Behind the Steel Curtain
Another first-round RB projection for Pittsburgh...
It’s NFL mock draft season, which means the world is chock full of possibilities (and bold predictions) from various NFL insiders. One of the top NFL draft insiders in the industry, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, released his second mock of the offseason on Tuesday, projecting the Pittsburgh Steelers to make what would be (for most fans) a massively surprising move — selecting Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty with the 21st overall pick.
On the pick, Jeremiah notes, “The Steelers spent the past two drafts beefing up their offensive line. Now they land a top-five player in the class to run behind it.”
Jeremiah’s mock draft was an interesting one by all accounts, as the Steelers weren’t the only ones prioritizing the running back position in Round 1. After the Steelers’ selection of Jeanty as the first RB off the board in this mock draft, Jeremiah projects the Los Angeles Chargers to select North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton at pick No. 22 and the Minnesota Vikings to select RB TreVeyon Henderson at pick No. 24. If the projection came to fruition, it would mark the first time since 2018 (Saquon Barkley, Rashaad Penny, Sony Michel) where three running backs were selected in the first round.
This latest Pittsburgh Steelers mock draft projection would put the black and gold in position for their second first-round running back since 2021, when Najee Harris was selected out of Alabama with the 24th overall pick as the first RB off the board. The team declined to pick up Harris’ fifth-year option in the 2024 offseason, which means he is set to become an unrestricted free agent barring an extension with Pittsburgh. Teammate Jaylen Warren is set to become a restricted free agent in 2025, though his retention seems more likely than Harris’.
