It’s NFL mock draft season now that the Super Bowl is over — our first mock is here, along with a consensus mock gathered from drafts around the internet — and we got a gift on Wednesday: The newest mock from ESPN’s Todd McShay.
It’s interesting to note that he has the top pick as Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal going to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it’s even more intriguing to note that he and Mel Kiper Jr. now project trades. And this mock has the Pittsburgh Steelers moving up to grab a QB.
Is it for Kenny Pickett out of Pitt? No. Washington grabs him at No. 11 in McShay’s mock. At 17, the Steelers jump three spots to take … Malik Willis out of Liberty, the same quarterback Kiper had the Commanders taking in his first mock.
Here’s what he wrote:
If we get to this point and all but one of the quarterbacks are still on the board, the Steelers have to be on the phone with Chargers GM Tom Telesco. The Saints are lurking there at No. 18, and Pittsburgh knows it has to make a move to get its guy before New Orleans is on the clock. Los Angeles, meanwhile, knows that a three-pick slide to No. 20 doesn’t impact its draft much. The Steelers would go QB, and the Saints could follow suit. That means the Chargers would in all likelihood get the same player at No. 20 that they would have gotten at No. 17. Plus, they’d get another pick or two.
In this case, I think a third-rounder and a late-rounder — in addition to the No. 20 selection — would get it done. Worst case for Pittsburgh, it’s a second-rounder, if L.A. really dug in. But this is a franchise QB we’re talking about, and the Steelers have to make this move if they’re confident they have their answer under center going forward. But which QB?
It’s Willis, and here’s his reasoning:
My top QB, Willis has the strongest arm in the class and can create outside the pocket, making tough off-platform throws look easy. He’s still developing, and he threw 12 interceptions last season, but the Steelers can build the offense around this dynamic passer.
There you have it.
