Scouting The Mock: A look at the latest Steelers 2025 mock drafts, Part 4

With pro day information and rumours galore it’s time to take a look around the draft sphere again and see who analysts or members of the draft community are mocking to the Steelers for late aprils draft.

If your interested to see the names that have changed feel free to take a look at last weeks article below…

Scouting The Mock: A look at the latest Steelers 2025 mock drafts, Part 2

As always we will take a look at one mock from an analyst and one via the PFF mock draft simulator. So without further a due lets hand out some grades.

First mock:

“Pittsburgh Steelers 2025 Mock Draft (Version One)” – Tom Mead/Steelers Depot

R1 Pick 21: DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
R3 Pick 83:  S Andrew Mukuba, Texas
R4 Pick 123: OT Anthony Belton, NC State
R5 Pick 156: QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse
R6 Pick 185: DL Vernon Broughton, Texas
R7 Pick 229: RB Phil Mafah, Clemson

Summary:

New mock, same position taken in the first round—this time in the form of the talented run-stuffer out of Ohio State, Tyleik Williams. The Steelers’ brain trust was all present this past week at Ohio State’s pro day, where Williams sustained a leg injury while running the 40. It’s unclear how or if that will affect his draft stock, but 21 seems like the highest Williams may go come April due to his skill set primarily being that of a dominant run-stuffer without an abundance of pass-rush upside.

With the large gap between their first and second picks in this draft, Mead has the Steelers opting to take the versatile safety out of Texas, Andrew Mukuba. At the start of this process, there wasn’t much speculation about the Steelers selecting a safety early, but with the front office attending multiple pro days featuring high-profile players at the position, it now seems more likely. In this case, Mukuba is the difference-maker selected to reinforce the secondary.

Draft WR Ranks are out and podcast is up
Really really deep class pic.twitter.com/r9rvD4mGDY

— Chris Simms (@CSimmsQB) March 24, 2025

With compensatory picks at the forefront of Steelers fans’ minds this offseason, the team takes another tackle who, in 2025, would either beat out Broderick Jones for a starting spot or serve as a swing tackle. If he develops into a solid but not a main stay player similar to Dan Moore Jr, Pittsburgh could still recoup compensatory picks down the line, as serviceable tackles are highly valued in today’s market.

Kyle McCord gets a bad rap due to his underwhelming 2023 season at Ohio State and a disastrous performance against Pitt in 2024. However, as a late-round pick, he possesses intriguing tools—such as arm talent—and would add competition to the Steelers’ quarterback room.

A player who has gained popularity in recent weeks is Vernon Broughton, completing the double-dip at defensive line often seen in Steelers mock drafts this cycle. He has been somewhat overshadowed by his Texas teammate Alfred Collins, a nose tackle projected to go in the second round. Still, Broughton produced 26 hurries and four sacks in 2024, making him a solid depth addition to the defensive front.

With the running back class too good to pass on, the Steelers use their final pick in this mock on Phil Mafah, a big-bodied back at 6’1″, 230 pounds. Mafah rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns for Clemson in 2024, adding size and power to the Steelers’ backfield.

Grade: C+

CPU mock draft simulator completed on the PFF simulator

R2 Pick 34: S Xavier Woods, Notre Dame
R3 Pick 65: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama
R3 Pick 83: DT Jordan Phillips, Maryland
R4 Pick 123: RB Jaydon Blue, Texas
R5 Pick 156: WR Kyle Williams, Washington ST
R6 Pick 185: WR Dont’e Thornton Jr, Tennessee
R7 Pick 229: DL TY Robinson, Nebreska

As mentioned before, the Steelers have been very present at pro days headlined by safeties. At this moment, is it a reach to say they will take someone at the position this early, even with a trade down? Maybe, but Watts is an outstanding prospect who was the leader of the Fighting Irish defense this season while also being arguably the best ball-hawking safety in this class, collecting six interceptions in 2024.

Trading down allowed the Steelers to pick up an early third-round pick, which they used to select Jalen Milroe. As this draft cycle has progressed, along with comments made by Mike Tomlin in West Palm Beach this week, the likelihood of the Steelers selecting a quarterback sooner rather than later is increasing. Milroe is arguably one of the best athletes we have seen at the position, and when combined with his strong arm talent, he becomes a very intriguing pick at this spot.

With the defensive line being neglected through the first two rounds, the Steelers address the need by selecting Maryland’s Jordan Phillips, a 320-pound run-stuffer. With a 7.6% run-stop rate per PFF, Phillips would be a welcome addition to the room, potentially allowing Keeanu Benton to shift to playing defensive end in base alignments.

With the Steelers clearly looking to add explosiveness to their running back room, Jaydon Blue embodies that trait, reportedly running a sub-4.3 40-yard dash at his pro day last week. While he lacks extensive production or wear on his tires, his speed is a unique weapon the Steelers currently don’t have. His skill set should translate well into the outside-zone scheme deployed by Arthur Smith.

After Chris Simms claimed that Williams is the second-best wide receiver in this class, the Washington State product’s stock has been rising in the draft sphere. On tape, it’s not a stretch to say he could be the best—if not tied with Matthew Golden—as the top route runner in the class. This is a skill set the Steelers desperately need.

Going back-to-back at wide receiver, the Steelers continue drafting physical freaks in this mock. Dont’e Thornton recorded a 9.80 RAS score, combining his 6’3″ height with 4.3 speed. He would become the third athletic specimen in the wide receiver room for 2025 while maybe earning some playing time as the third deep threat on the roster.

Maybe unrealistic at this point, but the Steelers land Nebraska’s Ty Robinson, completing another double dip in this draft—this time along the defensive line. Robinson has all the tools to develop into a key contributor and would have the opportunity to learn in 2025 before stepping into a larger role in 2026 and beyond.

Grade: A

I continue to be a big fan of a draft that includes a trade-down, as it allows the team to take a genuine swing on a developmental quarterback while also addressing other minor roster holes. The first draft does feel like there may be a slight lack of value at certain picks, but overall, it still follows a solid blueprint.

How do you feel? What grades would you give these drafts?