The Steelers Will Select…? Our Staff Weighs in With Their Picks For the 2022 First Round

[Steeler Nation]

Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for. All mocks will no longer matter and we can finally see who the Pittsburgh Steelers actually go with at pick 20. Before the 2022 NFL Draft gets underway, let’s check out who the SteelerNation staff thinks will be the Steelers’ 1st round pick tonight!

With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers select…​

QB Malik Willis

Mike Tomlin chops it up with Liberty QB Malik Willis / Twitter: @uSTADIUM


Justin McGonigle led the way with our most popular pick!

“Malik Willis. I’d love to say they’re going to move up for Kyle Hamilton or something, but I just don’t believe everyone is wrong about the Steelers and Willis. The love has been apparent for quite some time, and I believe he will be available at pick #20.”

CJ Lester

“The Steelers don’t throw out smokescreens as we obviously saw last year with Najee Harris. The Steelers have been flirting with taking a quarterback during the pre-draft process and the word is out that Willis is their favorite. They may have to trade up to get him, but I think Willis is the pick in the 1st round.”

Brandon Wallace

“Is it my first position choice for round one? Probably not. But Malik Willis at pick No. 20 seems like what the Steelers’ brass has wanted to do since day one, and I think I’m ok with it. Malik is the man, has all the potential in the world, and I think he has all the tools to be the future of our franchise, so let’s go!”

Andrew Kersten

“The Steelers will trade up to take Willis in the top 10. It seems more and more unlikely that Willis, who shot up draft boards over the past two months, would be available at 20, and I think the Steelers know that. We’ve heard how HC Mike Tomlin went to dinner with Willis and how he focused on him during his Pro Day, so it feels like there is mutual respect between the two. I believe if the Steelers really want Willis, they will trade up for him. It would be a splash that the team so rarely does, but it’s a splash that feels needed more than wanted if GM Kevin Colbert, general manager, is serious about setting the team up for the future.”

Jonathan Clark

“I would love to see the Steelers draft Malik Willis with the #20 overall pick. Although Mitch Trubisky was signed this off-season, if a player like Willis falls in the Steelers’ lap at 20, I just couldn’t pass up. He fits the mold of the type of offense the NFL is transitioning to, and could help the Steelers continue to have a winning culture for years to come.”

Ben Michaelian

“I think the Steelers are going to pick Malik Willis in the first. I was torn between QB, WR, and CB, but here’s what we need to consider: Steelers are going to draft a QB no matter what. Given the lack of depth (and arguably talent level) of this draft class at QB, combined with the great depth of other priority positions being S, CB, WR, DL, why would it not make sense to use a first-round pick on a QB? I’m assuming there wouldn’t be any trades in this scenario, but that’s my logic into thinking Willis will be a Steeler come Thursday night.”

Some went quarterback, but in a different direction with the pick.



QB Matt Corral

Jan 1, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Matt Corral (2) makes a throw against the Baylor Bears in the second quarter in the 2022 Sugar Bowl at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports


Matt Papiernik

“I honestly am stumped on who they will pick, but I do think the QB is the most likely choice. Willis I believe will be gone, and Corral fits best with what both Tomlin and Colbert said were each of their most important trait in a QB: Competitiveness and Accuracy. He is also the 2nd ranked QB in my rankings for this QB class.”

QB Desmond Ridder

Steelers’ draft prospect Desmond Ridder/Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports


Mike Stiffler

“The Steelers were always going to select a quarterback and I think they ultimately end up letting the draft fall to them rather than making a move. I think Willis is their number 1 guy but I believe someone will snag him before the 20th pick so they end up with their 2nd choice Ridder. I think Ridder possesses the most upside out of the remaining quarterbacks and the Steelers appear to be ready to allow that player to sit and develop, which Ridder will need to do, behind Trubisky. Ridder has all the key traits the Steelers have mentioned they are looking for in their next franchise quarterback, mobility, leadership, competitiveness. I think he ends up the pick come draft night.”

A few others went defensive tackle:



DT Jordan Davis

Steelers NFL Draft prospect, Georgia’s DL Jordan Davis | Steven Limentani / ISI Photos / Getty Images


Colton Gesser

“I believe the Steelers select Jordan Davis at pick 20. What did the Steelers miss last year? It was a man on the inside, and as a Michigan fan, I saw what Jordan Davis can do on the inside.”

Zach Herbaugh

“I think with both quarterbacks off the board, the Steelers will be forced to address a serious position of need in the defensive line. Having a serious inability to stop the run, Davis will anchor the defensive line for the next decade and bring the run stopping ability Pittsburgh had been searching for all last year.”

G. Stryker

“I’m thinking Jordan Davis might be the pick. With Stephon Tuitt not committing to the team yet, defensive line is still a very high priority and Davis is an unmistakable talent to pass on at that spot.”

Bob Quinn

“Generational talent. Instantly upgrades the run defense and the Steelers’ ability to flush quarterbacks towards TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith by pushing smaller centers back into the face of opposing signal callers. He will be commanding interior double teams which should make the early down pass rush ferocious.”

Some of the staff went with a corner.



CB Trent McDuffie

Nov 28, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies defensive back Trent McDuffie (22) celebrates following an interception against the Utah Utes during the fourth quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports


Suhaib Sharha

“The Steelers need a true CB1 and Trent McDuffie can surely be that guy. McDuffie is a physical cornerback who excels at both pass defense and run defense. He matches the Steelers’ profile for a defensive back, and if he’s available at 20, don’t be surprised if he’s the pick.”

Parker Abate

“Quarterback is not the move here. While the 22 starting spots seems to be filled, McDuffie would have time to grow and settle in as a great cornerback. The Steelers haven’t drafted this position well early in the draft, but McDuffie is too good of a prospect to pass up if he is available. The team also needs someone to cover Jamarr Chase for years to come and McDuffie is great in man coverage.”

There were also a few outliers on the staff that went different directions.



S Daxton Hill

Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill (30) eyes the play in the third quarter of their college football game against Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, on Saturday, September 4, 2021. Michigan won the game, 47-14. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)


Jake Vasilj

“I’m thinking they’re going to go with Daxton Hill. They need another safety and I’m thinking they may want to employ more nickel sets this year as Teryl Austin seeks to make an impact on the defense.”

WR Chris Olave

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images


Collin Schmitt

“The Steelers have been flirting with drafting a quarterback throughout the offseason, but I would expect the guys on their big board to be gone before pick 20. This will leave them drafting a receiver and adding another weapon on the offense for Mitch Trubisky to utilize this season. I would expect the Steelers to be aggressive in the 2023 draft and trade up to get one of the top quarterbacks next season.”

C Tyler Linderbaum

Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum surveys the field during a football game between No. 18 Iowa and No. 17 Indiana at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers 34-6/ Jerod Ringwald


Matt Tristan

“So, I’m basing it off of what I had heard this morning on SportsCenter. I know that they were saying that Linderbaum’s skill set would be very beneficial to Pittsburgh, and I think he might drop down enough that the Steelers might not need to move up at all to select him. But, even if they do need to trade up for him, they probably won’t have to move as far to do it.”

Who do you think will be the Steelers’ selection tonight? So far, around 49% of you say Willis will be the pick!

Who do you believe the #Steelers will pick? (Not who you want them to pick)

— SteelerNation (@SteeIerNation) April 27, 2022

So, with hours remaining, who do you think the Steelers go with at pick 20? Sound off in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!

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