It’s impossible to mock draft the Steelers until free agency begins

Since the Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs it’s pretty easy to fall into the exercise of fixing the team’s roster flaws with available free agents and top draft picks. One of the favorite activities amongst fans is the year-long mock draft exercises. Trust me, I get the enthusiasm. The idea of your favorite team landing the top prospect of the draft can give any franchise hope. But right now, where the Pittsburgh Steelers sit, this exercise is futile at best.

Just look at the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then look at the list of current free agents on this team. After that, look at the long list of players that could be released for salary cap relief. This roster will look extremely different by the time we hit the 2022 NFL Draft. And with the amount of money the Steelers have, the current positions of weakness could be the team’s greatest strength by the time the 2022 draft takes place. While we all could be dreaming of Iowa center, Tyler Linderbaum or Pitt Quarterback, Kenny Pickett, the Steelers may have already addressed the positions via free agency or trade well before its time to pick 20th overall this spring.

Mock drafts are fun and a great way to learn about prospects, so I still encourage any draft nut, like myself, to partake in the activity. In no way does this article want to gate keep your fandom, but more of a reminder that in no way will these mock drafts be accurate now in January. Heck, they will be way off minutes before the draft. As we sit here today the Steelers could spend their first round pick at virtually any position on its roster and you could justify it as a need. From quarterback, the entire offensive and defensive lines, linebackers, receivers, and cornerbacks you could make the case for any of these spots being the team’s top pick.

The fact of the matter is the Steelers roster will look a whole lot different in just a few months. They have to spend free agent dollars, and they may have to make a trade. Also, because of the need at quarterback, if lightning strikes and they do acquire an Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers draft model will instantly change to a team that is trying to win a Super Bowl. Every move this team makes over the coming months will impact what they do in the draft, and honestly it makes this offseason so much more exciting.

But what do you think? Have you already started mock drafting players to the Pittsburgh Steelers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.