The Pittsburgh Steelers will have to wait until the 19th selection of the second round to make their next pick. But with plenty of top-rated prospects still on the board at the end of the first round, the Steelers have a good chance of landing another impactful player.
In a perfect world, the Steelers will address another one of their offensive needs. That’s what general manager Omar Khan did with the selection of offensive tackle Troy Fautanu at No. 20 overall.
But there could be a few intriguing defensive options as well for the Steelers when they make their next pick at No. 51
C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Along with offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who the Cincinnati Bengals drafted at No. 18 overall, Powers-Johnson was the most popular choice for the Steelers in NFL mock drafts this offseason.
A lot of those mocks predicted the Steelers to grab Powers-Johnson at No. 20. But late in the draft process, the Oregon center appeared to see his draft stock fall. Then on April 25, he wasn’t selected in the first round.
Powers-Johnson is one of a few centers in the 2024 draft class that could start immediately. The Steelers should be searching for a starting center on Day 2.
“Overall, Powers-Johnson is a young, inexperienced prospect who burst onto the scene this season as a first-time starter thanks to his elite blend of size, athletic ability, power and toughness that he used to dominate competition,” Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn wrote. “He does have a few technical aspects of his game to clean up, but his physical traits and makeup should allow him to start right away at either center or guard without being dependent on scheme while providing Pro Bowl potential within his first contract.”
C Zach Frazier, West Virginia
The Steelers do not have a natural center currently on their 2024 roster. Therefore, it would be very prudent of Khan to grab a center on Day 2 capable of starting right away.
With that in mind, Frazier is another potential target.
“Frazier is an experienced center-only prospect with adequate size, solid athletic ability and very good play strength that he combines with high-level football intelligence and competitive toughness to run the show pre-snap, lead and find ways to get defenders blocked in a variety of schemes,” Thorn wrote. “He projects as a long-term, dependable starter at the pivot.”
But to land either Powers-Johnson or Frazier, the Steelers may need to trade up in the second round. The consensus draft rankings from Pro Football Focus and Bleacher Report have both centers ranked among the top 30 prospects in the class.
It’s possible Powers-Johnson and Frazier will both be early second-round picks. If that’s the case and the Steelers don’t trade up for one of them, they may have to settle for Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran later in the draft.
WR Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
Like center, the Steelers will enter Day 2 of the draft with a significant need at wide receiver. George Pickens is the only wideout currently on Pittsburgh’s roster who had more than 210 receiving yards last season.
So, if the best center options are gone, the Steelers could easily turn to receiver in the second round. The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly projected the Steelers to target Corley in his mock draft on April 22.
“The Steelers brought in six receivers for pre-draft visits, and they were all in the second-round projection range,” Kaboly wrote. “Considering how deep this draft is at receiver, the Steelers’ hot spot of selecting wideouts on Day 2 and their obvious need at the position, Corley would fit well
Fiske, who the Steelers showcased a lot of interest in during the draft process, is an intriguing potential choice.
“Fiske will be criticized for his lack of length and 31-inch arms, which don’t seem to fit what the team traditionally looks for,” Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora wrote. “But his production is there, with nine tackles for loss and six sacks a year ago.”
If he continues to fall, Illinois defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton, who was a potential first-round pick heading into the draft, is another possible target for the Steelers.
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