Who could the Pittsburgh Steelers be targeting with their first round pick? Quarterback headlines the short list.
The 2021 season was certainly one of ups and downs for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They had some big wins including beating each the Browns and Ravens twice, ending the regular season with a 9-7-1 record resulting in a wild card berth.
However, they did have their fair share of down moments as they lost to the Bengals twice and got blown out against the Chiefs twice, including the wild card game.
Overall, I wouldn’t define the season as a success because they didn’t make a playoff run. However, I also think they deserve credit for making the playoffs considering Ben Roethlisberger was on his last leg.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 2022 NFL Draft First Round Targets
Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers have the 20th overall pick in the first round. They also have a pick in the second, third, fourth round, and sixth round, and then two selections in the seventh round.
This will be an interesting draft for them as heading into the 2022 NFL draft they are currently are a middling team. Without a star quarterback in a loaded AFC they aren’t Super Bowl contenders, however with a great coach and some star players on the roster they likely won’t be bad either.
This puts them in an interesting position moving forward because without high draft picks it makes it harder to find franchise quarterbacks. Often times teams in this position have to trade up to get their franchise quarterback, which is an option they will be considering this draft.
Over the offseason the Steelers signed quarterback Mitch Trubisky, linebacker Myles Jack, offensive guard James Daniels, cornerback Levi Wallace, and offensive lineman Mason Cole.
These are all solid signings as everyone I just listed should be starters. That said however I don’t think their free agent signings will have a big impact on what they do with their first round pick. Quarterback and offensive line are still needs for them and will their main targets for their first round pick. So, without further ado let’s get into it.
Malik Willis, QB, Liberty
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky this offseason and while he’s good to have as a bridge quarterback, I don’t think it will really have an effect on how the Steelers approach this draft. They still are in need of a long-term answer at the position, so they will still be trying to find that in this draft.
It’s no secret whatsoever that the Steelers really like Malik Willis and it’s for good reason. The question is just how much they’re willing to give up to get him because they would have to trade up in order to get him.
There’s a lot to like about Malik Willis. He has a very good arm as he can make basically any throw on the football field. In fact, according to PFF, 10.7% of his passes have been big time throws, which is the best in college football by a large margin.
Willis can also add an extra dimension as a runner as he is fast, elusive, and has good vision. This season he has recorded 90 missed tackles on 86 rush attempts.
The concern with Willis is that his competition level isn’t very high. However, we’ve seen many quarterbacks from smaller schools go very high in the draft such as Carson Wentz and Trey Lance, so that shouldn’t stop NFL teams from drafting him.
Now, in order for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get Willis they’ll likely have to trade up into the top five. This likely means they’d have to give up a future first rounder, so the question heading into the draft is just how much are they willing to give up in order to secure Willis?
Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh
We know that the Pittsburgh Steelers have been rumored to be big fans of Malik Willis, however if he comes off the board, Pickett is another solid option for them.
In fact in my recent mock draft I projected the Steelers to take Pickett at 20th overall. One thing to keep in mind with that however is that it was a no-trade mock draft, so it may not be a super realistic scenario as the Steelers would likely have to trade up at least a few spots to secure Pickett.
Kenny Pickett really raised some eyebrows last season as he had an outstanding season where he threw for 4,308 yards, 42 touchdowns, and seven interceptions over 13 games.
Pickett checks a lot of the boxes of what you want to see when looking for a potential franchise quarterback. He’s got a good arm as he’s capable of throws that not everyone can make, he’s accurate, and he’s a good athlete who can extend plays with his legs.
He’s not a perfect prospect by any means, but I think he’s pretty much a lock to hear his name called in the first round on draft night and he’s certainly an option the Steelers will be considering.
Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa
Obviously, the quarterbacks are going to be the main targets for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That said however if the cost to trade up is too expensive and there isn’t a quarterback they like on the board by the time they’re selecting at 20th overall they’ll have to look at other needs.
Their other big need besides quarterback is offensive line. They did sign James Daniels and Mason Cole in free agency, but both of them are interior lineman and they could still use help at tackle.
Trevor Penning is someone who has flown up draft boards after a dominant combine performance where he ran a 4.89 40 yard dash after weighing in at 6-foot-7, 325 pounds. He now looks like a lock for at least the first round and would provide a good backup option for the Steelers if there isn’t a quarterback that they like on the board when they’re picking.
Penning played at Northern Iowa which is FCS and immediately when watching his film it’s obvious that he is a step above his competition. He is a monster as a run blocker, he often manhandles defenders like they were high school freshmen. He also projects well as a pass protector as he moves quite well for a man of his size.
Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan
As I just said in a scenario where the cost to trade up is too high and the quarterbacks that they like are off the board at the 20th overall, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be forced to address other needs on the roster and their next biggest need is offensive line.
With offensive tackle needy teams like the Saints (No. 16 & No. 19 overall) and the Chargers (No. 17 overall) just ahead of the Steelers it’s certainly a possibility that all of the top four tackles are off the board by the time they are on the clock. Bernhard Raimann is a solid backup option for the Steelers should that be the case.
Raimann is another lineman who simply looked way too strong and athletic to be playing against the competition level that he was going against. He demolished his MAC competition all season long on his way to earning the second-highest grade for an offensive tackle at 94.6 from PFF.
Raimann certainly helped his draft stock at the combine with an all-around good performance. He now has a pretty strong case to be drafted round one, and if certain scenarios play out Raimann could be the selection for the Steelers.
Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida
The two most likely positional targets for the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th pick are quarterback and offensive line, however another possible target for them with this selection is corner.
The Steelers currently have Ahkello Witherspoon, Cameron Sutton, and the recently signed Levi Wallace at corner, which isn’t a bad group, however with all of the good, young quarterbacks in the AFC it’s important to be as strong as possible at corner.
So, adding a corner in a more forward thinking move would be something that is may be unexpected, but is certainly something the Steelers should be considering and would be a good backup option if they can’t secure a quarterback that they like.
Kaiir Elam has ideal traits for a corner as he’s got good movement skills to go along with good size (6-foot-2, 193 pounds). He’s also shown he can cover well against high-level SEC competition, which makes it very encouraging that he can translate smoothly to the NFL.
Elam’s draft stock has fluctuated a bit throughout the NFL draft cycle, but it’s pretty much a sure thing that he goes first round and he now projects to come off the board right around the late teens or in the twenties.