ESPN’s Field Yates released a two-round mock draft on Wednesday. In his mock draft, Yates had the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting offensive lineman Graham Barton from Duke and wide receiver Roman Wilson from Michigan with their first two picks. The Barton selection is a bit of a switch-up for a Steelers mock draft, as most simulations have them targeting an offensive tackle or center Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon.
Steelers Select Graham Barton, Roman Wilson in Latest Mock Draft
Round 1: Graham Barton – Duke
Betting markets find it overwhelmingly likely the Steelers will select an offensive linemen with their first pick in the draft. As previously mentioned, during mock draft season, that his typically been an offensive tackle or Powers-Johnson. While a change of pace, Barton would be an interesting selection for Pittsburgh. His versatility would be a huge advantage for them or whatever team ultimately ends up drafting him. He really can play any position along the offensive line, though he projects much better as a guard or center in the NFL. The Steelers don’t currently have a center on their roster, so Barton would certainly make sense from the perspective of what the team needs most.
Despite Yates’ prediction, Barton does not seem like a likely first round pick for the Steelers for several reasons. First, most of the team’s pre-draft interest seems to be in offensive tackles and cornerbacks. That doesn’t mean they won’t draft a center, but their pro day attendance and prospect meetings have been very predictive of their first round pick in recent years. Even more curiously, offensive tackle Amarius Mims was still available in Yates’ mock draft when the Steelers made their pick. Pittsburgh has shown interest in Mims in every way imaginable, and he feels likely to be their pick if available.
#Steelers pre-draft interest tracker:
Names will be added if we hear of more Top 30 visits. Hard to believe that Amarius Mims isn't the frontrunner to be the selection at pick 20. #SteelersNation #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/bOni0KFyUI
— Tommy Jaggi (@TommyJaggi) April 3, 2024
Finally, it was reported the Steelers don’t want to spend their first round pick on a center. It’s possible they end up doing so depending how the draft board develops. Maybe they draft Barton in a scenario where they trade back in the first round, but it’s hard to imagine them picking him with the 20th pick.
Round 2: Roman Wilson – Michigan
Unlike the Barton selection, Yates mocking Roman Wilson to the Steelers makes a lot of sense. They desperately need to upgrade their wide receiver room and it’s very likely they address the position in the first two rounds of the draft. Wilson would provide a massive burst of speed to the Steelers offense. He is capable of taking the top off of any defense. After trading away Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh needs a shifty receiver who will dependably get open.
Roman Wilson is a WR prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored a 8.56 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 461 out of 3188 WR from 1987 to 2024.https://t.co/LsicC2Gk5Z pic.twitter.com/6XQ4PVlSfq
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) March 27, 2024
The selection of Wilson also makes sense from the perspective that Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan were present at his pro day. He certainly isn’t the only Michigan prospect they wanted to get a look at, but they are familiar with him. They have been very successful at drafting receivers in the second and third rounds of the draft in recent years. Wilson has the potential to be another gem and he would undoubtedly add another layer to a Steelers passing attack that needs all the help it can get.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
