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Midweek Mock Draft Roundup 13.0: A look at the Steelers latest mock draft projections

We take a look at 10 of the latest mock draft offerings from some of the more notable names in the game.

By Simon Chester
2018 NFL Draft Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

With the NFL Draft now just over a week away and the pre-draft visits all but done, it should be hoped that the mock experts have began to zero in on the player the Pittsburgh Steelers will be selecting in the first-round.

We will have just one more opportunity to bring you a selection of the latest mock draft projections from around the NFL draft community next Wednesday, as we have each week since January. So far, we have looked at 120 contrasting offerings from some of the more well-known names in the business, with five different defensive players standing out from the pack as the most popular names to project to the Steelers over the past 12 weeks.

This week we have 10 more mock drafts worthy of review:

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network - CB, Lonnie Johnson Jr., Kentucky

“This is higher than I have Johnson rated, but he’s catching a lot of buzz right now and the Steelers have a need at the position..

(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)

Adam Rank, NFL Network - WR, N’Keal Harry, Arizona State

“All right, guys. You have that Antonio Brown business behind you. And while you could still use some help defensively with top guys like Devin Bush, Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy still on the board, I’m asking you to go with a receiver. I know you still have James Washington and such. But adding a guy like Harry to your team will really help keep this offense rolling. I know it’s kind of a risk. You got AB in the sixth round. You got JuJu Smith-Schuster in Round 2. But go first round on your receiver here and really send a message about your priorities.”

(Previous pick - First mock)

Connor Orr, Sports Illustrated - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU

“He probably won’t fall this far, but there’s no way Pittsburgh passes on the chance to inject some aggressive young blood into their secondary. It’s wild that just 33 percent of the passes thrown in his direction got home in 2018. He also has some slot flexibility.”

(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)

Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports - DE, Clelin Ferrell, Clemson

“This would be their seventh defensive pick in Round 1 in eight years, as they’ve missed on some high picks in recent drafts. Ferrell doesn’t perfectly fit what the Steelers often seek in their edge rushers, as I am not quite convinced he could be as effective playing on his feet. But a Ferrell-T.J. Watt combination would be one of the AFC North’s best and give the Steelers more pass-rush juice than they’ve had in a few years now.”

(Previous pick - TE, Noah Fant, Iowa)

Danny Kelly, The Ringer - TE, T.J. Hockenson, Iowa

“The Steelers have glaring needs on the defensive side of the ball, but after trading away Antonio Brown, it makes sense to give aging quarterback Ben Roethlisberger another big-play weapon. I’ve seen some compare Hockenson to former Steeler Heath Miller: He’s a fierce, reliable blocker in both the run and pass games and is athletic and smooth in his pass routes. Hockenson’s a three-down impact player who, along with Vance McDonald, would give Pittsburgh the ability to get creative with two-tight-end sets.”

(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)

Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune - CB, Deandre Baker, Georgia

“The Steelers would probably prefer a linebacker here, but the Devins are off the board. Baker is a lock-down cornerback who didn’t allow a touchdown to his receiver his entire junior season. He was chosen last season’s Jim Thorpe award winner — the nation’s top defensive back — as a follow-up performance.”

(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)

Will Brinson, CBS Sports - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington

“They would probably prefer one of the linebackers, but they’ll just have to make due with one of the cornerbacks instead. ”

(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports - CB, Deandre Baker, Georgia

“Baker is a scheme/coverage versatile cornerback with excellent ball skills and tremendous mirroring ability.”

(Previous pick - CB, Greedy Williams, LSU)

Jared Dubin, CBS Sports - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington

“With the Devins off the board at linebacker, the Steelers add another cornerback to their growing stable, solidifying the position over the long term.”

(Previous pick - LB, Devin Bush, Michigan)

Dan Kadar, SB Nation - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington

“The Steelers should have their pick of the first cornerback in the draft, so it’s just a matter of figuring out which one fits best. If the Steelers want to continue playing more zone coverage, Murphy fits best. If the team wants an aggressive player, it’s Deandre Baker of Georgia. If the team wants pure physical talent, it’s Greedy Williams of LSU (though he may remind them too much of Artie Burns).”

(Previous pick - CB, Byron Murphy, Washington)

Having been named in three out of 10 of our mock drafts, Washington cornerback Byron Murphy narrowly wins the top spot on his own this week. Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker returns as one of the more popular names to project to the Steelers once again and we saw our first appearances of Kentucky cornerback Lonnie Johnson Jr., Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry and Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. As we get closer to the draft, opinions seem to widening rather than narrowing.

We will add more mock drafts to our weekly roundup as they appear and we encourage you to let us know which experts you think we should be highlighting over the coming weeks.

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