The Pittsburgh Steelers went wide receiver, cornerback, quarterback in a new seven-round mock draft by Pro Football Network. In the mock draft by Ian Cummings of PFN, which was released on Saturday, the Steelers got their much-needed wide receiver in the first round in Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, and got replacement for cornerback Donte Jackson in the second round before landing Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round.
Cummings has the Steelers taking Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka at No. 21 overall in the first round. Egbuka has been a popular name linked to the Steelers with that pick, thanks to their extreme need at the wide receiver position.
Egbuka recorded a career-high 81 grabs for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior on Ohio State’s national championship-winning team. He’s drawn comparisons to Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, a two-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro, and displays some of the same talent.
In the second round, the Steelers landed another big cornerback to go alongside Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice, drafted Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter. Porter is 6-foot-2 3/8 — an eighth of an inch shorter than the Steelers’ porter. He seems to fit the mold of the bigger-bodied cornerbacks the Steelers have been prioritizing lately.
Then in the third round, the mock draft had the Steelers making a big splash, taking Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Milroe is not expected to be available that late in the draft. Even with his stock falling after a shaky week at the Senior Bowl, Milroe is listed at No. 40 on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board, but Cummings has him falling to the Steelers at No. 83 in the third round.
“Jalen Milroe is a project, no doubt,” Cummings wrote. “But with a veteran to take the short-term pressure off, his athleticism and arm strength are worth investing in.
Later in the draft, Cummings had the Steelers taking Notre Dame defensive tackle Rylie Mills in the fourth round, Iowa State safety Malik Verdon in the fifth round and Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester and Miami running back Damien Martinez in the seventh round.
