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As we go through the off-season for the Pittsburgh Steelers, I’ve put together a series of NFL Draft related content. In this edition, we predict some potential free agent signings, and follow that up with a mock draft that reflects those signings. The quarterback needy Steelers grab one in free agency, trade down in the draft to acquire more draft capital, and select that stud offensive lineman that they covet.
Current Steelers Free Agents to re-sign:
Ahkello Witherspoon should be a priority to re-sign. Joe Haden is going to be 33 years old, and I just can’t justify a big contract going his way. Witherspoon is turning 27 and really came on at the end of the year. I’d offer a 3-year $21 million dollar deal with a $7 million signing bonus.
Chukwuma Okorafor I would offer a 1-year $5 million dollar deal. He is just turning 25 next season and did show overall improvement. I would say that if they’re unsure of what Zach Banner is going to be able to do next season, then they should release Banner and bring back Okorafor for another year.
Trai Turner also improved as he gelled with the offensive line over the course of the year. I would again offer him a 1-year $3 million dollar deal.
Other Outside Free Agent Targets:
QB-Mitch Trubisky
WR-Chris Godwin, Zach Pascal
S-Xavier Woods
Besides Godwin, I don’t think any of them break the bank. They are all reasonably young and would fill a need for the team. For the purpose of this mock, I will say the Steelers signed Trubisky to a 1-year $2.5 million dollar deal with $5 million in incentives that could be earned. Pascal signs a 1-year $2 million dollar contract with $2 million in incentives that could be earned. Woods signs a 2-year $6 million dollar contract with another $2 million in incentives that could be earned.
With the Steelers not having a lot of day three draft choices, I doubt they will be able to move around much in this draft. They did manage to keep their top picks in each of the first three rounds with #20, #52, and #84. The Steelers did trade away their #123 pick to Miami but should get pick #137 for Dupree. Steelers are not armed with a 5th round pick and Kevin Colbert has always said he likes to have at least one pick in each round so I could see the Steelers trying at some point to get back into the 5th round. They should however get back a 6th round pick for Melvin Ingram and have two 7th round picks at #223 & #239.
Steelers trade back and fix two holes. Moore is kicked inside to guard or RT depending on need. Penning instantly improves the run game and helps immensely in protecting whoever is QB. Penning is big, strong, and nasty. He doesn’t want to block his man, he wants to bury him. I feel he’d be an instant fan favorite. If you don’t watch the entire video when I post them, please just watch the first play and it sums him up. And that’s vs Will McDonald a 26 TFL and 22 sacks the last two years defensive end.
HIGHLIGHTS OF PENNING
Even if we sign Witherspoon, we still need an outside CB opposite. I feel Sutton is best when used in the nickel and having a CB who has the athleticism of Gordon would be a game changer on defense. Gordon might be the best athlete in this draft. He reportedly runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, with a 42.5″ vertical and from the tape I have seen has incredible loose hips and quick feet. Hands are his only weakness as he has dropped a few INT’s and seemingly goes for the knockdown over trying for the interception.
HIGHLIGHTS OF GORDON
I doubt JuJu Smith-Schuster returns and there’s little chance James Washington comes back too. Funny to think with Diontae Johnson as a 1,000-yard receiver and Chase Claypool nearly hitting that mark as a rookie that getting a receiver would be such a need, but here we are. Wan’Dale started his career in Nebraska, but after two seasons of poor QB play, decided to transfer to greener pastures in Kentucky. He quickly became one of the best playmakers in college football routinely taking slants and hitch routes for big gains. I feel he will compete from day one and could turn into our new punt and kick returner.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ROBINSON
Mathis really came on strong this last year and watching his tape, his power really pops out at you. He regularly was double teamed and did a nice job of pushing through to split them and get pressure on the QB. He did a nice job stacking and shedding in the run game. And in doing that had a phenomenal senior campaign with 53 tackles, 10.5 of those for loss and 9 sacks to boot. With Stephon Tuitt likely gone, Cam Heyward not getting any younger, and Tyson Alualu coming off of season ending injury, this is definitely a need.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MATHIS
You aren’t going to find a more fierce inside blitzer and run defender in this year’s draft. Chenal led the Badgers in tackles, TFL, sacks, and forced fumbles in 2021. Chenal might be one of the best gap assignment LB’s in the draft if not the best. He regularly is filling the hole the RB is attempting to run through which leads to a tackle for loss or minimal gain. He also is a powerful player willing to smash up in the middle and fight through blocks. His motor seems to always run hot and he will not be outworked on the football field. The $64,000 question is will he be able to flip his hips and run with a tight end in man coverage. Right now he was only used in zones filling his area but not much more. Jim Leonard used his natural skillset of blitzing and run stopping which obviously worked out for the Badgers. That is where he will start helping us, to stop the run, something we so desperately need.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CHENALL
Carter is a tweener DE/DT that might not fit a lot of NFL schemes. He is too small for your 4-3 B gap DT, but not quick enough for your 4-3 DE position. So he would fit perfectly for the Steelers as a 5-technique DE. Carter, playing at 285lbs and 6-3.5 has faced off against lots of double teams and has always held his own if not won the battle. He is capable of stacking and shedding. His strongest accolade, in my opinion, is his ability to get off blocks using active and heavy hands and chase, either in run defense, or in putting pressure on the QB. He has a good initial burst off the line which gives him an advantage in setting up his man.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CARTER
Besides having a great name, Smoke was a playmaker for the Auburn Tigers racking up 171 tackles, 17 TFL, 5 INT’s and taking 3 of those to the house. The 6-3 defensive back covers the secondary like a centerfielder. He also is an above average blitzer using his timing to blow past would be blockers on the way to the QB or RB. He has more of a lanky body for a safety and even though is a willing tackler, he doesn’t wrap up all the time like he will need to in the NFL.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MONDAY
Najee Harris is definitely the bell cow, but we need a viable backup and one with a different skillset. The Steelers tried with Anthony McFarland but that has not worked out. So the Steelers get a scatback with some wheels. Badie was unstoppable last season in his first season starting after waiting behind Larry Rountree. Badie made the most of his senior season running for 1,612 yards at 6 yards per cary with 14 trips to the endzone. And he hauled in another 54 catches for 330 yards and 4 more scores. Badie should provide a little lightening to Najee’s thunder.
HIGHLIGHTS OF BADIE
I know a lot of people want to go center early in the draft but hear me out. J.C. Hassenuaer played well for Kendrick Green at the end of 2021 and in my opinion deserves a real shot at it. Secondly, Green was thrust into a starting job he was definitely not ready for. Going from Illinois to the NFL while doing a position change is almost impossible to transition seamlessly to. Green also went straight to Miami to start training with Maurkice Pouncey after the season ended. That is the kind of commitment that you look for from rookie to second year players. The kind of commitment we did not see from Kevin Dotson.
So on to Nick Ford. Guy is position flexible playing all over the line including 6 starts at center. Overall good athlete and ability to come off a double team to get to the second level and get his hat on a linebacker. He might not have the most nimble feet, but he is a sufficient athlete and can get around and pull when asked to do so. Big man with sand in his pants at 6-5, 317lbs. Arms are long and well defined. Lower half is thick and sturdy. Does a nice job spotting stunts and sealing the edge when asked. High floor player that is position flexible playing LT, LG, OC, RG and RT in his college career though I would say OC and RG seem to fit him the best.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FORD
The 6-7 260lb mountain of a man really blew up the Southland Conference with 5,124 yards, 44/10 TD to INT ratio and average 9.3 yards per attempt and completed 73.8% of his throws. More athletic than one would think adding 491 yards and 16 TD’s on the ground. And remember, in college his 28 sacks count against his rushing yards, not passing yards.
Here’s the good.
His size, arm, athleticism, and jump in his senior stat line make him all the more intriguing. I feel he could easily hit the weight room and turn a lot of his baby fat into muscle and increase his strength and speed exponentially. But playing vs McNeese and Houston Baptist isn’t a great barometer of skills. He was able to trust his arm way more than he would have vs quality opponents as seen when he lined up against Louisiana Tech. He did throw for 495 yards, 3 passing TDs and another 2 rushing TDs, but he also tossed two interceptions on the way to a 42-45 defeat. The good is he almost single-handedly kept them in the game as the biggest deficit was 10 points. But a couple of early interceptions, one which went back for 6, was the difference between winning and losing. To his credit, he never was rattled and did a nice job getting his team to rally around him. I feel there probably isn’t a QB in this draft that would beat out the likes of Mason Rudolph, Trubisky or maybe even Dwayne Haskins in year one. Meaning I feel we are better off letting those three fight it out and sit Kelley on the PS for a season and have him hit the weight room, film room, and get coached up.
In 2023 in my scenario, Rudolph, Trubisky and Haskins all would be free agents so likely whoever shows the most promise would be re-signed and the Steelers could go into the 2023 draft looking for a QB based on what they see from Kelley and whomever ends up being the #1.
HIGHLIGHTS OF KELLEY
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Current Steelers Free Agents to re-sign:
Ahkello Witherspoon should be a priority to re-sign. Joe Haden is going to be 33 years old, and I just can’t justify a big contract going his way. Witherspoon is turning 27 and really came on at the end of the year. I’d offer a 3-year $21 million dollar deal with a $7 million signing bonus.
Chukwuma Okorafor I would offer a 1-year $5 million dollar deal. He is just turning 25 next season and did show overall improvement. I would say that if they’re unsure of what Zach Banner is going to be able to do next season, then they should release Banner and bring back Okorafor for another year.
Trai Turner also improved as he gelled with the offensive line over the course of the year. I would again offer him a 1-year $3 million dollar deal.
Other Outside Free Agent Targets:
QB-Mitch Trubisky
WR-Chris Godwin, Zach Pascal
S-Xavier Woods
Besides Godwin, I don’t think any of them break the bank. They are all reasonably young and would fill a need for the team. For the purpose of this mock, I will say the Steelers signed Trubisky to a 1-year $2.5 million dollar deal with $5 million in incentives that could be earned. Pascal signs a 1-year $2 million dollar contract with $2 million in incentives that could be earned. Woods signs a 2-year $6 million dollar contract with another $2 million in incentives that could be earned.
NFL Draft
With the Steelers not having a lot of day three draft choices, I doubt they will be able to move around much in this draft. They did manage to keep their top picks in each of the first three rounds with #20, #52, and #84. The Steelers did trade away their #123 pick to Miami but should get pick #137 for Dupree. Steelers are not armed with a 5th round pick and Kevin Colbert has always said he likes to have at least one pick in each round so I could see the Steelers trying at some point to get back into the 5th round. They should however get back a 6th round pick for Melvin Ingram and have two 7th round picks at #223 & #239.
(Steelers trade with Detroit Lions #20 for #32, #66 & #176)
#32 – Trevor Penning OT, Northern Iowa
Steelers trade back and fix two holes. Moore is kicked inside to guard or RT depending on need. Penning instantly improves the run game and helps immensely in protecting whoever is QB. Penning is big, strong, and nasty. He doesn’t want to block his man, he wants to bury him. I feel he’d be an instant fan favorite. If you don’t watch the entire video when I post them, please just watch the first play and it sums him up. And that’s vs Will McDonald a 26 TFL and 22 sacks the last two years defensive end.
HIGHLIGHTS OF PENNING
#52 – Kyler Gordon CB, Washington
Even if we sign Witherspoon, we still need an outside CB opposite. I feel Sutton is best when used in the nickel and having a CB who has the athleticism of Gordon would be a game changer on defense. Gordon might be the best athlete in this draft. He reportedly runs a 4.3 40-yard dash, with a 42.5″ vertical and from the tape I have seen has incredible loose hips and quick feet. Hands are his only weakness as he has dropped a few INT’s and seemingly goes for the knockdown over trying for the interception.
HIGHLIGHTS OF GORDON
(Steelers trade with Cleveland Browns #66 for #78 & #116)
#78 – Wan’Dale Robinson WR, Kentucky
I doubt JuJu Smith-Schuster returns and there’s little chance James Washington comes back too. Funny to think with Diontae Johnson as a 1,000-yard receiver and Chase Claypool nearly hitting that mark as a rookie that getting a receiver would be such a need, but here we are. Wan’Dale started his career in Nebraska, but after two seasons of poor QB play, decided to transfer to greener pastures in Kentucky. He quickly became one of the best playmakers in college football routinely taking slants and hitch routes for big gains. I feel he will compete from day one and could turn into our new punt and kick returner.
HIGHLIGHTS OF ROBINSON
#84 – Phidarian Mathis DL, Alabama
Mathis really came on strong this last year and watching his tape, his power really pops out at you. He regularly was double teamed and did a nice job of pushing through to split them and get pressure on the QB. He did a nice job stacking and shedding in the run game. And in doing that had a phenomenal senior campaign with 53 tackles, 10.5 of those for loss and 9 sacks to boot. With Stephon Tuitt likely gone, Cam Heyward not getting any younger, and Tyson Alualu coming off of season ending injury, this is definitely a need.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MATHIS
#116 – Leo Chenall ILB, Wisconsin
You aren’t going to find a more fierce inside blitzer and run defender in this year’s draft. Chenal led the Badgers in tackles, TFL, sacks, and forced fumbles in 2021. Chenal might be one of the best gap assignment LB’s in the draft if not the best. He regularly is filling the hole the RB is attempting to run through which leads to a tackle for loss or minimal gain. He also is a powerful player willing to smash up in the middle and fight through blocks. His motor seems to always run hot and he will not be outworked on the football field. The $64,000 question is will he be able to flip his hips and run with a tight end in man coverage. Right now he was only used in zones filling his area but not much more. Jim Leonard used his natural skillset of blitzing and run stopping which obviously worked out for the Badgers. That is where he will start helping us, to stop the run, something we so desperately need.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CHENALL
#134 – Zachary Carter DL, Florida
Carter is a tweener DE/DT that might not fit a lot of NFL schemes. He is too small for your 4-3 B gap DT, but not quick enough for your 4-3 DE position. So he would fit perfectly for the Steelers as a 5-technique DE. Carter, playing at 285lbs and 6-3.5 has faced off against lots of double teams and has always held his own if not won the battle. He is capable of stacking and shedding. His strongest accolade, in my opinion, is his ability to get off blocks using active and heavy hands and chase, either in run defense, or in putting pressure on the QB. He has a good initial burst off the line which gives him an advantage in setting up his man.
HIGHLIGHTS OF CARTER
#176 – Smoke Monday S, Auburn
Besides having a great name, Smoke was a playmaker for the Auburn Tigers racking up 171 tackles, 17 TFL, 5 INT’s and taking 3 of those to the house. The 6-3 defensive back covers the secondary like a centerfielder. He also is an above average blitzer using his timing to blow past would be blockers on the way to the QB or RB. He has more of a lanky body for a safety and even though is a willing tackler, he doesn’t wrap up all the time like he will need to in the NFL.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MONDAY
#189 – Tyler Badie RB, Missouri
Najee Harris is definitely the bell cow, but we need a viable backup and one with a different skillset. The Steelers tried with Anthony McFarland but that has not worked out. So the Steelers get a scatback with some wheels. Badie was unstoppable last season in his first season starting after waiting behind Larry Rountree. Badie made the most of his senior season running for 1,612 yards at 6 yards per cary with 14 trips to the endzone. And he hauled in another 54 catches for 330 yards and 4 more scores. Badie should provide a little lightening to Najee’s thunder.
HIGHLIGHTS OF BADIE
#223 – Nick Ford IOL, Utah
I know a lot of people want to go center early in the draft but hear me out. J.C. Hassenuaer played well for Kendrick Green at the end of 2021 and in my opinion deserves a real shot at it. Secondly, Green was thrust into a starting job he was definitely not ready for. Going from Illinois to the NFL while doing a position change is almost impossible to transition seamlessly to. Green also went straight to Miami to start training with Maurkice Pouncey after the season ended. That is the kind of commitment that you look for from rookie to second year players. The kind of commitment we did not see from Kevin Dotson.
So on to Nick Ford. Guy is position flexible playing all over the line including 6 starts at center. Overall good athlete and ability to come off a double team to get to the second level and get his hat on a linebacker. He might not have the most nimble feet, but he is a sufficient athlete and can get around and pull when asked to do so. Big man with sand in his pants at 6-5, 317lbs. Arms are long and well defined. Lower half is thick and sturdy. Does a nice job spotting stunts and sealing the edge when asked. High floor player that is position flexible playing LT, LG, OC, RG and RT in his college career though I would say OC and RG seem to fit him the best.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FORD
#239 – Cole Kelley QB, SE Louisiana
The 6-7 260lb mountain of a man really blew up the Southland Conference with 5,124 yards, 44/10 TD to INT ratio and average 9.3 yards per attempt and completed 73.8% of his throws. More athletic than one would think adding 491 yards and 16 TD’s on the ground. And remember, in college his 28 sacks count against his rushing yards, not passing yards.
Here’s the good.
His size, arm, athleticism, and jump in his senior stat line make him all the more intriguing. I feel he could easily hit the weight room and turn a lot of his baby fat into muscle and increase his strength and speed exponentially. But playing vs McNeese and Houston Baptist isn’t a great barometer of skills. He was able to trust his arm way more than he would have vs quality opponents as seen when he lined up against Louisiana Tech. He did throw for 495 yards, 3 passing TDs and another 2 rushing TDs, but he also tossed two interceptions on the way to a 42-45 defeat. The good is he almost single-handedly kept them in the game as the biggest deficit was 10 points. But a couple of early interceptions, one which went back for 6, was the difference between winning and losing. To his credit, he never was rattled and did a nice job getting his team to rally around him. I feel there probably isn’t a QB in this draft that would beat out the likes of Mason Rudolph, Trubisky or maybe even Dwayne Haskins in year one. Meaning I feel we are better off letting those three fight it out and sit Kelley on the PS for a season and have him hit the weight room, film room, and get coached up.
In 2023 in my scenario, Rudolph, Trubisky and Haskins all would be free agents so likely whoever shows the most promise would be re-signed and the Steelers could go into the 2023 draft looking for a QB based on what they see from Kelley and whomever ends up being the #1.
HIGHLIGHTS OF KELLEY
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