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Mike Tomlin had one of his most difficult campaigns as Pittsburgh Steelers coach in 2023. The team just squeezed into the playoffs but were outplayed by the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard round.
A lot of questions were asked of Tomlin, and some even thought that he might leave his post as coach, yet with inconsistent quarterback play from Kenny Pickett, it was obvious that the difficulties weren’t all Tomlin’s fault.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were uncharacteristically proactive in free agency. They made a big trade to bring Russell Wilson to the team, where he will be the QB1 from the opening game of the season.
This trade is a gamble. Wilson has shown nothing of his former brilliance in two seasons with the Denver Broncos, and there are questions as to whether he still has the motivation to succeed at the highest level.
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One could argue, though, that the Steelers can only improve at QB. Pickett clearly wasn’t the guy and Wilson is an experienced pair of hands. He isn’t going to be worse than Pickett, although he isn’t a long-term solution.
That's why many think that Pittsburgh will select a QB in the draft this year. The top-three may be out of their reach, but there's every chance that one of the better day-two QBs could fall to them.
Some have even speculated that this may be the year Pittsburgh trades into a late spot in the first-round and claims a quarterback apart their preliminary selection, which is likely to be on the offensive line.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2024 NFL mock draft scenarios
Steelers mock draft: Best-case scenario
In this best-case scenario, the Steelers are able to get a solid starter at Offensive Tackle in Amarius Mims while also seeing one of the better QBs in the class still be on the board in the second round.
Mims has tremendous upside and is an absolute force in run blocking. If the Steelers are to have a solid rushing game in 2024, Mims would be a huge reason why.
He has quick feet and a big upper body, allowing him to flow with defenders and keep them away from the action. He’s a day-one starter and a real upgrade at the position for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Michael Penix Jr. is the best pure passer in the draft. This is an area that will intrigue Tomlin after the issues Pickett had with accuracy and ball security.
Getting to learn behind a Superbowl winner in Russell Wilson every day isn’t bad either. This is exactly the sort of future planning that gets rewarded; just look at Kansas City and the Green Bay Packers.
Pittsburgh obviously needs a QB of the future, and pairing Wilson with Penix Jr could be a masterstroke that leads to AFC dominance in the coming years.
Jermaine Burton is a fine receiver out of Alabama, capable of making plays now and also being part of the team years down the line. This is a good value pick. Pittsburgh also needs a starting center, but this is a position where you can find gold further down the draft.
Zach Frazier out of West Virginia is an interesting selection because of his immense blocking skills. His fundamentals are sound, and his football IQ is impressive.
The biggest concern teams have with Frazier is that he doesn’t finish blocks well. He can do all the right things and then let a defender past him. You’re not going to find the perfect prospect this late in the draft, but Mike Tomlin will feel that there's enough there to coach Frazier into being a pro-bowl center.
Here’s the best-case scenario class laid out in full:
· Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
· Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
· Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama
· Zach Frazier, OC, West Virginia
· Malik Mustapha, S, Wake Forest
· Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
· Deantre Prince, CB, Mississippi
Steelers mock draft: Worst-case scenario
Trading picks away doesn’t usually cause such a drop in draft quality, but that's exactly what Sportskeeda’s 7-round Mock Draft simulator has happening with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In this worst-case scenario, they don’t add a player on the offensive line in the first-round, and their initial selection is Byron Murphy II out of Texas.
A DT isn’t really on the agenda with Cameron Heyward and Montravius Adams both on the roster. Of course, you can prepare for the future, but not when you have issues on the O-Line and a QB who needs help.
Matt Goncalves arrives at offensive tackle, and there's a potential for this to be a good pick. However, he has a lot of work to do to improve and isn’t an NFL-ready starter from day one of the 2024 season.
He isn’t Joe Alt or Amarius Mims, and that’s what the Steelers would have passed on here. Leaving themselves with a lack of quality on the offensive line, which is going to have a negative impact on Russell Wilson’s debut season with the team.
Here’s how the Steelers’ picks panned out in full:
· Byron Murphy II, DT, Texas
· Matt Goncalves, OT, Pittsburgh
· Jonathon Brooks, RB, Texas
· Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
· Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
· Dylan McMahon, OG, NC State
