NFL.com Projecting Michigan OT Jalen Mayfield to Steelers in Latest Mock Draft

Cale Berger |

Mar 31, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - OCTOBER 19: Michigan RB Zach Charbonnet (24) celebrates with Michigan T Jalen Mayfield (73) after scoring a touchdown during the Michigan Wolverines vs. the Penn State Nittany Lions on October 19, 2019 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA. (Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire)

NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund has released her latest mock draft, and is projecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to select Michigan offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield in the first round.

Mayfield (6-foot-5, 320 pounds) has the physical tools to be an excellent offensive tackle at the NFL level, but his experience is limited. He entered the draft following his redshirt sophomore season having started just 15 games over his career in Ann Arbor.

He was named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2019, where he largely held his own against a punishing slew of pass rushers that included Ohio State’s Chase Young and Penn State’s Yetur Gross-Matos.

Offensive line help is certainly a point of emphasis for the Steelers, who finished dead last in the NFL in rushing a season ago. With starting left tackle Alejandro Villanueva unlikely to return, Pittsburgh requires tackle help specifically. In a deep class of tackles, Mayfield could be Pittsburgh’s answer moving forward.

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