Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Curt Popejoy

Breaking down the Steelers picks in new ESPN 7-round mock draft

ESPN’s Jordan Reid took on the massive undertaking of a full seven-round mock draft for the 2023 NFL draft. There is no more thankless task and so we wanted to give him a fair shot and take a look at the picks for the Pittsburgh Steelers and see how he did. Props to you Jordan, this was a massive amount of work.

First round - OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee

Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Second round - S Brian Branch, Alabama

Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

Second round - LB Trenton Simpson

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Third round - CB Darius Rush, South Carolina

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Fourth round- EDGE Caleb Murphy, Ferris State

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Seventh round - DL Brodric Martin, Western Kentucky

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Seventh round - WR Jalen Moreno-Cropper, Fresno State

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Breaking down the picks

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

In looking over the full mock draft, it’s really hard to find fault with how this plays out. Darnell is a fast riser and a definite upgrade over Dan Moore Jr. We give Reid a pass on the Brian Branch pick since it happened ahead of the Steelers agreeing to terms with Keanu Neal. This doesn’t mean Branch can’t still be in play, however.

Getting Trenton Simpson is a huge steal but looking at how the picks played out, it could happen. The rest of the mock draft plays out pretty safe for the Steelers including South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush. The “other” cornerback at South Carolina last season, Rush is a real sleeper pick with his size and speed.

The most interesting pick might be Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin. He’s a mountain of a man at 6-foot-5 and 337 pounds and  has the potential to be everything Dan McCullers was supposed to be.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.