Pittsburgh Steelers seven-round 2022 NFL Mock Draft
The Steelers target offensive linemen as they build a support system for Ben Roethlisberger's successor
I ran through a seven-round mock draft for the Pittsburgh Steelers using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine. I decided not to include trades in the mock because it’s still early in the process. However, I’ll likely begin including trades when we get closer to March. Keep an eye out for seven-round mocks for other teams. I’m hoping to run through at least one franchise each week.
Longtime Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert plans to retire following the upcoming draft. Everything for this draft class should remain the same as in past Colbert-Mike Tomlin years. However, expect them to act a little uncharacteristic as they try to set the foundation for a strong offensive line and Ben Roethlisberger’s eventual successor.
If you don’t agree with these selections, feel free to leave a comment below this article or reach out to me on Twitter @Sam_Teets33.
Round 1 (No. 20): Tyler Linderbaum, IOL Iowa
Linderbaum is one of four blue-chip prospects in this class. He’s on the lighter side and will likely barely weigh 300 lbs. when he enters the NFL, but the junior from Iowa is the best center prospect in recent history. Despite his size, Linderbaum was an essential part of Iowa’s running game, which anchored a Hawkeyes offense that passed for under 2,600 yards.
Linderbaum is a pure center prospect, meaning second-year Steeler Kendrick Green moves to guard, where he spent the vast majority of his collegiate career. That gives Pittsburgh an interior starting line with Kevin Dotson and Green at the guard spots and Linderbaum in the middle. Suddenly, the Steelers have a developing interior line with three players on rookie contracts.
Drafting a quarterback in the first-round this year doesn’t make much sense for the Steelers. Their offense isn’t ready to nurture a young passer, especially one from this underperforming quarterback class. Pittsburgh needs to get its foundational pieces in place before throwing a young quarterback to the wolves.
Round 2 (No. 52): Kyler Gordon, CB Washington
Gordon is an extremely versatile cornerback capable of playing outside or in the slot. Washington played the former four-star recruit in the slot for about 150 snaps and outside for 530 snaps this past year. Preferably, Gordon would play outside for the Steelers, but the team could use slot help too. Letting Mike Hilton walk last offseason was a decision they still haven’t recovered from.
Gordon’s 6'0", 200 lb. frame isn’t anything to write home about, but he’s very fluid and explosive. He has enough speed to recover when initially beaten and can sky for the ball against significantly larger receivers. Like previous Washington corners, Gordon can play a mix of man and zone coverage without struggling to transition between the two.
Gordon allowed zero touchdowns in coverage during his time with the Huskies. He only allowed 21 receptions on roughly 40 targets for about 240 yards and 70 yards after the catch this past season.
Round 3 (No. 84): Abraham Lucas, OT Washington St.
Lucas’ measurements from the Senior Bowl (6'6", 332 lbs. with 34" arms and an 81" wingspan) cemented him as a legitimate day two pick. The senior played over 3,000 snaps almost exclusively at right tackle during his collegiate career, including 2,195 pass blocking snaps. Lucas allowed 49 pressures and four sacks (one pressure every 44 pass blocking reps).
Washington State’s offense was pass-happy, which means Lucas didn’t develop much as a run blocker. He’ll also have to operate in pass protection in the NFL differently than he did in Washington State’s non-pro-style offense. This could lead to a lengthy transition period for Lucas, although his Senior Bowl tape made me hopeful that he can make the jump.
Picking Lucas this high is a slight reach, but I prefer taking him over Arizona State’s Kellen Diesch, Louisiana’s Max Mitchell, or Penn State’s Rasheed Walker. If Dan Moore Jr. could start most of 2021 as a rookie fourth-round left tackle, Lucas can hear his name called in the third-round. This selection lets Pittsburgh move on from Chukwuma Okorafor.
Round 4 (No. 135): Jack Sanborn, LB Wisconsin
Devin Bush hasn’t developed into an impactful defender. He’s become a liability against the run and can’t seem to maximize his agility and speed in pass coverage. Steelers fans had high hopes for the former tenth overall pick after he made plenty of plays around the ball as a rookie, but that was two years ago. Bush is injury prone, can’t shed blocks, and hasn’t developed in coverage.
The Steelers could also save almost eight million in cap space by releasing veteran linebacker Joe Schobert, who the team traded a sixth-round pick for this past season. Schobert is a much better linebacker than Bush, but he’s also struggled to get away from climbing offensive linemen and is average in coverage at best.
Sanborn’s measurements at the Shrine Bowl weren’t too inspiring, but his consistent play at Wisconsin makes me believe he’ll help immensely when it comes to stopping the run. The Badgers gave Sanborn plenty of snaps as a blitzer, but he shined as a downhill linebacker capable of deconstructing blocks and flowing to the football.
Even with his limited athletic gifts, Sanborn performed passably in coverage. He might only develop into an early-down linebacker, but the Steelers need his fierce competitiveness and downhill mindset.
Round 7 (No. 221): Josh Williams, CB Fayetteville St.
Williams comes from a small school where his size (6'2", 193 lbs. with 32" arms and a 78" wingspan) allowed him to dominate the competition, often smothering receivers before they could get into their routes. Williams’s Senior Bowl measurements put him among the physically elite of the All-Star participants. He had the fourth-longest arms of any cornerbacks at the Senior Bowl or Shrine Bowl and the third-largest wingspan.
According to Zebra Technologies, Williams also has elite top-end speed. He reached 21.75 miles per hour during Tuesday’s Senior Bowl practice, a higher speed than anyone posted in the event in 2020.
Outside of his measurements, Williams failed to pop in Mobile. However, he has plenty of developmental traits and could turn into a nice day three steal.
Round 7 (No. 237): Jerreth Sterns, WR Western Kentucky
“Go with your gut” is hardly an acceptable way to justify selections in this era of scouting, but I’m high on Sterns’ potential to become a meaningful slot receiver within his first two seasons. The Western Kentucky product was only 5'7", 183 lbs. at the Shrine Bowl, significantly smaller than what the Hilltoppers claimed (5'9", 195 lbs).
Sterns was incredible in 2021, hauling in 150 receptions for 1,902 yards and 17 touchdowns in Western Kentucky’s record-breaking air raid offense. More than 1,100 of those yards came after the catch, over 300 yards more than second-place (Jaxon Smith-Njigba).
Sterns isn’t a burner, but he possesses enough speed to threaten teams vertically. He holds onto the football through contact and has surprisingly good contact balance for a player his size.