Steelers Land Explosive WR in New Mock Draft

As more things spiral downward and out of control, the NFL Draft and offseason begin to come into view for the Steelers. Most people are even in focusing on what can be fixed and how they must attack this offseason, and the mock draft season is only heating up.

A new mock draft from A.J. Schulte of Pro Football Network has the Steelers taking explosive LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That could be an exciting pick, for several reasons, as Schulte outlines:

“The Steelers offense is a mixed bag of “Who Knows?” right now with most of the talent on that side of the ball. So many players have their futures up in the air, especially in their wide receiver room. Allen Robinson will likely be cut with an $11M cap hit next year, and Diontae Johnson could join him since he has no more guaranteed money left on his deal. Brian Thomas Jr. is a height/weight/speed freak at 6’4″, 205 pounds and possessing blazing explosiveness. His combination of athleticism and rare drops would be a welcome boost to this Steelers offense,” Schulte wrote.

Thomas is a freak athlete who can make plays above the rim. He is an entirely different player than Johnson, which raises some questions about the pick, but there is no doubt that Thomas has the requisite tools to appeal to the Steelers. His height, weight, and speed combination allows him to win on the outside and vertically, but more than anything, he is a guy who gives 100 percent on every play. Even though the profile reads like George Pickens, he is different than him, too. Thomas has some Tee Higgins traits in his game.

The team won’t be moving off Johnson this year, and Thomas would add another dimension of speed they do not have. But for being an athlete, he is not some raw player that must be molded right out of the gate. Thomas is good enough to make some serious noise early in his career.