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\u2019t fully reflect what I expect \u2014 or want \u2014 to happen. Next week\u2019s mock will serve as my official prediction of how I\u2019d attack the draft.<\/p>\n
With that in mind, welcome to Mock Draft Monday, version 13.0.<\/p>\n
Round 1 (21st Overall): Kadyn Proctor\/IOL\/Alabama<\/p>\n
Expected Role:\u00a0Year 1 Starter<\/p>\n
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\u2019s highly likely their first selection addresses one of those needs, though there\u2019s still a plausible path where they go in a different direction. Given Broderick Jones\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
Proctor is a physical anomaly with a devastating blend of size and strength. At 6\u20197\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Early in his career, he struggled to stop his feet on contact and would lunge at matchups. While that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
That move would also maximize his best trait: run blocking. He\u2019s a true road grader with a \u201cglass-eater\u201d mentality. Surprisingly nimble for his size, he fires out of his stance quickly and excels on down blocks.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Others Considered:\u00a0Caleb Banks\/IDL\/Florida, Kayden McDonald\/IDL\/Ohio State, Jordyn Tyson\/WR\/Arizona State, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren\/S\/Toledo<\/p>\n
Kadyn Proctor Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 2 (53rd Overall):\u00a0Germie Bernard\/WR\/Alabama<\/p>\n Expected Role: Year 1 Starter<\/p>\n 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\u2019s rare for the focal point of an offense\u2014especially at Alabama\u2014to be this undervalued. Yet Bernard has flown under the radar for much of the pre-draft process despite having few glaring weaknesses. He\u2019s not a burner, but he has more than enough speed to create chunk plays.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While his arm length\u2014just over 30 inches\u2014is less than ideal for an NFL receiver, it doesn\u2019t show up as a functional weakness. He rarely suffers from focus drops and is excellent in traffic.<\/p>\n Most importantly, he fully embodies the Steelers\u2019 mentality for run-blocking receivers. He\u2019s highly willing, physical, and clearly takes pride in bullying defensive backs.<\/p>\n Despite doing a bit of everything for the Crimson Tide, Bernard\u2019s name doesn\u2019t often appear among the top receivers in this class. He\u2019s one of my personal favorites, and his play style would immediately resonate with the fanbase.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Anthony Hill Jr.\/LB\/Texas, Lee Hunter\/IDL\/Texas Tech, Eli Stowers\/TE\/Vanderbilt, Christen Miller\/IDL\/Georgia<\/p>\n Germie Bernard Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 3 (76th Overall): Domonique Orange\/IDL\/Iowa State<\/p>\n Expected Role: Rotational Depth\/Future Starter\/0-tech<\/p>\n Analysis: The Steelers are still searching for a long-term answer at nose tackle. After experimenting with Keeanu Benton in the middle, it\u2019s clear the defense needs an old-school run stuffer to anchor the interior. Orange, nicknamed \u201cBig Citrus,\u201d brings that profile as a massive interior presence with the length and heavy hands to control the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re 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\u2019ll still provide a reliable, immovable wall on the interior.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Kyle Louis\/LB\/Pittsburgh, Caleb Tiernan\/OT\/Northwestern, Treydan Stukes\/S\/Arizona, Ted Hurst\/WR\/Georgia State<\/p>\n Domonique Orange Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 3 (85th Overall): Kamari Ramsey\/S\/USC<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Rotational Depth\/Future Starter<\/p>\n Analysis: The signing of Jaquan Brisker removes the urgency to attack safety early\u2014unless a true playmaker falls into their lap. In this scenario, Ramsey profiles as the quintessential modern chess piece on the back end. He\u2019s a very fluid athlete with legitimate deep-third range.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n In run support, he plays with an alpha mentality. He\u2019s eager to make his presence felt and delivers real thump on contact. There is a bad habit that needs cleaning up\u2014dropping his eyes in search of the knockout blow\u2014but if he can rein in some of that over-aggression, he has true tone-setting potential.<\/p>\n Ramsey wouldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Garrett Nussmeier\/QB\/LSU, Jaishawn Barham\/LB\/Michigan, Darrell Jackson Jr.\/IDL\/Florida State, Bryce Lance\/WR\/NDSU<\/p>\n Kamari Ramsey Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 3 (99th Overall): Chandler Rivers\/CB\/Duke<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Rotational Depth\/Future Starter<\/p>\n Analysis:<\/p>\n 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\u2014he has boundary experience but projects even better in the slot at the next level.<\/p>\n Rivers\u2019 r\u00e9sum\u00e9 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\u2019s also highly disciplined on the back end, drawing only four penalties over the past three seasons.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n At 5\u20199\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Deion Burks\/WR\/Oklahoma, Devin Moore\/CB\/Florida, Kaleb Proctor\/IDL\/Southeastern Louisiana, Julian Neal\/CB\/Arkansas<\/p>\n Chandler Rivers Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 4 (121st Overall): Markel Bell\/OT\/Miami (FL)<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Depth\/Possible Future Starter<\/p>\n Analysis: Broderick Jones showing up for voluntary workouts is an encouraging sign for his health. But given that he still hasn\u2019t 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 \u201cThe Human Skyscraper,\u201d he\u2019s shown steady improvement every season in college.<\/p>\n Bell\u2019s effectiveness in pass protection starts with his enormous frame. His sheer size inherently makes an edge rusher\u2019s job more difficult\u2014it 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s surprisingly smooth climbing to the second level and working in space.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Ja\u2019Kobi Lane\/WR\/USC, Cole Payton\/QB\/NDSU, Brian Parker II\/OT\/Duke, Jude Bowry\/OT\/Boston College<\/p>\n Markel Bell Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 4 (135th Overall): Kaleb Elarms-Orr\/LB\/TCU<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Rotational Depth\/Future Starter\/Special Teams Contributor<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n When he gets into a rhythm, he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n In coverage, he flashes real upside. He\u2019s disciplined with his eyes and shows strong spatial awareness in zone, maintaining good landmarks and depth. However, his change of direction doesn\u2019t quite match his straight-line speed, which can cause issues when asked to mirror more fluid receiving threats in man coverage.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Harold Perkins\/LB\/LSU, Tacario Davis\/CB\/Washington, VJ Payne\/S\/Kansas State, Anthony Lucas\/EDGE\/USC<\/p>\n Kaleb Elarms-Orr Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 5 (161st Overall): Jeff Caldwell\/WR\/Cincinnati<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Depth\/Developmental Prospect<\/p>\n 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\u2019s a pure specimen: standing over 6\u20195\u2033 and running a 4.31 in the 40 is otherworldly.<\/p>\n From a technical standpoint, though, he\u2019s raw and needs refinement. Despite his explosiveness, he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Where he isn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Josh Cameron\/WR\/Baylor, Jadon Canady\/CB\/Oregon, TJ Hall\/CB\/Iowa, Caden Curry\/EDGE\/Ohio State<\/p>\n Jeff Caldwell Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 6 (216th Overall): Jordan van den Berg\/IDL\/Georgia Tech<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Rotational Depth\/Developmental Prospect<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Where he needs the most growth is as a pass rusher. Van den Berg is a freakish athlete, but he doesn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Kaden Wetjen\/WR\/Iowa, Mason Reiger\/EDGE\/Wisconsin, Bishop Fitzgerald\/S\/USC, Lander Barton\/LB\/Utah<\/p>\n Jordan van den Berg Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 7 (224th Overall): Jack Strand\/QB\/MSU-Moorhead<\/p>\n Expected Role: Backup\/Developmental Prospect<\/p>\n Analysis: The popular buzz phrase lately has been \u201cAFC North quarterback,\u201d and the Steelers have openly said that\u2019s what they\u2019re hunting. Jack Strand fits that bill. He brings prototypical size at nearly 6\u20194\u201d 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s rhythm.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Every quarterback pick is a swing for the fences, and there\u2019s 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\u2019t matter where you came from.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Devon Marshall\/CB\/NC State, Tanner Koziol\/TE\/Houston, Caleb Douglas\/WR\/Texas Tech, Eric Gentry\/LB\/USC<\/p>\n Jack Strand Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 7 (230th Overall): Eli Heidenreich\/RB\/Navy<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Sub-package Contributor\/Return Specialist<\/p>\n Analysis: The past couple of mocks have had me flipping between Wetjen and Heidenreich. I\u2019m 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\u2019s receiving records with 1,994 career yards and 16 touchdowns, his NFL future clearly lies in a designed-touch role.<\/p>\n Heidenreich operated in a unique \u201csnipe\u201d role in Navy\u2019s offense. On schemed touches, he showed natural vision on inside-zone concepts and perimeter runs. His toughness as a runner stands out\u2014he 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n He doesn\u2019t have the same return r\u00e9sum\u00e9 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\u2019s on special teams, in a gadget role on offense, or both, he\u2019s the type of weapon who will find ways to make an impact.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Vincent Anthony Jr.\/EDGE\/Duke, Josh Cuevas\/TE\/Alabama, Brandon Cleveland\/IDL\/NC State, Cole Wisniewski\/S\/Texas Tech<\/p>\n Eli Heidenreich Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Round 7 (237th Overall): Riley Nowakowski\/TE\/Indiana<\/p>\n Expected Role:\u00a0Sub-package contributor\/H-Back\/Special Teams Contributor<\/p>\n Analysis: Even if tight end isn\u2019t a pressing need, the Steelers should still look to add to the room in this draft. With Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward gone, they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n The most appealing part of his profile is his blocking. Nowakowski embraces the physical side of the game, whether he\u2019s aligned at fullback or in-line. On the move, he shows strong spatial awareness and consistently finds and fits on his assignments.<\/p>\n As a route runner, he\u2019s 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\u2019s a better receiver than advertised and shows a solid feel for settling into soft areas of coverage.<\/p>\n This pick wouldn\u2019t be a game-changer\u2014rare for a final selection\u2014but Nowakowski would bring a no-nonsense mindset to the tight end room. His receiving is serviceable, yet it\u2019s his blocking that would give the Steelers real value in their package and short-yardage looks.<\/p>\n Others Considered:\u00a0Collin Wright\/CB\/Stanford, Malik Benson\/WR\/Oregon, Dae\u2019Quan Wright\/TE\/Ole Miss, Toriano Pride\/CB\/Missouri<\/p>\n Riley Nowakowski Scouting Report<\/a><\/p>\n Previous Steelers Mock Draft Mondays<\/p>\n January 19<\/a>
January 26<\/a>
February 2<\/a>
February 9<\/a>
February 16<\/a>
February 23<\/a>
March 2<\/a>
March 9<\/a>
March 16<\/a>
March 23<\/a>
March 30<\/a>
April 6<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The draft is fast approaching and the anticipation is building. With only a couple more of these mock…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":164427,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[31803,73,75,74,1833,995,7666],"class_list":{"0":"post-164426","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh","8":"tag-2026-nfl-draft","9":"tag-pittsburgh","10":"tag-pittsburgh-headlines","11":"tag-pittsburgh-news","12":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","13":"tag-trending","14":"tag-weekly"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164426"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164426\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164426"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164426"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}