Mock Draft Monday: Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft (April 20th)

It’s finally here. After months of mock drafts and the endless work the Steelers Depot crew has put into compiling scouting reports, it all comes down to this week, with the draft kicking off on Thursday. As I mentioned in my previous mock, this final version reflects how I expect the team to approach the weekend.

Thanks for making these so much fun to put together. I’ve loved reading all the feedback on every edition up to this point. For the final time in this draft cycle—let’s have some fun!

At 6’3” and 201 pounds, he has prototypical size to enforce the back end. He’s an urgent, downhill run defender, not a sit-and-wait safety. He actively inserts himself into the alley and sifts through traffic with confidence.

In Toledo’s defensive scheme, McNeil-Warren primarily operated as a robber. From that alignment, he anticipates throws well and drives on the football with conviction. He doesn’t shy away from contact when receivers enter his area; he delivers it with authority.

The hallmark of his tape is his ability to generate turnovers. He’s mastered the “Peanut Punch,” consistently targeting the football while still securing the tackle. He finished his career with nine forced fumbles.

Many will hope for a receiver or offensive lineman at this spot. But McNeil-Warren is the best player on the board here, and he has the skill set to lead the back end of the defense for the foreseeable future.

Rutledge is a bulldozer in the run game. He brings a rugged, nasty on-field demeanor to the trenches. His game translates to both gap/power and zone schemes. He thrives on displacing defenders with drive and combo blocks, yet he’s also an excellent mover in space.

After allowing zero sacks over his final two college seasons, he’s proven to be a pristine pass protector. His résumé is strong, but he still needs refinement. He carries his hands too low pre-engagement, which allows savvy rushers to land first contact. He can get overly aggressive, leaning into his punches instead of sitting back in his stance.

If he can iron out those small kinks, the Steelers will be set at guard for the foreseeable future—and he can play at a high level right away.

From the slot, Bell operates with exceptional smoothness and intelligence. He understands zone spacing, knows when to throttle down, and consistently finds soft spots in coverage. His movement skills are highly fluid, allowing him to change direction with minimal wasted motion.

Despite standing at 5’11”, his catch radius is outstanding for his size. He boasts 10-inch hands and 31-inch arms, and he’s a natural hands-catcher who plucks the ball away from his frame with confidence. Concentration drops are rare, and he pairs that reliability with the leaping ability to climb the ladder and attack high throws.

Bell may not be the flashy first-round name, but he has the potential to become one of the most productive receivers in this class. If the Steelers decide to wait on a wide receiver, Bell is an ideal target to control the middle of the field.

The peak of his game shows up against the run. He’s an overwhelming trench defender built to do the dirty work. His physical dimensions immediately command double teams and make life easier for his teammates. When he plays with sound technique, he’s an effortless two-gapper who can lock out offensive linemen with his 86-inch wingspan.

He must develop his pass rush the most at the next level. His sack production was modest in college, largely because he leans on a straight-ahead bull rush. While he has the power to collapse the pocket, he must develop a counter move and a deeper arsenal if he wants to become a consistent pass-rush threat.

Jackson has already drawn interest from the Steelers during this draft process. The box score numbers may not be flashy, but his impact is felt on a snap-to-snap basis—and the defense will be better with him in the fold.

He’s primarily a coverage technician. Zone or man, he has played both at a high level on college football’s biggest stage. He uses excellent peripheral vision to feel overlapping routes while keeping his eyes on the quarterback. His movement skills are very fluid, highlighted by a buttery-smooth crossover run that allows him to transition effortlessly.

The primary knock on him is his size at 182 pounds. Against more physical receivers, he can be bullied off his spot and outmuscled at the catch point. To compensate, he can grab at the top of the route stem.

Muhammad is a player I grade as worthy of an early Day Two selection. He’s one of my draft crushes and someone I’d love to see end up in the Steel City.

He looks like he was built in a quarterback laboratory: big, sturdy, with an effortless, fluid release. His arm talent is elite and could realistically be in the conversation as one of the best in the NFL on Day One. He can fire fastballs into tight windows and drive deep outs or in-breakers to the far hash with ease.

All of the questions come once you move beyond his physical gifts. His accuracy and touch are highly erratic, largely because he too often throws with “dead” feet. He doesn’t always step into throws and square his shoulders. When his lower half falls apart, he can make the layups look difficult.

There are plenty of concerns with Allar’s game. What isn’t in question is his raw talent. If Mike McCarthy can unlock that upside, the Steelers will be set at the game’s most important position.

His tape is incredibly violent, showcasing an unrelenting finishing mentality. In the run game, he can effortlessly displace defenders on down blocks and consistently use his massive frame to his advantage. However, that same frame makes it difficult for him to lower his pad level, which can sap some of his power.

Burke’s length dictates his pass-protection abilities. He can erase edge defenders simply by landing his initial punch, but overall, his game is still unrefined. Quicker rushers can turn the corner on him, and he lacks the recovery quickness to fully regain control of the rep once he’s beaten.

Burke needs time and coaching, but his size and length are absolutely worth betting on. He’s not a lumbering giant—he plays violently and with real passion.

Standing over 6’5” with nearly 10-inch hands, Caldwell is a certified athletic freak after posting a 4.31-second 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical. While much of his game is underdeveloped because of his college offense, he flashes natural hands. He tracks the ball beautifully over his shoulder and has the strength to finish through contact.

At Cincinnati, he operated almost exclusively as a vertical threat. His long strides chew up cushions in a hurry, and his presence alone forces defenses to account for help over the top. However, when he’s asked to run a full route tree, the rawness shows. He frequently rounds off his breaks, which makes it tougher for him to create clean separation at the top of routes.

Caldwell is a project, but at this stage of the draft, you’re looking for a prospect with an elite, bankable trait you can deploy while the rest of his game develops. His route running can be coached. His size and speed are elite—and unteachable.

His evaluation begins and ends with his blocking. A former high school defensive end, he brings a defensive mentality to the tight end position. When firing off the ball, he has a true mauler’s mindset. In-line, he shows impressive grip strength and hand placement, allowing him to control the point of attack.

The receiving aspect of his game is highly limited. He’s a stiff mover who labors through his routes, and for a player of his size, he’s knocked off his stem too easily.

If the Steelers decide to draft Kacmarek, it will be with a very specific role in mind. As a blocker, he’d be a fantastic addition to the room.

Leaving Navy as the program’s all-time leader in career receiving yards (1,994) and touchdowns (16), he’s proven to be a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands. He wasn’t asked to run a full route tree in college, operating primarily in a “snipe” role within Navy’s option-heavy scheme. Even so, he’s developed the baseline traits needed to handle more than return duties. His change of direction is top-notch, and he can sink his hips and transition out of breaks with ease.

Once he transitions into a runner, his playmaking comes alive. He doesn’t dance in the open field: Heidenreich is decisive, using his explosive acceleration and contact balance to chew up yardage. He runs behind his pads and fights for every extra inch.

He projects as an immediate contributor on special teams, but his talent shouldn’t be pigeonholed. This is a player worth manufacturing touches for.

He’s an absolute grinder in the trenches. His size brings the density and power needed to hold the point of attack. Double teams rarely faze him—he can drop his weight and give up very little ground. His motor runs incredibly hot, and he routinely chases plays down from the backside.

His size, though, is a double-edged sword. Because of his height, he struggles to consistently keep his pads low, which can stall his pass-rushing momentum. He leans heavily on upper-body power to collapse the pocket and lacks a diverse rush plan.

Thompson’s limited upside as a pass rusher likely caps him as a long-term depth piece. That said, if he can grow into a reliable rotational player, this would be a home run selection.

His background as a former safety shows up against the run. He displays excellent sideline-to-sideline range and closes space quickly. When he triggers downhill, he throws around his 242-pound frame and flashes real power on contact. Because he lacks experience at the second level, he’s a tick slow with his keys right now, but more snaps should speed that up.

Dugger’s natural athleticism pops when covering in space. Coaches rarely assigned him complex man-to-man duties, but his long strides let him cover ground with ease. With more experience, he should fine-tune his route anticipation from a linebacker alignment.

He may not be the flashy name who sees defensive reps early, but he has the kind of traits that make him an intriguing developmental option. Size, speed, and length—he has it all.