The Pittsburgh Steelers are in full offseason mode, and that means it is officially NFL Draft season. With the Senior Bowl now over, it is time to take a look at prospects who might be available for the Steelers at positions of need. There are a lot of mock drafts which float around every season, but some carry more weight than others.

In this case, Matt Miller of ESPN certainly brings a new look in his latest 2-Round Mock Draft. Who does he have going to the Steelers? Let’s take a look not just at the picks, but how the board breaks down before the Steelers end up taking two offensive players, both Buckeyes, according to Miller’s mock draft.

Let’s get to the picks:

Round 1

1. Tennessee Titans – Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
2. Cleveland Browns – Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
3. New York Giants – Cam Ward, QB, Miami
4. New England Patriots – Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
6. Las Vegas Raiders – Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
7. New York Jets – Will Campbell, OT/G, LSU
8. Carolina Panthers – Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia
9. New Orleans Saints – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
10. Chicago Bears – Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/G, Texas
11. San Francisco 49ers – Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
12. Dallas Cowboys – Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
13. Miami Dolphins – Armand Membou, OT/G, Missouri
14. Indianapolis Colts – Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
15. Atlanta Falcons – Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
16. Arizona Cardinals – Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
18. Seattle Seahawks – Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
20. Denver Broncos – Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Egbuka does it all as a slant-route king. He is a heck of a punt returner and one of the best blocking wide receivers, too. He doesn’t flash elite speed or size at 6-foot and 203 pounds, but he’s a smart route runner with solid hands (a drop rate of just 2.8%) and an all-out effort on every snap. He caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season.

The Steelers need to start thinking about rebuilding their wide receiver room if George Pickens doesn’t return after his rookie deal expires before the 2026 season. And regardless of Pickens’ future, the team could use a true No. 2 receiver right now. Pairing Egbuka with Pickens and 2024 rookie Roman Wilson would be a good start.

22. Los Angeles Chargers – Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
23. Green Bay Packers – Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
24. Minnesota Vikings – Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
25. Houston Texans – Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
26. Los Angeles Rams – Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
27. Baltimore Ravens – Jonah Savaiinaea, OT/G, Arizona
28. Detroit Lions – Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
29. Washington Commanders – James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee
30. Buffalo Bills – Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
31. Philadelphia Eagles – Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
32. Kansas City Chiefs – Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

For a breakdown on Emeka Egbuka, check out the breakdown from our own Andrew Wilbar:

Height: 6’1″
Weight: 205 lbs
Draft Projection: Mid to Late 1st Round
Notable Accomplishment: Most receptions of any receiver in OSU history

Pros: Egbuka is one of the most NFL-ready prospects in this draft, thanks to his longevity at Ohio State. Despite being the WR2 in about every offense he played in, he kept an overabundance of attention from going to the WR1, whether it was Marvin Harrison, Jr. or Jeremiah Smith. He was the glue to a talented receiver room, and his consistency made him a true security blanket for his quarterback. One of the smoothest route-runners in the class, Egbuka makes clean cuts and displays a quick release off the line. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of his game is catching the ball in traffic. Egbuka has made several acrobatic, highlight-reel catches during his time in college, and it is hard to imagine we do not see more of it at the NFL level, considering his outstanding body control and field awareness. His hands, field vision, and instincts are all impressive as well, but what I appreciate about his game the most is his blocking effort. He is not “above” the task of blocking, and he has improved as a blocker each year.

Cons: Medicals will be one of the major talking points with Egbuka, as he suffered multiple lower-body injuries during his collegiate career. I also have concerns about Egbuka’s versatility. When looking at his numbers in the slot compared to his numbers on the perimeter, there is a significant drop in both production and efficiency when he aligns on the outside. Egbuka typically got off the line just fine against press coverage, but he lacks an ideal wingspan, and my fear is that longer press corners will out-leverage him in press and force him off his route.

Overview: I am not sure Egbuka will ever become an elite receiver in the NFL, but he certainly provides enough consistency and upside to warrant a first-round selection. Although his body type and play style is not an exact match of Calvin Ridley’s, his trajectory is similar to that of the former Crimson Tide receiver coming out of college. He can be an immediate contributor, but his ceiling may not be that of a CeeDee Lamb or Ja’Marr Chase.

NFL Comparison: A more physical Calvin Ridley

Round 2

33. Cleveland Browns – Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
34. New York Giants – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
35. Tennessee Titans – Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
36. Jacksonville Jaguars – Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State
37. Las Vegas Raiders – Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
38. New England Patriots – Jack Sawyer, Edge, Ohio State
39. Chicago Bears (via CAR) – Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
40. New Orleans Saints – Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
41. Chicago Bears – Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
42. New York Jets – Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas
43. San Francisco 49ers – Grey Zabel, C, North Dakota State
44. Dallas Cowboys – Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
45. Indianapolis Colts – Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
46. Atlanta Falcons – Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
47. Arizona Cardinals – Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
48. Miami Dolphins – T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina
49. Cincinnati Bengals – JT Tuimoloau, Edge, Ohio State
50. Seattle Seahawks – Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
51. Denver Broncos – Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

52. Pittsburgh Steelers – Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

Najee Harris is set to hit free agency, and his return to Pittsburgh is far from guaranteed. Judkins would be an ideal replacement. He has the downhill power of Harris but better speed to rip off the chunk plays missing from the Steelers’ offense, as evidenced by his 28 runs of 10 or more yards.

For a breakdown of Quinshon Judkins, check out the breakdown from our own Andrew Wilbar:

Height: 6’0″
Weight: 219 lbs
Draft Projection: Early Day 2
Notable Accomplishment: 2023 First-Team All-SEC

Pros: Judkins is an imposing downhill runner who balances power with patience, displaying fantastic discipline and physicality. I love running backs with leg drive, and Judkins does a wonderful job of keeping the legs churning after contact. This trait makes him incredibly difficult to bring down single-handedly. If he really wants to impose his power on defenders, I believe he possesses the athleticism to add another 10 pounds and still bring sufficient speed and explosiveness to the table. The Ole Miss transfer has not been used as a pass catcher at Ohio State as much as he was with Lane Kiffin, but I have seen enough to believe in his receiving abilities out of the backfield. He is not an elite route-runner, but he possesses good body control and secure hands. I would be remiss not to mention Judkins’ outstanding contact balance as well, as Judkins always seems to find a way to stay on his feet and avoid tackles at the second level of the defense.

Cons: The most frustrating part of watching Judkins on tape is his severe lack of decisiveness. Judkins has the vision to find the hole, but he hesitates too long looking for something better, only for the initial hole to close by the time he decides to go through it. Becoming more confident in his eyes and hitting the hole with conviction are two things that work hand in hand and would significantly improve his value as a runner. Judkins’ pass blocking was a little anemic at times, but several of his blown assignments may have been due to poor communication rather than an inability to execute.

Overview: Judkins has three-down potential in the NFL, but how high he can go in the draft will likely be capped by the incredible depth of the running back class this year. TreVeyon Henderson took a good portion of carries away from Judson, but that may have only helped Judson’s cause in that he has less tread on the tires entering the draft.

NFL Comparison: Ezekiel Elliott

If the board broke this way, and the Steelers made these two selections, what would you think? Let us know in the comment section below, and be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the team this offseason.