The draft is fast approaching and the anticipation is building. With only a couple more of these mock drafts left before the real thing kicks off April 23, this will be the final edition that doesn’t fully reflect what I expect — or want — to happen. Next week’s mock will serve as my official prediction of how I’d attack the draft.
With that in mind, welcome to Mock Draft Monday, version 13.0.
Round 1 (21st Overall): Kadyn Proctor/IOL/Alabama
Expected Role: Year 1 Starter
Analysis: Despite the additions of Brock Hoffman and Michael Pittman, the biggest remaining question marks on the roster are the left side of the offensive line and the WR3 spot. It’s highly likely their first selection addresses one of those needs, though there’s still a plausible path where they go in a different direction. Given Broderick Jones’ presence, Proctor would give the team valuable flexibility, with the ability to start at tackle or kick inside to his more natural long-term projection at guard.
Proctor is a physical anomaly with a devastating blend of size and strength. At 6’7” and 362 pounds, his sheer frame makes life difficult for defensive linemen. He works out of a naturally wide base in pass protection, making it hard for rushers to run the hoop around him. If he keeps his feet underneath him, the rep is already tilted heavily in his favor.
Early in his career, he struggled to stop his feet on contact and would lunge at matchups. While that’s improved, he can still be prone to over-setting vertically, opening the door for inside counters. Sliding him inside to guard would help minimize those issues.
That move would also maximize his best trait: run blocking. He’s a true road grader with a “glass-eater” mentality. Surprisingly nimble for his size, he fires out of his stance quickly and excels on down blocks.
While many fans will clamor for the flashier pick after three straight years of investing in the trenches, games are still won and lost up front. With his rare physical tools and the right coaching, Proctor has legitimate Pro Bowl upside.
Others Considered: Caleb Banks/IDL/Florida, Kayden McDonald/IDL/Ohio State, Jordyn Tyson/WR/Arizona State, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren/S/Toledo
Round 2 (53rd Overall): Germie Bernard/WR/Alabama
Expected Role: Year 1 Starter
Analysis: Despite the massive addition of Pittman to the receiving corps, the offense still lacks an interior presence who can truly control the middle of the field. It’s rare for the focal point of an offense—especially at Alabama—to be this undervalued. Yet Bernard has flown under the radar for much of the pre-draft process despite having few glaring weaknesses. He’s not a burner, but he has more than enough speed to create chunk plays.
Bernard wins with methodical route running rather than sudden twitch. He moves with a smooth, instinctual gait and understands how to manipulate tempo and leverage to separate. Despite being high-cut, he sinks his hips well and rarely wastes movement at the top of his routes. Alabama tasked him with a full route tree, and he executed it at a high level.
While his arm length—just over 30 inches—is less than ideal for an NFL receiver, it doesn’t show up as a functional weakness. He rarely suffers from focus drops and is excellent in traffic.
Most importantly, he fully embodies the Steelers’ mentality for run-blocking receivers. He’s highly willing, physical, and clearly takes pride in bullying defensive backs.
Despite doing a bit of everything for the Crimson Tide, Bernard’s name doesn’t often appear among the top receivers in this class. He’s one of my personal favorites, and his play style would immediately resonate with the fanbase.
Others Considered: Anthony Hill Jr./LB/Texas, Lee Hunter/IDL/Texas Tech, Eli Stowers/TE/Vanderbilt, Christen Miller/IDL/Georgia
Germie Bernard Scouting Report
Round 3 (76th Overall): Domonique Orange/IDL/Iowa State
Expected Role: Rotational Depth/Future Starter/0-tech
Analysis: The Steelers are still searching for a long-term answer at nose tackle. After experimenting with Keeanu Benton in the middle, it’s clear the defense needs an old-school run stuffer to anchor the interior. Orange, nicknamed “Big Citrus,” brings that profile as a massive interior presence with the length and heavy hands to control the line of scrimmage.
He makes his living as a heavy-handed, gap-plugging run defender. With a powerful lower half and 33-inch arms, he consistently strikes blockers hard and early. For a 322-pounder, he’s surprisingly quick off the ball. That blend of quickness and strength allows him to absorb and wall off double teams, freeing up his teammates to flow and finish plays.
His pass rush, however, will be limited early in his career. Across 50 college games, he produced just one sack and leans too heavily on pure power to collapse the pocket. When his initial surge stalls, he lacks the counters and hand usage to disengage and generate consistent pressure.
If you’re looking for an old-fashioned mauler who can be a long-term two-gapper in the middle, Orange fits the bill. While his pass-rush repertoire develops, he’ll still provide a reliable, immovable wall on the interior.
Others Considered: Kyle Louis/LB/Pittsburgh, Caleb Tiernan/OT/Northwestern, Treydan Stukes/S/Arizona, Ted Hurst/WR/Georgia State
Domonique Orange Scouting Report
Round 3 (85th Overall): Kamari Ramsey/S/USC
Expected Role: Rotational Depth/Future Starter
Analysis: The signing of Jaquan Brisker removes the urgency to attack safety early—unless a true playmaker falls into their lap. In this scenario, Ramsey profiles as the quintessential modern chess piece on the back end. He’s a very fluid athlete with legitimate deep-third range.
Across his time at UCLA and USC, Ramsey has lined up all over the secondary. He transitioned from a deep safety role with the Bruins to a more box-centric assignment with the Trojans. No matter where he’s deployed, he shows an effortless ability to flip out of his backpedal and carry vertical threats without losing speed. His backpedal is pristine, and he consistently maintains strong leverage against deep routes.
In run support, he plays with an alpha mentality. He’s eager to make his presence felt and delivers real thump on contact. There is a bad habit that needs cleaning up—dropping his eyes in search of the knockout blow—but if he can rein in some of that over-aggression, he has true tone-setting potential.
Ramsey wouldn’t need to start right away. His versatility should still get him on the field early in sub-packages, and over time I expect him to grow into a reliable long-term contributor on the back end.
Others Considered: Garrett Nussmeier/QB/LSU, Jaishawn Barham/LB/Michigan, Darrell Jackson Jr./IDL/Florida State, Bryce Lance/WR/NDSU
Round 3 (99th Overall): Chandler Rivers/CB/Duke
Expected Role: Rotational Depth/Future Starter
Analysis:
The Steelers made strong additions and key retentions in their cornerback room this offseason. While that eases the immediate urgency to address the position, they still need to secure long-term talent. Rivers fits that mold perfectly—he has boundary experience but projects even better in the slot at the next level.
Rivers’ résumé stacks up with the best in the class, logging more than 3,100 snaps for the Blue Devils. He shows an advanced understanding of coverage spacing and leverage. His hips are fluid and his footwork is sharp, allowing him to mirror receivers in man coverage and stay glued to their hips. He’s also highly disciplined on the back end, drawing only four penalties over the past three seasons.
Despite checking in at just 185 pounds, Rivers is an effective tackler. Though his missed-tackle rate spiked this past season, he still flashes an impressive trigger downhill and a genuinely aggressive temperament. His timing when shooting gaps is outstanding, making him a dangerous blitz option from the nickel.
At 5’9”, he plays well above his weight class. Rivers would be an excellent developmental piece with the skill set to thrive as a full-time slot corner.
Others Considered: Deion Burks/WR/Oklahoma, Devin Moore/CB/Florida, Kaleb Proctor/IDL/Southeastern Louisiana, Julian Neal/CB/Arkansas
Chandler Rivers Scouting Report
Round 4 (121st Overall): Markel Bell/OT/Miami (FL)
Expected Role: Depth/Possible Future Starter
Analysis: Broderick Jones showing up for voluntary workouts is an encouraging sign for his health. But given that he still hasn’t fully put it together through his first three seasons, the team should still look for a developmental tackle as a contingency plan. Bell is a massive human being. Nicknamed “The Human Skyscraper,” he’s shown steady improvement every season in college.
Bell’s effectiveness in pass protection starts with his enormous frame. His sheer size inherently makes an edge rusher’s job more difficult—it simply takes longer to work the arc and get around him than it does against a more prototypical tackle. However, he struggles to consistently sink his hips, which can create issues against rushers who convert speed to power.
In the run game, his impact is again defined by his size. He effortlessly engulfs defenders and can physically overwhelm the point of attack. For such a towering tackle, he’s surprisingly smooth climbing to the second level and working in space.
There are encouraging signs with Jones, but it never hurts to add another developmental piece who can grow into a starter if his inconsistency continues. Bell offers that kind of long-term upside at tackle.
Others Considered: Ja’Kobi Lane/WR/USC, Cole Payton/QB/NDSU, Brian Parker II/OT/Duke, Jude Bowry/OT/Boston College
Round 4 (135th Overall): Kaleb Elarms-Orr/LB/TCU
Expected Role: Rotational Depth/Future Starter/Special Teams Contributor
Analysis: In this version of the mock, the Steelers address other spots earlier, but make no mistake: linebacker remains one of the most pressing needs on the roster. Whether the Patrick Queen trade rumors have legs or not, the group has simply failed to deliver consistent play. Elarms-Orr is a highly productive linebacker who backed up his tape with splashy testing numbers at the Combine, posting a 4.47 40-yard dash and a 1.59 10-yard split.
When he gets into a rhythm, he’s a disruptive force against the run. His mindset is to attack downhill, aggressively and violently. He has elite straight-line burst and triggers with impressive acceleration. At times, though, he can be a step late diagnosing and then try to make up for it by overplaying downhill, which opens up cutback lanes and exposes the second level.
In coverage, he flashes real upside. He’s disciplined with his eyes and shows strong spatial awareness in zone, maintaining good landmarks and depth. However, his change of direction doesn’t quite match his straight-line speed, which can cause issues when asked to mirror more fluid receiving threats in man coverage.
If the goal is to inject talent and juice into the linebacker room, a productive, high-end athlete like Elarms-Orr is an ideal target. As his processing speeds up with reps and coaching, he should be able to tap into his athletic profile and become a much more consistent playmaker.
Others Considered: Harold Perkins/LB/LSU, Tacario Davis/CB/Washington, VJ Payne/S/Kansas State, Anthony Lucas/EDGE/USC
Kaleb Elarms-Orr Scouting Report
Round 5 (161st Overall): Jeff Caldwell/WR/Cincinnati
Expected Role: Depth/Developmental Prospect
Analysis: Adding Bernard to the receiver room solidified the top three on the depth chart, but the group still lacks both depth and true developmental upside. There may not be a more intriguing swing-for-the-fences prospect in this class than Jeff Caldwell. As an athlete, he’s a pure specimen: standing over 6’5″ and running a 4.31 in the 40 is otherworldly.
From a technical standpoint, though, he’s raw and needs refinement. Despite his explosiveness, he’s operated almost exclusively as a vertical threat, and Cincinnati rarely asked him to run a diverse route tree. He tends to round off his breaks and currently struggles to consistently separate against tight man coverage.
Where he isn’t raw is at the catch point. Paired with his size and athleticism, Caldwell is always a threat to win in the air with his strong, reliable hands. He often plays like a rebounding forward, boxing out smaller defenders and high-pointing the football. For all his developmental needs, tracking and finishing the catch is not one of them.
Caldwell is unlikely to see heavy snaps as a rookie while his route running and nuance come along, but his rare measurables alone give him the potential to provide a spark and eventually grow into a true mismatch weapon.
Others Considered: Josh Cameron/WR/Baylor, Jadon Canady/CB/Oregon, TJ Hall/CB/Iowa, Caden Curry/EDGE/Ohio State
Round 6 (216th Overall): Jordan van den Berg/IDL/Georgia Tech
Expected Role: Rotational Depth/Developmental Prospect
Analysis: Cam Heyward may be back for another season, but until the Steelers legend decides to hang up his cleats, they should be actively searching for his eventual successor. Van den Berg is unlikely to step directly into that role, but his blend of athleticism and production gives him a high floor with starter upside.
He’s an absolute menace against the run, playing with a relentless, street-fight mentality that consistently shows up on tape. He pairs impressive lower-body fluidity with lateral quickness, thriving more as a penetrator than a true two-gapper. Firing off the snap with excellent short-area agility is the foundation of his game.
Where he needs the most growth is as a pass rusher. Van den Berg is a freakish athlete, but he doesn’t always translate that into a detailed rush plan. His hand usage is underdeveloped, and he lacks a polished toolbox of counters when his initial move is stalled.
Van den Berg is as explosive as they come on the interior. Once he learns how to fully weaponize that athleticism in his pass-rush repertoire, he has the traits to become a highly productive every-down defensive lineman.
Others Considered: Kaden Wetjen/WR/Iowa, Mason Reiger/EDGE/Wisconsin, Bishop Fitzgerald/S/USC, Lander Barton/LB/Utah
Jordan van den Berg Scouting Report
Round 7 (224th Overall): Jack Strand/QB/MSU-Moorhead
Expected Role: Backup/Developmental Prospect
Analysis: The popular buzz phrase lately has been “AFC North quarterback,” and the Steelers have openly said that’s what they’re hunting. Jack Strand fits that bill. He brings prototypical size at nearly 6’4” and 243 pounds with over 32-inch arms, and the Division II standout lit up defenses on a weekly basis, clearly playing above his level of competition.
Unlike many big-framed passers, Strand has a compact, highly efficient throwing motion. His arm is lively, capable of driving the ball into tight windows at all three levels. Operating in a rapid-fire Air Raid system, his quick, whippy release became essential to the offense’s rhythm.
That scheme also helped him grow as a processor. The Air Raid asked Strand to work full-field progressions, and he routinely got through his reads quickly and decisively. The downside is an overreliance on the quick game and a tendency to lock onto his first read and let it rip, trusting the structure of the play a bit too much.
Every quarterback pick is a swing for the fences, and there’s no way to know exactly what Strand can become with NFL coaching. The primary concern is the jump from Division II to the pros, but others have made that leap before. If you can play, it ultimately doesn’t matter where you came from.
Others Considered: Devon Marshall/CB/NC State, Tanner Koziol/TE/Houston, Caleb Douglas/WR/Texas Tech, Eric Gentry/LB/USC
Round 7 (230th Overall): Eli Heidenreich/RB/Navy
Expected Role: Sub-package Contributor/Return Specialist
Analysis: The past couple of mocks have had me flipping between Wetjen and Heidenreich. I’m a firm believer that the Steelers need to take an aggressive swing at upgrading the return game in this draft given the talent available. This time, Heidenreich gets the nod. After shattering Navy’s receiving records with 1,994 career yards and 16 touchdowns, his NFL future clearly lies in a designed-touch role.
Heidenreich operated in a unique “snipe” role in Navy’s offense. On schemed touches, he showed natural vision on inside-zone concepts and perimeter runs. His toughness as a runner stands out—he rarely goes down on first contact and consistently churns out extra yards. His speed is legit, too. He can turn the corner on a defense and simply outrun angles to the end zone.
Where he really separates himself, though, is as a receiver. His footwork on in-breaking routes is outstanding, and he can effortlessly separate from linebackers. He’s a natural hands catcher who tracks the ball beautifully in the air and shows the flexibility to adjust to off-target throws, making life easier on his quarterback.
He doesn’t have the same return résumé as Wetjen, but Heidenreich is one of those players you just need to get the ball to. His dynamic ability is absolutely worth betting on at some point in the draft. Whether it’s on special teams, in a gadget role on offense, or both, he’s the type of weapon who will find ways to make an impact.
Others Considered: Vincent Anthony Jr./EDGE/Duke, Josh Cuevas/TE/Alabama, Brandon Cleveland/IDL/NC State, Cole Wisniewski/S/Texas Tech
Eli Heidenreich Scouting Report
Round 7 (237th Overall): Riley Nowakowski/TE/Indiana
Expected Role: Sub-package contributor/H-Back/Special Teams Contributor
Analysis: Even if tight end isn’t a pressing need, the Steelers should still look to add to the room in this draft. With Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward gone, they’re thin on depth. Nowakowski has a realistic path to a roster spot after testing better than expected at the Combine with a 4.66 40 and 33-inch vertical.
The most appealing part of his profile is his blocking. Nowakowski embraces the physical side of the game, whether he’s aligned at fullback or in-line. On the move, he shows strong spatial awareness and consistently finds and fits on his assignments.
As a route runner, he’s still developing. At Indiana, he ran a fairly basic, rounded route tree and tends to drift into spots rather than snapping off his breaks, which can telegraph routes to zone defenders. Still, he’s a better receiver than advertised and shows a solid feel for settling into soft areas of coverage.
This pick wouldn’t be a game-changer—rare for a final selection—but Nowakowski would bring a no-nonsense mindset to the tight end room. His receiving is serviceable, yet it’s his blocking that would give the Steelers real value in their package and short-yardage looks.
Others Considered: Collin Wright/CB/Stanford, Malik Benson/WR/Oregon, Dae’Quan Wright/TE/Ole Miss, Toriano Pride/CB/Missouri
Riley Nowakowski Scouting Report
Previous Steelers Mock Draft Mondays
January 19
January 26
February 2
February 9
February 16
February 23
March 2
March 9
March 16
March 23
March 30
April 6