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Mock draft season is upon us and you can’t seem to scroll through any website that covers the NFL without seeing their latest and greatest 2022 NFL Mock Draft.
Every Monday, Steeler Nation will be putting out our 3M’s Mock Drafts by three writers (Mike Stiffler, Matt Papiernik, and Ben Michaelian). We’ll be rotating through three mock draft simulators. Coincidentally, all three of us have a name leading with the letter ‘M’, hence the catchy title.
The three simulators are Pro Football Focus’, Pro Football Network’s, and The Draft Network’s. By analyzing three different simulators and rotating through them, it’ll give a better idea of who will be available and how the Pittsburgh Steelers draft could shake out in April.
Below are the three mock drafts for this week. We started with Mike taking TDN, Ben taking PFF, and I took PFN. Here is a link to last week’s as well.
Mike wrote: “Chris Olave should be a no brainer if he is available at the 20th pick. He would’ve been a 1st round pick last year but ultimately decided to come back to Ohio State for one more year. He is the most polished route runner in this draft and a natural deep threat in the passing game. It wouldn’t be surprising if Olave ends up as the best receiver in this class. Sean Rhyan in the 2nd provides great depth to a revamped offensive line. While he played left tackle at UCLA for 3 seasons, Rhyan is being projected to be a guard at the next level as well. I wouldn’t discount the thought that he could challenge Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle or backup either guard position. Zachary Carter has the potential to be apart of the defensive line rotation. Carter has great length and play strength that allowed him to be successful in multiple alignments while at Florida. Sterling Weatherford is a high risk, high reward prospect. At 6’4” 225 pounds he won’t have a natural position in the Steelers base defense but would be highly valuable in sub packages. Big enough to play the run and athletic enough to cover if needed, the safety out of Miami Ohio could be a sneaky value. Ty Chandler is the next name to try their luck as a running back for the Steelers. Chandler has explosive speed and runs with enough toughness to be a successful backup in the NFL. The Steelers need to continue searching after Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland haven’t quite panned out. The Steelers double dip at receiver and select DJ Matthews. Matthews is the kind of slot receiver the Steelers typically like to target, smaller, shiftier, someone who can also provide help as a returner. Micheal Clemons is an interesting prospect as he will be 25 when the season begins. Character concerns are there as he was suspended at the beginning of the 2021 season. He does possess enough upside to take a late round flyer on. ”
Ben wrote: “Another mock draft, another instance where Malik Willis is available, another no-brainer for me. Given the Steelers’ quarterback needs and how this class is shaping up, they can’t afford to wait beyond the first 2 rounds to call a QB. Next I went safety with Nick Cross. This may have been a bit of a reach, but the Steelers need safety help and there is no way Cross falls to them in the third round. Then I took a couple of offensive playmakers in the following rounds. Khalil Shakir is an effective slot receiver who is great in space. He’s one of the best route runners and can help either Willis or Mitch Trubisky on broken plays. Then I got Najee Harris a running mate in Kyren Williams. He has a very similar play style as Harris and would be a great third-down back to give Harris some breathing time. They’d make for a great two headed monster in the backfield. To round out the draft I went all defense. Nephi Sewell is probably a name not a lot of Steeler Nation has heard, but he’s very intriguing later in the draft. He’d be a solid depth piece at inside linebacker and brings a lot of physicality to the defense. Adam Anderson was a part of that great 2021 Georgia defense and the Steelers need depth on the edge behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Anderson isn’t necessarily an every-down player at this stage, but he wouldn’t necessarily need to be in Pittsburgh. Then with my last pick, I added depth to the defensive line with CJ Wright. Wright is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle, but he has strong hands and a lot of lower body power. He wouldn’t be starting immediately, but he could be groomed into a decent DT throughout the next few years. Drafting him in the 7th may honestly have been a stretch, but I figured he fit the “sure, why not” category.”
What I had to say about my mock: “I hate the idea that the Steelers are going to draft a quarterback in this draft, but I am starting to accept the fact it’s going to happen. Luckily in this mock, I was fortunate enough to grab who I think is the 2nd best QB in this class – Matt Corral out of Ole Miss. Corral reminds me so much of former NFL QB Alex Smith with his quick decision making and athleticism. Corral is best to sit for a year and learn the system he will play in, which he will get with the Steelers. But he has as good of physical tools as any one not named Malik Willis in this QB class. Next, I had a decision to make as there were a few intriguing names on the board, but decided to go with John Metchie III out of Alabama. Metchie III is recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready in time for training camp. If healthy, he is already an NFL ready player that can contribute day 1 with his polished route running and good awareness. Next I added Cam Taylor-Britt to the Steelers cornerback room. Taylor-Britt is a tough SOB that loves to get downhill in a hurry and I labeled as a post combine winner with a solid performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was somewhat used incorrectly as a pure outside corner in college not letting him take advantage of his physicality, but that just means he will have the experience outside as well as the ability to kick inside due to his physical nature.
The last four picks are pure upside as they all have some great attributes that might need time to translate to the pro level. Starting off that list is Rasheed Walker who is an ideal left tackle prototype that needs some seasoning. Very few men on the planet possess the size and athleticism that Walker has displayed, but his technique leaves a lot to be desired. Cleaning up his balance alone could turn him into a starter. Scott Nelson is who I decided on at the end of the 6th, and he is someone that is slowly raising eyebrows throughout the lead-up to the draft. Nelson is a jack of all trades as he has experience playing multiple positions in basically any defensive scheme. His athletic testing numbers are what made me go take a second look, as he tested very well at his pro day. Early in his career he should be able to be an ace special teamer, with the ability to backup several positions early on as well with his diverse skillset. The last two players I chose, Ty Chandler and Velus Jones Jr., are both players that can add something that the Steelers offense is missing… SPEED. Both players are some of the fastest players at their respective positions in this draft class, and both also can fill in on special teams in the return game. It feels slightly weird adding two players with similar attributes, but they both have the speed and big play ability the Steelers lack in multiple areas.”
All of these simulators obviously rank people in very different locations, but you can see trends, as well as some overlapping names. The simulators now have all the same picks as the compensatory picks have finally been announced!
Let us know below what you think of all of our mocks we did this week and who you think would be good prospects to look into. Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Every Monday, Steeler Nation will be putting out our 3M’s Mock Drafts by three writers (Mike Stiffler, Matt Papiernik, and Ben Michaelian). We’ll be rotating through three mock draft simulators. Coincidentally, all three of us have a name leading with the letter ‘M’, hence the catchy title.
The three simulators are Pro Football Focus’, Pro Football Network’s, and The Draft Network’s. By analyzing three different simulators and rotating through them, it’ll give a better idea of who will be available and how the Pittsburgh Steelers draft could shake out in April.
Below are the three mock drafts for this week. We started with Mike taking TDN, Ben taking PFF, and I took PFN. Here is a link to last week’s as well.
Mike’s Steeler Nation Mock Draft:
Mike wrote: “Chris Olave should be a no brainer if he is available at the 20th pick. He would’ve been a 1st round pick last year but ultimately decided to come back to Ohio State for one more year. He is the most polished route runner in this draft and a natural deep threat in the passing game. It wouldn’t be surprising if Olave ends up as the best receiver in this class. Sean Rhyan in the 2nd provides great depth to a revamped offensive line. While he played left tackle at UCLA for 3 seasons, Rhyan is being projected to be a guard at the next level as well. I wouldn’t discount the thought that he could challenge Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle or backup either guard position. Zachary Carter has the potential to be apart of the defensive line rotation. Carter has great length and play strength that allowed him to be successful in multiple alignments while at Florida. Sterling Weatherford is a high risk, high reward prospect. At 6’4” 225 pounds he won’t have a natural position in the Steelers base defense but would be highly valuable in sub packages. Big enough to play the run and athletic enough to cover if needed, the safety out of Miami Ohio could be a sneaky value. Ty Chandler is the next name to try their luck as a running back for the Steelers. Chandler has explosive speed and runs with enough toughness to be a successful backup in the NFL. The Steelers need to continue searching after Benny Snell and Anthony McFarland haven’t quite panned out. The Steelers double dip at receiver and select DJ Matthews. Matthews is the kind of slot receiver the Steelers typically like to target, smaller, shiftier, someone who can also provide help as a returner. Micheal Clemons is an interesting prospect as he will be 25 when the season begins. Character concerns are there as he was suspended at the beginning of the 2021 season. He does possess enough upside to take a late round flyer on. ”
Ben’s Steeler Nation Mock Draft:
Ben wrote: “Another mock draft, another instance where Malik Willis is available, another no-brainer for me. Given the Steelers’ quarterback needs and how this class is shaping up, they can’t afford to wait beyond the first 2 rounds to call a QB. Next I went safety with Nick Cross. This may have been a bit of a reach, but the Steelers need safety help and there is no way Cross falls to them in the third round. Then I took a couple of offensive playmakers in the following rounds. Khalil Shakir is an effective slot receiver who is great in space. He’s one of the best route runners and can help either Willis or Mitch Trubisky on broken plays. Then I got Najee Harris a running mate in Kyren Williams. He has a very similar play style as Harris and would be a great third-down back to give Harris some breathing time. They’d make for a great two headed monster in the backfield. To round out the draft I went all defense. Nephi Sewell is probably a name not a lot of Steeler Nation has heard, but he’s very intriguing later in the draft. He’d be a solid depth piece at inside linebacker and brings a lot of physicality to the defense. Adam Anderson was a part of that great 2021 Georgia defense and the Steelers need depth on the edge behind TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Anderson isn’t necessarily an every-down player at this stage, but he wouldn’t necessarily need to be in Pittsburgh. Then with my last pick, I added depth to the defensive line with CJ Wright. Wright is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle, but he has strong hands and a lot of lower body power. He wouldn’t be starting immediately, but he could be groomed into a decent DT throughout the next few years. Drafting him in the 7th may honestly have been a stretch, but I figured he fit the “sure, why not” category.”
Matt’s Steeler Nation Mock Draft:
What I had to say about my mock: “I hate the idea that the Steelers are going to draft a quarterback in this draft, but I am starting to accept the fact it’s going to happen. Luckily in this mock, I was fortunate enough to grab who I think is the 2nd best QB in this class – Matt Corral out of Ole Miss. Corral reminds me so much of former NFL QB Alex Smith with his quick decision making and athleticism. Corral is best to sit for a year and learn the system he will play in, which he will get with the Steelers. But he has as good of physical tools as any one not named Malik Willis in this QB class. Next, I had a decision to make as there were a few intriguing names on the board, but decided to go with John Metchie III out of Alabama. Metchie III is recovering from a torn ACL but should be ready in time for training camp. If healthy, he is already an NFL ready player that can contribute day 1 with his polished route running and good awareness. Next I added Cam Taylor-Britt to the Steelers cornerback room. Taylor-Britt is a tough SOB that loves to get downhill in a hurry and I labeled as a post combine winner with a solid performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was somewhat used incorrectly as a pure outside corner in college not letting him take advantage of his physicality, but that just means he will have the experience outside as well as the ability to kick inside due to his physical nature.
The last four picks are pure upside as they all have some great attributes that might need time to translate to the pro level. Starting off that list is Rasheed Walker who is an ideal left tackle prototype that needs some seasoning. Very few men on the planet possess the size and athleticism that Walker has displayed, but his technique leaves a lot to be desired. Cleaning up his balance alone could turn him into a starter. Scott Nelson is who I decided on at the end of the 6th, and he is someone that is slowly raising eyebrows throughout the lead-up to the draft. Nelson is a jack of all trades as he has experience playing multiple positions in basically any defensive scheme. His athletic testing numbers are what made me go take a second look, as he tested very well at his pro day. Early in his career he should be able to be an ace special teamer, with the ability to backup several positions early on as well with his diverse skillset. The last two players I chose, Ty Chandler and Velus Jones Jr., are both players that can add something that the Steelers offense is missing… SPEED. Both players are some of the fastest players at their respective positions in this draft class, and both also can fill in on special teams in the return game. It feels slightly weird adding two players with similar attributes, but they both have the speed and big play ability the Steelers lack in multiple areas.”
All of these simulators obviously rank people in very different locations, but you can see trends, as well as some overlapping names. The simulators now have all the same picks as the compensatory picks have finally been announced!
Let us know below what you think of all of our mocks we did this week and who you think would be good prospects to look into. Click to comment below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
