The Pittsburgh Steelers like to take guys from the Senior Bowl. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but they have drafted Najee Harris, Kenny Pickett, Keeanu Benton, and others from the event in past years. So, it would not be a surprise when a mock draft pops up and has them taking two Senior Bowl guys in the first two rounds.
Trevor Sikkema did a two-round mock draft following the Super Bowl, and he has the Steelers landing Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and West Virginia center Zach Frazier in the first two rounds.
Mitchell is impressive. In his first day at the Senior Bowl, the only way to describe his level of play was impressive. Wow, did this kid put on a show. He walked up in press coverage and played in off-man. He has both the speed to keep up with receivers down the field, but the length at the line of scrimmage to snuff them out. And he’s fluid in his transitions and turns to keep up with receivers. This was a statement day for him.
Given Mitchell’s measurements and physical attributes they fit the ideal Steelers cornerback quite well. I would keep an eye out for them. If there is one thing this team wants, it is guys with length and press coverage ability. Mitchell has those in spades despite being under 200 pounds. In fact, his frame is not too different from Joey Porter Jr.’s, though Porter had special length that stands out.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler even says Frazier is viewed as the top center in the draft for several teams. Brugler released that information after first expressing how impressed he is with Frazier’s recovery from breaking his leg in West Virginia’s last game of the regular season.
And Frazier to the Steelers is more than just a projection. Reports suggest the Steelers have serious interest in Frazier and plan to target him in the early rounds of the draft. But with his stock rising, will Frazier make it all the way to No. 52? That will be a question to monitor between now and the 2024 NFL Draft.