Pittsburgh Steelers full 2021 NFL mock draft

Round 6

The Steelers watch as one of the most intriguing athletes in this draft falls to them in the sixth round. Reed Blankenship is one of those safeties that has an old-school feel. He can be a blitzer off the edge to change a drive in one play, and he can take an interception back to the house. He can even be a returner for the Steelers if they chose to go that route. He’d also be good as a special teams player. He really has great upside and is the perfect pick here.

The Steelers are almost definitely getting a sixth-round compensatory pick. They will use this to take a project. Quinton Bohanna needs a lot of work before he’s an NFL starter at defensive tackle, but he’s already really good at taking up space. He’s able to stop blockers from getting to the second level. He’s not really a pass rusher, so his upside is limited, but the Steelers don’t need pass rushers. They need someone to keep their linebackers clean.

Round 7

There aren’t as many ways for scouts to evaluate prospects this year, so when a player misses his chance to prove himself, it really hurts. Carson Green did not have a good week at the Senior Bowl, and now his value is plummeting. The Steelers would do well picking up an offensive tackle that showed promise on the field but struggled during “drills”. In the seventh round, it’s worth the Steelers taking a flier on someone who fell because he did bad during one-on-one practice.

The Steelers could add to their secondary depth at the end of the seventh round. Tariq Thompson was a really good all-around player for San Diego State. He was a decent tackler who was unafraid of covering a running back, but he also showed enough skill to cover the slot full time. He could probably jump into a lineup in dime or quarter situations and hold his own. This is great value for where he is going.