CBS Sports Mock Draft has Steelers Taking DE Carlos Basham Jr.

CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson has released his latest 2021 NFL mock draft, and has the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting a pass rusher in the first round.

With the No. 24-overall pick, Wilson is projecting the Steelers to draft Wake Forest pass rusher Carlos Basham Jr.

“Basham is a physical freak who reinforced the notion during Senior Bowl week,” Wilson writes. “Consistency will be the key to his success, but he has all the physical tools to dominate.”

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, “physical freak” is certainly an apt description of Basham. Basham recorded 19.5 sacks, 35.5 tackles-for-loss and seven forced fumbles over his career with the Demon Deacons.

He especially shined in 2019, when Basham tallied ten sacks, 18 tackles-for-loss and three forced fumbles. He earned First-Team All-ACC honors for his performance. Steelers Now caught up with Basham at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

While Basham was a productive edge rusher at Wake Forest, many draft analysts project him as a 4-3 defensive end. The Steelers run a 3-4, where Basham would figure to slot behind T.J. Watt and would seem to duplicate the role of 2020 third-round draft pick Alex Highsmith.

The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, April 29 in Cleveland.