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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Curt Popejoy

Steelers land franchise QB in new ESPN mock draft

ESPN NFL draft analyst Todd McShay has a new two-round mock draft out for Pittsburgh Steelers fans, this one is a real winner. Pittsburgh has made it no secret they are going to target a quarterback early if possible and McShay went a very different direction in the first round to make it happen.

With the No. 20 overall pick, McShay has Liberty’s Malik Willis landing in Pittsburgh. This feels really far-fetched if you listen to the draftnik community but we all know how crazy the draft can be.

Here’s what McShay had to say about the pick:

All signs are pointing toward Pittsburgh drafting a quarterback, and in this scenario, it doesn’t even have to move up to get one of the top two passers in the class. Willis is creative outside the pocket and has a rocket arm, and I actually have him ranked one spot ahead of Kenny Pickett at No. 21 on my board. With Mitch Trubisky on a one-year deal, there’s no rush for Willis to play right away, and coach Mike Tomlin could develop Willis before turning over the keys. The AFC North is stacked at QB, but Willis has the upside to get the Steelers right back in the mix.

Moving to the second round, McShay has Pittsburgh selecting Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker. Here’s what McShay thinks of the pick:

Terrell Edmunds could still re-sign in Pittsburgh, but even if he does, Minkah Fitzpatrick is entering the final year of his deal. The Steelers could use a talented safety on a cheap contract to protect against losing either or both of them. Brisker is at his best working near the line of scrimmage thanks to above-average tackling skills and great instincts.

While it is hard to imagine NFL teams passing on the top quarterbacks like this, anything is possible. Let us know in the comments below what you think of this mock draft and if you think there’s any chance Willis falls to the Steelers.

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