2023 Draft Mockery
Here we go again. Time to start contemplating the draft instead of our navels.
You have up until the day before the draft to produce your predictions: have your predictions in no later than end of day April 26th. If you submit a mock earlier than that, you may edit the mock up until the deadline (e.g., in the event of a signing or trade that wrecks your initial mock).
Please use the following format as a template. Any deviation from this format that causes me to have to interpret your gibberish will result in unfavorable scoring, so beware.
Identify any trades if applicable
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – WR, Moe Howard, Harvard
2 (32) – ILB, Larry Fine, Yale
2 (49) – OG, Curly Howard, Stanford
3 (80) – RB, Shemp Howard, Princeton
4 (120) – NT, Joe DeRita, Brown
7 (234) – SS, Joe Besser, Penn
7 (241) – PK, Emil Sitka, Allegheny County Community College
Add up to five UFAs
This year, you may submit up to two mocks: one without any trades, and one with trades.
As in the past, you will be given two points for each correct name, and one point for each correct position/round combination. For UDFA selections, you will get a point only for a specific name. I may give or take other points for special predictions or egregious failures, at my sole dictatorial discretion.
Trades: Given the difficulty and risks of predicting a trade, I will grant bonus points for a successful prediction. If you predict a trade, you will be granted bonus points as follows:
- +1 if you correctly predict the trade partner
- +1 if you correctly predict the Steelers pick position(s) being traded
- +5 if you correctly predict the partner, the Steelers pick position(s) and the partner’s pick position(s)
I will get things kicked off with my own mocks. Good luck, ladies and gentlemen…
Mock #1
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – CB, Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
2 (32) – OT, Dawand Jones, Ohio State
2 (49) – DL, Mazi Smith, Michigan
3 (80) – LB, Jack Campbell, Iowa
4 (120) – DL, Moro Ojomo, Texas
7 (234) – WR, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WVU
7 (241) – QB, Max Duggan, TCU
Discussion: I’d prefer Christian Gonzales, but I think Porter is the most likely CB to make it to 17. Good chance none of the top three will be there, which would break this mock immediately. If none of the top three CBs or top two DL are there, I’d hope for a trade-down of the 17 pick for a lower first plus a second or third, then take Jones, Ringo, and maybe a WR with an additional pick. Could see a blocking TE in round 7 instead of QB (maybe someone like Blake Whiteheart), but the Steelers need a third QB and one who has a shot to develop as a future #2.
Mock #2
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – OT, Darnell Wright, Tennessee (was Broderick Jones, Georgia)
2 (32) – CB, Emmanuel Forbes, Miss State (1)
2 (49) – DL, Mazi Smith, Michigan (2)
3 (80) – LB, Trenton Simpson, Clemson
4 (120) – DL, Siaki Ika, LSU
7 (234) – WR, Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WVU
7 (241) – QB, Max Duggan, TCU
(1) Would be a good spot for Kelee Ringo, Georgia, for a guy who could go either CB or Safety.
(2) If Mazi isn’t there, then Gervon Dexter, Florida.
Changes: (17) Don’t see Broderick Jones making it to the Steelers without a tradeup, so changed to Darnell Wright. 4/14
UDFA List (either mock)
TE, Davis Allen, Clemson
WR, Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
WR, Michael Wilson, Stanford
EDGE, Habbakuk Baldonado, Pitt
EDGE, Eku Leota, Auburn
A trade I would like to see: Houston has a ridiculous 12 picks thanks to Cleveland, including 2 and 12 in the first round. Steelers have 7 picks.
Steelers give 17 and 49 to Houston. Houston gives 12, 104, 161, 188, and 203.
Benefit to Steelers: access to a premium pick (one of the “big six” OT or CB), and some late round picks for depth and flyers. Steelers get picks in each round.
Benefit to Houston: Still has two first round picks, gets a valuable round 2 pick (49), while giving up some excessive late round picks they don’t really need. They get a net gain in draft capital of 25 points. Houston has fewer net picks but still has 9 picks including 4 in the top 50.
End result: Steelers have 12, 32, 80, 104, 120, 161, 188, 203, 234, 241. Texans have 2, 17, 33, 49, 65, 73, 201, 230, 259.
I may swap one of the above mocks to incorporate this trade scenario, if I have time.
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – WR, Jordan Addison, USC
2 (32) – CB, Kelee Ringo, Georgia
2 (49) – OT, Dawand Jones, Ohio State
3 (80) – EDGE, Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
4 (120) – DL, Gervon Dexter Sr., Florida
7 (234) – S, Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State
7 (241) – LB, Marte Mapu, Sacramento State
UDFA List
Edge, Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
FB, Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
QB, Holton Ahlers, East Carolina
S, Tanner Ingle, NC State
DL, Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
This one does NOT count. Just an update with information overload:
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – OT, Broderick Jones, Georgia
2 (32) – C, John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
2 (49) – CB, Julius Brents, Kansas State
3 (80) – EDGE, Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
4 (120) – DL, Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
7 (234) – S, Anthony Johnson Jr., Iowa State
7 (241) – EDGE, Robert Beal, Georgia
1(17) OT Darnell Wright Tennessee
2(32) CB Deonte Banks Maryland
2(49) DT Mazi Smith Michigan
3(80) LB Nick Herbig Wisconsin
4(120) WR Trey Palmer Nebraska
7(234) Saf Brandon Joseph Notre Dame
7(241) QB Max Duggan TCU
Submitted for TomPaulBillyBob
Steelers trade 17 to MIN for 23, 87, 211
Rd 1, trade to MIN, pick
23, Dewand Jones, OT, OSU.
Rd 2-
32, Lukas Van Ness, OLB, Iowa.
49: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Miss St,
Rd 3:
80 – Jaquelin Roy, DT LSU.
87 (From MIN) Marvin Mims ,WR, Oklahoma.
Rd 4,
120: Brandon Joseph, S, ND.
Rd 6
211 (from MIN), Darius Rush, CB, So Car.
Rd 7:
234: Evan Hull, RB, N Western;
241: Juice Scruggs, C, Penn St
1 (17) Broderick Jones , OT GA
2 (32) Deante Banks CB Maryland
2 (49) Jack Campbell LB IOWA
3 (80) Jonathan Mingo WR , Ole Miss
4 (120) Jordan Battle , S Alabama
7 ( 234) Taron Vincent DT/NT Ohio State
7 (241) Logan Bonner QB Utah State
1 (17) Broderick Jones OT Georgia
2 (32) Jack Campbell LB Iowa
2 (49) Tyrique Stevenson CB Miami (FL)
3 (80) Jordan Battle S Alabama
4 (120) Karl Brooks DL Bowling Green
7 (234) Stetson Bennett QB Georgia
7 (241) Tavious Robinson EDGE Missisippi
UDFA
Brandon Hill S Pittsburgh
Desjuan Johnson DL Toledo
Hunter Luepke RB North Dakota St
Arquon Bush CB Cincinatti
Ronnie Bell WR Michigan
Round (Pick) – Position, Name, School
1 (17) – CB, Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
2 (32) – LB, Drew Sanders, Arkansas
2 (49) – DL, Mazi Smith, Michigan
3 (80) – EDGE, Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
4 (120) – OL, Tyler Steen, Alabama
7 (234) – QB, Clayton Tune, Houston
7 (241) –WR, Justin Shorter, Florida
UFAs
TE, Blake Whiteheart, Wake Forest
S, Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame
OL, Jake Andrews, Troy
RB, Evan Hull, Northwestern
DL, Keondre Coburn, Texas