mekhi Wingo worth more than the price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick97 Rnd3 Mike Sainristil
Mike Sainristil slipping to pick 97 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It fills a real need, too.
Pick119 Rnd4 Ainias Smith
A tidy little value on Ainias Smith in slot 119, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick120 Rnd4 Javon Foster
A curious use of No. 120. Quarterback, safety and other spots needed the pick; an offensive lineman in Javon Foster did not.
Pick198 Rnd6 Omar Speights
Omar Speights in pick No. 198 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick241 Rnd7 Carson Steele
This one needs a full-page explanation: Carson Steele in the 241st pick, miles early. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.