ESPN NFL draft writer Mel Kiper Jr. put out his first mock draft of the season this week and you know we had to dig into it. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kiper selected Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter with the No. 20 overall pick. Here are our big takeaways from the choice.
Cornerback is definitely a top need
After last season, there’s no denying cornerback is a huge need. Levi Wallace is a free agent and Patrick Peterson is better suited to be a rotational safety at this point in his career. The cornerback class in 2024 is very good so finding a player to start with Joey Porter Jr. shouldn’t be that hard.
Where's Kool-Aid?
We were a little shocked to see Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry not in the first round. We love McKinstry’s film and will be curious to see where he ends up among the top cornerbacks.
Other positions of need
There are other spots the Steelers need that are comparable to cornerback. Offensive tackle, safety, inside linebacker and center among them. 6 offensive tackles and one guard come off the board after the pick but no safeties or linebackers. The Steelers could be tempted to draft an offensive tackle to replace Dan Moore Jr. and hope to land a player like McKinstry in the second round.
How about a surprise pick?
If we are looking at this scenario, there are a pair of names that stand out as far as wildcards we could see the Steelers going for. First is Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton. He would represent impressive value at No. 20 and be a perfect pairing with Keeanu Benton.
