New 4-round mock draft hit and miss for the Steelers

Thanks to a tumultuous offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2021 NFL draft with a lot of pressure to get things right. The future of the franchise at several spots could be filled in this draft and make or break the model of consistency this team has had for nearly two decades.

We decided to take a look at the five picks the Steelers have in Chad Reuter’s new four-round mock draft to see where the picks hit and where they missed.

In the first round, Reuter does his best to endear himself to the fanbase with former Alabama running back Najee Harris. I have a suspicion that by the time the draft actually gets here, some team is going to crush so hard on Harris that he’s going to end up off the board well before the Steelers pick. But if he happens to make it to No. 24, Harris would definitely be the playmaker in the run game this team hasn’t had since Le’Veon Bell left.

Moving to the second round we have Washington defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. This pick is a big miss on two fronts. Onwuzurike is more of a natural fit as a 3-4 defensive end where the Steelers have some depth. But also because the return of Tyson Alualu pushes down the need for any defensive linemen. In this scenario, a player like center Quinn Meinerz would make much more sense and fill a greater need.

The third round has the Steelers picking Notre Dame edge Daelin Hayes. Pittsburgh has practically no depth behind Alex Highsmith and T.J. Watt so Hayes, a great natural pass rusher makes sense here.

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In the fourth round, the Steelers have a pair of picks. First, Reuter has the Steelers picking Texas A&M offensive tackle Dan Moore. While this would fill a need, Moore’s lack of aggression and physicality worry me.

Last up in the fourth round the Steelers select former Michigan linebacker Cameron McGrone. McGrone hasn’t played a lot of meaningful football and it shows but as a project player, his natural physical tools are enticing with proper NFL coaching.

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