Kiper 2-Round Mock Draft: Steelers make some questionable decisions (2023)

The 2023 NFL Draft is only weeks away, and that means everyone is trying to put the finishing touches on their draft coverage before the 3-day event takes place at the end of April.

With that said, some NFL Draft “experts” are taken more serious than others. Well, some might not be taken serious, but certainly garner more attention when they put out their latest mock drafts. Of all those pundits, no one gets more criticism than Mel Kiper Jr.

Tuesday Kiper put out a 2-Round mock draft, and for Pittsburgh Steelers fans this is something which certainly will get their attention. Considering the Steelers possess three picks in the Top 50, any 2-Round mock is worth reading. Now, when it comes to Kiper’s decision making in this mock draft, that’s up for debate.

Let’s take a look at how Kiper lays out his 2-Round mock...

Round 1

1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI) - Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
2. Houston Texans - C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State

(Video) The Pittsburgh Steelers Select? (MEL KIPER JR mock draft 4.0)

Projected trade: Titans jump eight spots

Here’s a fun deal to think about. Tennessee’s quarterback need has gone under the radar, but Ryan Tannehill is a free agent in 2024 and Malik Willis, who dropped all the way to Round 3 in last year’s draft, really struggled as a rookie, even getting benched late in the season for journeyman Joshua Dobbs. Is it possible the Titans already know Willis is not their QB of the future?

Tennessee would have to give up a lot in this trade — the closest recent comp is the Miami-San Francisco swap in 2021. The 49ers acquired the No. 3 overall pick in that draft for the No. 12 selection, future first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 drafts and a third-rounder in 2022. In this mock scenario, Tennessee would send Arizona picks Nos. 11 and 41 in this draft, plus a 2024 first-round selection and likely either a 2025 first- or second-rounder as well. And don’t forget new Titans general manager Ran Carthon joined the organization from San Francisco.

For the Cardinals, who have one of the league’s worst rosters and don’t need a quarterback, this trade would be about gathering draft capital and speeding up their rebuild, adding premium picks in this draft and down the road. This might be their best-case scenario.

3. Tennessee Titans (via mock trade with ARI) - Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida
4. Indianapolis Colts - Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) - Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR) - Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
7. Las Vegas Raiders - Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois
8. Atlanta Falcons - Nolan Smith, OLB, Georgia
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR) - Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) - Peter Skoronski, OT/G, Northwestern
11. Arizona Cardinals (via mock trade with TEN) - Tyree Wilson, DE, Texas Tech
12. Houston Texans (via CLE) - Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
13. New York Jets - Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
14. New England Patriots - Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
15. Green Bay Packers - Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah
16. Washington Commanders - Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

(Video) [FULL] ESPN Special Kiper & McShay 3 Round NFL Mock Draft - Top 5 QBs will be picked in 1st-round

17. Pittsburgh Steelers - Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

This is around where we could see a run on receivers. Flowers is actually my top-ranked wideout. I love his explosion and ability after the catch. Pittsburgh’s wideouts had just five touchdown receptions last season, which ranked last in the league. The 5-foot-9 Flowers is a dynamo out of the slot, but he had plenty of grabs lined up outside too. He could be a nice fit with Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. Quarterback Kenny Pickett had a special connection with former Pitt teammate Jordan Addison, but I think Flowers would be the better pick for the Steelers.

18. Detroit Lions - Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
20. Seattle Seahawks - Myles Murphy, DE, Clemson
21. Los Angeles Chargers - Jordan Addison, WR, USC
22. Baltimore Ravens - Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
23. Minnesota Vikings - Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State
24. Jacksonville Jaguars - Lukas Van Ness, DL, Iowa
25. New York Giants - DJ Turner, CB, Michigan
26. Dallas Cowboys - Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
27. Buffalo Bills - Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
28. Cincinnati Bengals - Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
29. New Orleans Saints (via DEN/MIA/SF) - Calijah Kancey, DT, Pitt

Projected trade: Seahawks move into Round 1

There’s a ton of value in trading back into Round 1 to take a player to get his fifth-year option. We’ve seen it twice with quarterbacks in the past decade, with the Ravens trading up for Lamar Jackson (2018) and the Vikings doing it for Teddy Bridgewater (2014). Teams want to have that controllable fifth season. That’s exactly what this deal is for the Seahawks, who might have competition to move up.

(Video) 2023 NFL MOCK DRAFT 5.0 | Mel Kiper & Todd McShay - ESPN Special

To make this deal happen, I’ll project Seattle to give up both of its second-round picks — Nos. 37 and 52. That seems pretty fair. So that means Philly moves down seven picks but adds a prime selection on Day 2 and still owns No. 62. By the way, pick No. 37 is the last of the capital from Denver from the Russell Wilson trade.

30. Seattle Seahawks (via mock trade with PHI) - Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Will McDonald IV, DE, Iowa State

Round 2

32. Pittsburgh Steelers (from CHI) - Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

This would be great value for Harrison, a smooth pass protector who started 24 games at left tackle in college. Dan Moore Jr. started there for the Steelers last season, and he ranked 34th among all tackles in pass block win rate. Harrison could compete with Moore from Day 1, but he also could beat out Chukwuma Okorafor on the right side.

33. Houston Texans - Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DE, Kansas State
34. Arizona Cardinals - Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU
35. Indianapolis Colts - Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
36. Los Angeles Rams - Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech
37. Philadelphia Eagles (via mock trade with SEA through DEN) - Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
38. Las Vegas Raiders - O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
39. Carolina Panthers - Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
40. New Orleans Saints - Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia
41. Arizona Cardinals (via mock trade with TEN) - Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
42. New York Jets (from CLE) - Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
43. New York Jets - Joe Tippmann, C, Wisconsin
44. Atlanta Falcons - Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia
45. Green Bay Packers - Byron Young, OLB, Tennessee
46. New England Patriots - Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
47. Washington Commanders - Blake Freeland, OT, BYU
48. Detroit Lions - Jack Campbell, ILB, Iowa

(Video) 2023 NFL Mock Draft: TWO Full Rounds with TRADES

49. Pittsburgh Steelers - Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State

I filled Pittsburgh’s hole at wideout in Round 1, which means it should focus on the secondary here. The 6-foot-3 Brents could learn the ropes from veteran Patrick Peterson in Pittsburgh. Brents has stellar length and will wrap up in the run game. He tested extremely well at the combine.

For a recap, here are the Top 3 picks for the Steelers in Kiper’s 2-Round mock draft:

Round 1: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Round 2: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Round 2: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State

If this is how the draft actually played out, what would you think? Would you be okay with the Steelers taking a wide receiver in the first round? Would you be upset? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and be sure stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the rest of the NFL offseason!

(Video) Mel Kiper's WORST NFL DRAFT PREDICTIONS OF ALL TIME (Part 2)

FAQs

Who is the most accurate mock draft expert? ›

Kent Weyrauch has been a top-30 most accurate NFL Mock Drafter for each of the last two years.

How many draft picks do the Steelers have in 2023? ›

The Steelers own seven total picks, including the 32nd pick (first pick in the second round) from the Bears via the trade of Chase Claypool at last year's deadline. The Steelers own three picks within the top 49 and four of the first 80 in the draft.

Are mock drafts even accurate? ›

It can be an exhilarating feeling when you see an expert project a great player to go to your squad. On the other hand, it can be deflating to see a player you don't like projected to go there. As fun as mock drafts are to dive into, they are never 100 percent accurate.

Who is the most accurate NFL draft expert? ›

Mel Kiper consistently outperforms the competition at forecasting draft results. The most amazing thing is that when it comes to picking the top draft picks, Kiper is on par with many NFL front offices. Mel Kiper Jr., among the most esteemed draft gurus in the world, has been an NFL draft expert for almost 40 years.

Who is the best at predicting fantasy football? ›

Renowned for his accuracy and predictions, Matthew Berry is an NFL and fantasy football analyst for NBC.

What is the most successful draft round? ›

Drafting a defensive lineman in the 4th round has the highest success rate of all positions at 37%. If you were ranking rounds by number drafted it would be 7th, 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 2nd and 5th.

Is second round draft pick good? ›

Throughout the years, there have been plenty of great players that were selected in the second round and have had an immense impact. It didn't matter if almost all teams passed on them, they were still capable of doing a ton for their teams.

Do worse teams get better draft picks? ›

Since 1990, the NBA has used a weighted draft lottery. Basically, the worse a team was during the regular season, the higher the chances to obtain the first pick. The worst team has a 25 percent chance to come away with the top pick, while the best non-playoff team has a 0.5 percent chance.

Who is the most successful Mr irrelevant NFL draft? ›

The most-decorated Mr. Irrelevant in history is a kicker, Ryan Succop. The final pick of the 2009 draft is still active, kicking for Tampa Bay after spending five years in Kansas City and six years in Tennessee.

Who is the number 1 RB to draft? ›

Simms' RB draft rankings: No. 1 Bijan Robinson

Chris Simms reveals that Texas' Bijan Robinson is his top-ranked running back in the 2023 NFL Draft because he has the complete package with his size and the way he runs, cuts and re-accelerates.

Who will be best QB in draft? ›

Here are the top 10 quarterbacks in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide and big board.
  • C.J. Stroud, Ohio State. ...
  • Anthony Richardson, Florida. ...
  • Tanner McKee, Stanford. ...
  • Hendon Hooker, Tennessee. ...
  • Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA. ...
  • Jake Haener, Fresno State. ...
  • Clayton Tune, Houston. ...
  • Stetson Bennett, Georgia.

Who was the number 1 draft pick 2023? ›

Stroud the new favorite over Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson. The 2023 NFL Draft is just one month away, and there's plenty of debate concerning who will be taken first overall. For the majority of the offseason, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young was the favorite to be selected No.

Who will the Steelers draft in 2023? ›

Perfect Steelers 2023 NFL Draft plan: Pittsburgh adds to the offensive line before focusing on defense
  • No. ...
  • Round 2: Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State. ...
  • Round 2: Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa. ...
  • Round 3: Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL, Northwestern. ...
  • Round 4: Richard Gouraige, OT, Florida.
Jan 27, 2023

Which team has the most draft picks in 2023? ›

Complete Round 1 Draft Order
  • Chicago Bears.
  • Houston Texans.
  • Arizona Cardinals.
  • Indianapolis Colts.
  • Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)
  • Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)
  • Las Vegas Raiders.
  • Atlanta Falcons.
Mar 3, 2023

Who is the number 1 fantasy player so far? ›

View fantasy scoring leaders for Standard, Half PPR, and PPR leagues broken down by week. Rankings can be sorted based on total points or average points per week to spot the top fantasy players.
...
Top Overall - Weeks 1 to 18 (2022)
PlayerJalen Hurts
PosQB
TeamPHI
124.7
234
13 more columns

Who will be the best rookie in fantasy football? ›

  1. 1. ( RB1) Bijan Robinson, Texas. Height/Weight: 5-11/215, Age: 21-7. ...
  2. 2. ( RB2) Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama. Height/Weight: 5-9/199, Age: 21-5. ...
  3. 3. ( WR1) Quentin Johnston, TCU. Height/Weight: 6-2/208, Age: 22-0. ...
  4. 4. ( WR2) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State. ...
  5. 5. ( WR3) Jordan Addison, USC. ...
  6. 6. ( WR4) Zay Flowers, Boston College.
Mar 10, 2023

Is Yahoo or ESPN fantasy projections more accurate? ›

ESPN's free official projections clearly performed worse than those of Yahoo and CBS, so they may be coming from a different source.

What college has the most #1 draft picks? ›

T-1.

Notre Dame has etched its name across not only college football history, but that of the NFL Draft, too, producing the most top picks.

What is the most watched draft? ›

2020 NFL DRAFT MOST WATCHED EVER; SETS NEW ALL-TIME HIGHS FOR MEDIA CONSUMPTION. The unique presentation of the 2020 NFL Draft established new all-time highs for media consumption in every category.

Who is the best drafting NFL team? ›

That's the beauty -- and torture -- of the NFL draft.
...
Day 3: Teams Getting Most, Least Value.
TeamCAVOE*
1. Packers215.5
2. Patriots115
3. Ravens111.4
4. Commanders109.7
8 more rows
Apr 22, 2022

Do 2nd round picks get guaranteed money? ›

The study shows that of 132 college players selected in the second round over the last six years, 91 have received a guaranteed contract in some form. For some, it is a one-year guarantee of a minimum salary, or $815,615.

Can a second round pick be a bust? ›

A player who is drafted in the first or second round and is expected to be a key contributor but never contributes meaningfully during his rookie contract is surely a bust.

Has a 2nd round pick ever won MVP? ›

Nikola Jokić won back to back MVP awards in 2020–21 and 2021–22. He became one of only two players to be selected in the second round of the NBA draft to win the award.
...
Winners.
^Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
Player (X)Denotes the number of times the player had been named MVP at that time
3 more rows

What's the worst position to draft in fantasy football? ›

However, the kicker is the least important position in fantasy football. And there's basically no reason draft a kicker anywhere other than the last couple rounds of your draft.

Has a player ever declined a draft pick? ›

Bo Jackson took this route in the 1986 Draft, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers named him their number one pick. He refused to join the Buccaneers and chose to hold out, and instead became a baseball player for the Kansas City Royals for a year.

Can a player reject a draft pick? ›

No. They do not have to sign any contract the drafting team lays before them, but that team owns the right to sign the player, and so that player cannot sign for anyone else. If that player refuses, the team can decide to trade those signing rights to another team, and the process starts over again with that team.

What position is the best fantasy draft order? ›

What is the most important position to draft first in fantasy football? Running backs are easily the most important position to prioritize in fantasy football. There are not enough running backs to go around, so somebody is going to get hosed at this position.

What is the best number for fantasy football? ›

You should poll your fellow owners to find out what the majority thinks. But from a league structure standpoint, and taking into consideration roster size and the size of the player pool, 12 is the best number of teams for fantasy football.

What is the ideal number for fantasy football? ›

The right fantasy football roster size for your league

A best roster size for a new fantasy football league is roughly 15 players. This number allows you to start 9 players and leave 6 on your bench each week. In a standard league, each team starts the following combination of players: What is this?

Who holds the number 1 draft pick? ›

2020: QB Joe Burrow, LSU, Bengals. 2019: QB Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, Cardinals. 2018: QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, Browns. 2017: DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, Browns.

Are mock drafts helpful? ›

Mock drafts are often found to be helpful to fans because they allow them to speculate on which members of the collegiate ranks will join the fan's favorite team.

Who is the most athletic center in the draft? ›

Justin Patton, 6-11 ¼, 229, Creighton. Arguably the most athletic true center in this draft, Patton has the kind of upside that teams love in a center prospect. In addition to running the floor well, Patton has a decent perimeter game offensively.

Has a WR ever went 1st overall? ›

Fryar went No. 1, becoming the first wide receiver ever to be taken in that spot. Fryar was a member of the Patriots when the team advanced to Super Bowl XX, and was a five-time Pro Bowl pick (four of those five came with teams other than the Patriots).

Has a RB ever been drafted #1? ›

Lowdown: Carter suffered a serious knee injury in his first exhibition game with the Bengals. He scored 15 rushing TDs from 1996-97 with the Bengals before bouncing after seven NFL seasons. He's the last running back to be selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft.

How many NFL number 1 picks are in the Hall of Fame? ›

Only 14 players in the history of the National Football League draft have gone from being the first overall pick of a draft to earning election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Why are bad first drafts good? ›

Continuously asking yourself the question, “what would this look like if it were easy?” helps you break down the splendor of a first draft and gradually expose you to the vulnerability of your thoughts: then you form a bad first draft. But, bad first drafts also lead to discovery and imagination.

What makes your final draft better than your first draft? ›

The final draft contains everything you needed to say—those things that are essential to the story. The first draft is likely to have more abstractions, while the final draft should be brimming with significant detail.

What is the most important thing when writing a draft? ›

The first draft should be messy, rough and amenable to change, allowing you to remould your structure with successive drafts. Write bullet points, sentence fragments, and temporary paragraph headings. Avoid trying to write perfect sentences and paragraphs (polishing). Don't worry about being repetitive or boring.

What college has the most players drafted all time? ›

College Football Teams With Most NFL Draft Picks All Time, Ranked
  • UCLA. NFL Draft picks: 333. ...
  • LSU. NFL Draft picks: 369. ...
  • Penn State. NFL Draft picks: 375. ...
  • Alabama. NFL Draft picks: 391. ...
  • Michigan. NFL Draft picks: 392. ...
  • Ohio State. NFL Draft picks: 479.
Jan 26, 2023

What college has the most NFL players all time? ›

Since the turn of the century, 5,350 players have been drafted into the NFL. LSU led the way with 14 draft picks followed by Michigan and Ohio State with 10 each. Since 2000, no team can claim more of those players than the Buckeyes.

Who is the biggest number 1 draft bust? ›

Here are the 10 biggest NBA draft busts:
  • Greg Oden - No. 1 pick, 2007 NBA Draft.
  • Anthony Bennett - No. 1 pick, 2013 NBA Draft.
  • Hasheem Thabeet - No. 2 pick, 2009 NBA Draft.
  • Kwame Brown - No. 1 pick, 2001 NBA Draft.
  • Jay Williams - No. ...
  • Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - No. ...
  • Darko Milicic - No. ...
  • Derrick Williams - No.
Jun 22, 2022

Who was the greatest quarterback of all time? ›

', host Ian Glendon and John Sapochetti give their list of the Top 10 greatest quarterbacks of all time.
  • Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers) ...
  • Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys) ...
  • Otto Graham (Cleveland Browns) ...
  • Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins) ...
  • John Elway (Denver Broncos) ...
  • Johnny Unitas (Baltimore Colts)
1 day ago

Who will be the top QB in the 2023 draft? ›

BUCKY BROOKS' TOP 5 2023 QUARTERBACKS
  • C.J. Stroud, sophomore, Ohio State.
  • Bryce Young, junior, Alabama.
  • Hendon Hooker, senior, Tennessee.
  • Anthony Richardson, sophomore, Florida.
  • Will Levis, senior, Kentucky.
2 days ago

Who is the #1 QB in the 2023 NFL Draft? ›

The 2023 Quarterback class by contrast has three potential stars in the shape of Ohio State's CJ Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young, and Kentucky's Will Levis and also contains a number of future NFL players with promising starting potential. Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman trophy winner is our top-ranked player.

Videos

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3. Steelers Big NFL Draft Questions
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4. 2023 NFL 2-ROUND MOCK DRAFT | Mel Kiper & Todd McShay ESPN Special
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5. 2023 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 | 3 ROUNDS | With Trades - [PART 1]
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6. Steelers News & Rumors LIVE: Fan-Led Steelers Mock Draft, Allen Robinson Trade News, ESPN Mock Draft
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