Chris Adamski’s Steelers mock draft: Doubling up on Georgia tackles… and ex-Cornell players?
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How about a redux at one of the sport’s most important positions — a spot that’s prominent among the in-the-trenches group along the line of scrimmage that team management is known to covet?
Likewise, how about another type of sequel? Call it, “National-Champion Dawg, 2.0.”
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick Thursday, it could end up having a feeling a lot like the selection they made in Round 1 a year ago.
The possibilities seem endless, from trading up or down to targeting four or five positions. But consider one man’s opinion regarding the Steelers’ draft plans: A year after taking Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones with the first draft pick, the Steelers will spend the No. 20 overall pick this year on … another former Georgia offensive tackle, taking Jones’ former teammate, Amarius Mims.
As ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. put it, “If you could draw up the perfect right tackle prospect, it would be Mims.” That could serve the Steelers well for the next decade as an ideal complement to Jones, who always has profiled as a potential top-notch NFL left tackle.
Of course, Jones ended last season as the Steelers’ rookie starter on the right side. That’s in part because team management has faith in Dan Moore Jr., the starting left tackle since 2021. But Moore is entering the final year of his contract, and it’s preferable to the Steelers that they don’t end up giving him an extension at the kind of money that starting left tackles in their mid-20s tend to command these days.
All the more reason to take a player like Mims, who is thought to have perhaps the highest upside of any of the tackles available in a bumper crop at the position in this draft. The rub on Mims, though, is a lack of experience. But with Moore under contract for one more season, that works out swimmingly for the Steelers. There is no immediate rush to play Mims; he can develop under offensive line coach Pat Meyer.
1. (No. 20) Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
It seems the biggest criticism of Mims is he only has eight college starts on his resume. If that’s the worst you can say about a prospect, that’s a good sign.
2. (No. 51) Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
Projected as a slot receiver and considered one of the best route-runners in the draft, Pearsall has a skill set that would serve as an ideal complement to George Pickens’ explosiveness.
3. (No. 84) Hunter Nourzad, C, Penn State
Passing on the consensus top three centers in lieu of the value at OT and WR, the Steelers force themselves into taking the next-best option. Nourzad developed into an All-Big Ten center after his 2022 transfer from Cornell.
3. (No. 98) Jeremiah Trotter Jr., ILB, Clemson
Surprise! The highly instinctual son of the former Pro Bowl linebacker has shown requisite skills in coverage and in blitzing, catching Mike Tomlin’s eye. Even after adding ILB Patrick Queen, with Cole Holcomb’s cloudy injury situation, the Steelers can’t let themselves pass on Trotter.
4. (No. 119) Jalyx Hunt, OLB, Houston Christian
A teammate of Nourzad’s at Cornell from 2019-21, Hunt was one of the FBS level’s top edge rushers. The Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year has the physical tools to add to what has always been a glamour position on the Steelers.
6. (No. 178) Daequan Hardy, CB, Penn State
Along with center and receiver, slot/nickel is among the Steelers roster’s most gaping holes. Though they’ll likely address it via a bargain free agent, Hardy is a Penn Hills native with punt-return skills worth taking a flier on.
6. (No. 195) Logan Lee, DT, Iowa
The defensive line always needs bodies, and the Steelers are amidst a multi-year quest to inject youth. Lee is an experienced player with a profile worth adding to the room.