Who should Steelers pick with No. 20 pick? 5 prospects Mike Tomlin should target in 2024 NFL draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers still haven’t experienced a losing record under head coach Mike Tomlin. They finished with a 10-7 record last season, enough for the seventh and final spot in the 2023 AFC playoffs. However, their 31-17 defeat to the Buffalo Bills highlights their discrepancy from the league’s best teams.

While they can compete every week and win enough games to enter the postseason, they need more players to improve their chances next time. They can start patching the holes in their roster through the 2024 NFL draft.

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5 prospects the Pittsburgh Steelers could target with No. 20 pick

Assessing the team’s performance last season, the Steelers can take the next step as contenders by upgrading their rotation on the defensive line. While they have sacks leader T.J. Watt, he needs help putting pressure on the opposing quarterback, especially when he generated 40.4 percent (19-of-47) of Pittsburgh’s sacks.

Likewise, they could use more help at cornerback to complement Defensive Rookie of the Year finalist Joey Porter Jr. They finished 17th in passing yards allowed per game (227.1) even if they finished sixth-best in points allowed (19.1).

Finally, improving their offensive line could boost their ranking in passing yards and sustain their ground game dominance. Pittsburgh finished 25th in passing, generating 186.1 yards per game. That won’t be enough in a division featuring Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.

Sportskeeda’s Mock Draft Simulator agrees with those observations because they predicted Georgia’s Amarius Mims as the Steelers’ No. 20 pick.

Amarius Mims might land with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

That said, here are five prospects they might consider if they are still on the board for the No. 20 pick in this year’s draft:

#1 - Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

Mims jumped from reserve offensive tackle to starter in his final two seasons with the Bulldogs. However, he did start during the Chick-fil-A Bowl versus Ohio State and the 2023 CFP National Championship Game against TCU.

He has played both offensive tackle positions, including six starts at right tackle during his junior season at Georgia. His winning experience will help a team that prioritizes activating Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

#2 – Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State

In his sophomore season (2022), Fuaga received an 80.8 overall mark from Pro Football Focus, including a 79.6 run-blocking grade. He started all 13 games for the Beavers and earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors from the Associated Press.

Fuaga became a First Team All-Pac-12 member and a First Team all-American in his final year at Corvallis. The Tacoma native participated in the 2024 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Meanwhile, Fuaga and Mims could be workable replacements after Pittsburgh released Chukwuma Okorafor.

#3 – Laiatu Latu – DE, UCLA

Two years is all Latu needed to establish himself as one of the top defensive end prospects in the 2024 draft. He collected trophies during his redshirt junior season with the Bruins after collecting 13 sacks, 28 solo tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and four passes defended.

The 2023 Ted Hendricks Award winner and Unanimous All-American can provide pressure opposite Watt if he lands with the Steelers. Tomlin needs another player who can disrupt the line of scrimmage, especially with Cameron Heyward getting older. Latu fits the bill of Pittsburgh’s tenacious chase of the quarterback while displaying versatility in covering zones, especially the sidelines.

#4 – Bralen Trice, EDGE, Washington

Trice was the 2024 Sugar Bowl defensive MVP, tallying two sacks, five tackles (three for losses) and a forced fumble against Texas. But that game wasn’t an anomaly because he has been that good all season, finishing with seven sacks and 11.5 tackles for losses.

Those numbers earned him All-American Third Team and All-Pac-12 First Team honors last season. The year before, he was an All-Pac-12 First Team member. His imposing combination of size, speed, and football savvy can boost the Pittsburgh Steelers’ ability to pressure the quarterback.

#5 – Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia

Like Mims, Lassiter won two CFP National Championships with the Bulldogs. In 2023, he earned Second-Team All-SEC honors after collecting 21 solo tackles, 3.5 for negative yardage and eight passes defended.

The Steelers must beef up their secondary because they will face the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, Amari Cooper, Zay Flowers, David Njoku and Mark Andrews at least twice each season.

They have a headstart in Porter Jr. but will need another excellent defender opposite him, especially in one-on-one matchups. Lassiter could replace Levi Wallace if the latter signs with another team during the 2024 offseason.

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Complete list of Steelers’ picks available in 2024 draft

Barring additional trades, the Steelers will have seven selections in the 2024 draft. However, they won’t have a fifth-round pick because they traded it with their 2025 sixth-round selection and offensive lineman Kevin Dotson to the Los Angeles Rams.

In return, Pittsburgh got Los Angeles’ fourth-round pick this year and their fifth-rounder next year. Here’s the complete list of their picks for the 2024 rookie draft:

1. Round 1, #20 (own)

2. Round 2, #51 (own)

3. Round 3, #84 (own)

4. Round 4, #119 (from Los Angeles Rams)

5. Round 4, #120 (own)

6. Round 6, #196 (own)

7. Round 7, #237 (own)