Steelers Draft Digest: Pittsburgh Lands New OT, Ike Taylor Praises Prospects

The Steelers draft could be centered around a new offensive tackle, and Ike Taylor is praising plenty of Senior Bowl prospects.

: In a new mock draft conducted by Ryan Wilson of CBS, he has the Steelers drafting Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison. An underclassman, Harrison is a new name to be thrown into the ring of players that the Steelers could draft at 17th overall, but Wilson gives his reasoning for it.

“There was some thought that Harrison might return to Oklahoma for an NIL deal that was too good to pass up but he’s instead opted for the NFL,” Wilson said. “He’s one of the top tackles in the class and now the question is whether he finds his way into Round 1 or goes early on Day 2.”

Harrison is in the second wave of tackles, but arguably could be the top guy in that group. His athleticism and youth will stand out as a guy who could be a potential cornerstone on the offensive line if he develops.

: In an interview with WPXI’s Jenna Harner, Steelers team president Art Rooney II theorized that the Steelers could possibly draft a defense-focused group of players. With the depth at the spots they need, that could be possible. Plus, Pittsburgh has focused on building their offense up so much recently, that it certainly seems like a defensive-focused group could be in the cards.

: On the Bleav in Steelers podcast, Ike Taylor discussed a number of impressive players that caught his eye while he was down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. Taylor paid close attention to all of the players on the defensive side of the football when seeing who would standout.

To him, Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson and Kansas State CB Julius Brents stood out in a big way. Then, he moved to the second level, where Jackson State LB Aubrey Miller and Cincinnati LB Ivan Pace Jr. popped in a big way for Taylor. Lastly, he thought Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton was unstoppable all week. Those are just some of the winners he had down, but it is key to note it appears many of those guys would align with what the Steelers would like at those spots.

: Standing out at the Senior Bowl, Stanford CB Kyu Blu Kelly is aiming to follow in his father’s footsteps. He even played for Mike Tomlin while Tomlin was in Tampa Bay. Could that end up with Kelly being a Steeler in April? It’s possible, especially after a strong week in Mobile, so it can not be ruled out as a decent possibility.

: PFF did a mock draft using their simulator to fill each team’s biggest need. They view the Steelers’ biggest need as CB, and they select Joey Porter Jr. to fill that void.

“Steelers, and Pittsburgh is developing a reputation for targeting local high-level prospects — including Kenny Pickett and Pat Freiermuth in recent years. Porter lands with the Steelers at No. 17,” they wrote.

This is a popular mock pick for a reason. The Steelers do love NFL bloodlines, and Porter has the correct profile for the type of cornerback that the Steelers need.