The Steelers are not shy about revealing their hand leading up to the NFL draft. If they are interested in a player, we will know. Last April, the Steelers drafted multiple players on their pre-draft visit list, including OT Troy Fautanu, OG Mason McCormick, C Zach Frazier, DL Logan Lee, and ILB Payton Wilson. Heck, they even signed Beanie Bishop as an undrafted free agent.

In 2023, their first four selections, OT Broderick Jones, CB Joey Porter Jr., DL Keeanu Benton, AND TE Darnell Washington all visited the Steel City.

I think you probably catch my drift.

I wanted to dive into where each of the reported top 30 pre-draft visitors should be chosen based on the consensus and my evaluation of the player. These are names you need to get familiar with!

Round 1

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

The main takeaway for me here is that the majority of these players are considered mid-to-late first-round picks — which signals a trade up is unlikely. I know Sanders is the wild card, but he appears to be rapidly falling down boards, leading me to believe he could fall past the first ten spots.

In a recent podcast, Todd McShay, draft expert for The Ringer, had Jaxson Dart as the second quarterback off the board ahead of Sanders. He expected that new Saints HC Kellen Moore would prefer a more agile player. “He is used to the bigger, mobile, stronger-armed quarterback, and those are three qualities that Jaxson Dart has,” said McShay.

Given the team’s depth at outside linebacker, Stewart is a strange visit to quality. However, T.J. Watt’s cryptic post could signal trouble in paradise.

I’m also surprised the Steelers have only brought in one defensive lineman (for now). I’d identify the position as their biggest need and anticipate Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen or Michigan DT Kenneth Grant could be jumping on a plane to the Burgh’ soon.

Round 2

This is intriguing because the Steelers don’t have a second-round pick – which was traded in the D.K. Metcalf deal. Obviously, they will do their research on just about every player, given that there are no certainties in the draft, so this shouldn’t be something that makes you jump out of your seat. However, a potential trade of WR George Pickens could net them a second-rounder.

I am not a huge fan of Shough. He’ll be 26 when the season starts, and didn’t enter the NFL prospect radar until his senior season at Louisville.

The running backs in this grouping should have everyone salivating. Unfortunately, I can’t see them falling to late Round 3.

In a recent mock draft, ESPN draft expert Jordan Reid projected Johnson to head to the Commanders:

61. Washington Commanders: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

As seen with the acquisitions of cornerback Marshon Lattimore and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr., the Commanders are going all-in while quarterback Jayden Daniels is still on his rookie deal. A young running back is an underrated need, and Johnson would fit perfectly into Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. His one-cut-and-accelerate style, combined with pass-catching upside, would help him thrive in Washington’s scheme. – Reid, ESPN

Both corners on this list would provide great value if they dropped to round three, but I don’t see it happening.

Round 3

I’m fully on board with the Steelers drafting a running back in Round 3. Giddens, Tuten, and Blue have one thing in common, and that’s home run speed. The Steelers haven’t had this kind of big-play threat since… Willie Parker?

Former Steelers and now Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris’ longest run in his four-year career is just 37 yards. You read that correctly. While Jaylen Warren and newly inked Kenneth Gainwell do provide a jolt in the backfield and receiving game, they don’t have the breakaway speed that the aforementioned backs do. This is the sweet spot for them.

Round 4 or later

Kyle McCord, QB Syracuse
RJ Harvey, RB, UCF
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
J.J. Pegues, DT, Ole Miss
Elijah Roberts, EDGE/DT, SMU
Yahya Black, DT, Iowa
Josh Farmer, DT, Florida State

These can certainly be up for a heated debate. McCord could go in round three, but the depth at mid-tier quarterback will push him further down the board. I also think he’s a fringe backup in the league. I could say the same about these running backs; they could be third-round picks, but this class is so strong.

Pegues is an incredibly fun player – as he lined up at fullback for the Runnin Rebels on short-yardage downs! The Steelers could use a bulldog, given their challenges to get a yard in many scenarios last season. Clearly, the team is interested in defensive tackles – but if they want until Round 4 to nab one, that’s not soon enough in my opinion.

What are your thoughts on these predictions? Let us know in the comments section below!