Category: Football

Taking a look at some mock draft simulations, and what fits for the black-and-gold.

With a little over a month until the beginning of the 2023 NFL Draft, it is time to take a quick look at some of the most popular draft simulators on the web.

As a disclaimer, these are not based upon what I actually think would happen in the scenarios shown. This is simply a fun exercise to do using your imagination and fantasizing. It is also a good test to see which ones are the most accurate or most realistic.

Today, we will be looking at five different simulators, PFN, Fanspeak, PFF, Walk The Mock, and NFL Mock Draft Database. Be sure to join in yourself, sharing a mock draft from your favorite simulator in the comment section.

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Pro Football Network

• Traded Pick 32 to SF for Pick 99 and 2024 1st round pick
• Traded Pick 120 to CLE for Picks 126 and 190

17. Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern
49. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
80. Mazi Smith, DT, Michigan
99. Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
126. Jakorian Bennett, CB, Maryland
190. Byron Young, EDGE, Tennessee
234. Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama
241. Jacob Copeland, WR, Maryland

Probably the most realistic of the ones you will see, the Steelers address major needs on both sides of the ball. Getting handed a gift with Skoronski in Round 1 was a surprise, but the big win was getting an extra first-round pick in 2024, a draft which will be much deeper than this one.

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PFF

It is not likely we see DJ Turner fall all the way to Pick 80, but what a value it would be, especially considering that corner was not addressed with any of the first three picks.

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Walk The Mock

1:17 – OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
2:14 – LB Trenton Simpson, Clemson
2:18 – DL Mazi Smith, Michigan
3:17 – DL Gervon Dexter, Florida
4:18 – CB Darius Rush, South Carolina
5:14 – WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, West Virginia
5:35 – TE Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
7:5 – QB Aidan O’Connell, Purdue
7:6 – EDGE Robert Beal Jr., Georgia
7:15 – CB Steven Gilmore, Marshall
7:17 – LB Yasir Abdullah, Louisville
7:25 – RB Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan
7:39 – OT Joey Fisher, Shepherd
Acquired via (GB): 2:14, 5:14, 5:35, 7:15, 7:25, 7:39, 7:6, 2023 Rd 4, 2023 Rd 5, 2023 Rd 6, 2023 Rd 7
Traded Away: 2:1

I was offered this deal by Green Bay and simply could not pass it up. Stocking up on Day 3 picks while still landing a first-round talent is a huge win. Smith and Dexter together could end out as one of the top defensive line pairings in the NFL, as they are two of the most gifted athletes in this class.

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Fanspeak

17: R1 P17 CB Joey Porter Jr. – Penn State
32: R2 P1 QB Anthony Richardson – Florida
49: R2 P18 OT Darnell Wright – Tennessee
80: R3 P17 DL Calijah Kancey – Pitt
120: R4 P18 EDGE Will McDonald IV – Iowa State
234: R7 P17 WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton – West Virginia
241: R7 P24 EDGE Byron Young – Tennessee

This was by far the worst draft board, as there is no way any of these picks are available at the spots I got them at. Is it ideal to take a quarterback at 32? Absolutely not, but how could you pass it up at that point? Develop him, and pray that you can trade one of your two quarterbacks for a massive haul.

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NFL Mock Draft Database

• 1.32 for 2.36, 3.77, 5.171, 6.182, 6.189, 7.251 and 2024 R5
• 2.49 for 2.55, 3.81, and 2024 R5
• 3.68 for 3.70, 3.100, 5.141, 5.174, and 6.214
• 4.120 for 2024 R3, 2024 R4, and 2024 R7

Trade Recap

• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 2, Pick 48
  2024: Round 1
  2024: Round 2
  2024: Round 3
  2024: Round 3
  2024: Round 6
  Detroit Receives:
  2023: Round 1, Pick 17
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 2, Pick 36
  2023: Round 3, Pick 77
  2023: Round 5, Pick 171
  2023: Round 6, Pick 182
  2023: Round 6, Pick 189
  2023: Round 7, Pick 251
  2024: Round 5
  Los Angeles Receives:
  2023: Round 1, Pick 32
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 2, Pick 55
  2023: Round 3, Pick 81
  2024: Round 5
  Detroit Receives:
  2023: Round 2, Pick 49
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 68
  Denver Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 77
  2023: Round 6, Pick 189
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 70
  2023: Round 3, Pick 100
  2023: Round 5, Pick 141
  2023: Round 5, Pick 174
  2023: Round 6, Pick 214
  Las Vegas Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 68
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 71
  2024: Round 4
  2024: Round 6
  New Orleans Receives:
  2023: Round 3, Pick 70
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2024: Round 3
  2024: Round 4
  2024: Round 7
  Cincinnati Receives:
  2023: Round 4, Pick 120
• Pittsburgh Receives:
  2023: Round 5, Pick 147
  2023: Round 7, Pick 228
  Tennessee Receives:
  2023: Round 5, Pick 174
  2023: Round 6, Pick 182

• 36 Trenton Simpson | LB | Clemson
• 48 Gervon Dexter | DL | Florida
• 55 D.J. Turner | CB | Michigan
• 71 Sydney Brown | S | Illinois
• 80 Joe Tippmann | IOL | Wisconsin
• 81 Blake Freeland | OT | BYU
• 100 Darius Rush | CB | South Carolina
• 141 Zack Kuntz | TE | Old Dominion
• 147 Andrew Vorhees | IOL | USC
• 171 Charlie Jones | WR | Purdue
• 214 Jerrod Clark | DL | Coastal Carolina
• 228 Aidan O’Connell | QB | Purdue
• 234 Bryce Baringer | P | Michigan State
• 241 Lew Nichols III | RB | Central Michigan
• 251 Kyle Patterson | TE | Air Force

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Which mock draft was your favorite? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below, and stay tuned to BTSC for all the news you need to know leading up to the NFL Draft this April!

Could 2 Troy moments make the Final Four?

The Elite 8 is here, and the choices have been very interesting. No dynasty Super Bowl moments remain, arguably a generational result of the voting. But there is still a lot of variety. Troy and Ben both appear twice, but there’s a Willie Parker run, a Randle El throw, and of course, a James Harrison interception. Let’s see who’s knocking on the door of the Final Four.

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PIEROGI BRACKET

1 – The Immaculate Reception – 12/23/72 AFC Divisional Round

Tourney recap: Won its 1st round match with 94.7% of the twitter vote & 93% of website vote. Won its 2nd round match with 98% of the vote. Won the Sweet 16 round with 98% of the vote.

The Play: Nuff Said

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3 – “The Tackle” – 1/15/06 AFC Divisional

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 91% of the website vote and 87% of the twitter vote. Won round 2 with 94% of the vote. Won the Sweet 16 round with 91% of the vote.

The play: A shoestring tackle that saved the entire season. One of Ben’s greatest plays is one of the ugliest.

Bonus Commentary: Surprisingly, Franco has the last remaining play from the Dynasty era. But I’d argue this play is more symbolic than actual. Take away the Immaculate Reception, and we lose a lot of mythos, but the dynasty probably still happens. Take away The Tackle, and Ben doesn’t get his first Super Bowl, and probably takes a lot longer before he has Hall of Fame consideration.

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HALUPKI BRACKET

1 – Ben to Santonio for the Win – 2/1/09 Super Bowl XLIII

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 98% of the website vote and 91% of the twitter vote. Won round 2 with 95% of the vote. Won the Sweet 16 round with 91% of the vote.

The Play: What’s better, the catch or the throw? With 35 seconds left, the Steelers retake the lead, 27-23, after giving up 16 unanswered 4th-quarter points to the Cardinals.

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3 – Fast Willie Takes it to the House – 2/5/06 Super Bowl XL

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 85% of the website vote and 77.3% of the twitter vote. Defeated the Polamalu Plunge in round 2, 54%-46%. Beat the Levitating Leap in the Sweet 16, 60%-40%

The play: The longest TD run in Super Bowl history. It gave the Steelers a 14-3 lead in the third quarter against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

Bonus Commentary: Ben in the fourth. I think that’s all that needs to be said, all due respect to the Willie play.

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CHIPPED HAM BRACKET

2 – Randle El’s Reverse Pass – 2/5/06 Super Bowl XL

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 100% of the twitter vote and 89% of the website vote. Won round 2 with 85% of the vote. Won the Sweet 16 round, beating Swann’s Flying Circus catch 67%-33%.

The play: Willie Parker takes the pitch and hands off to Antwaan Randle El on the reverse, who throws it to Hines Ward for the 43-yd touchdown. It gives the Steelers a 21-10 lead against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

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13 – Troy’s Strip Sack – 12/5/10 Week 13

Tourney recap: The Cinderella story continues. This upset Jack Ham’s pick of Stabler with 74% of the website vote and 75% of the twitter vote in the first round. Then it upset the Maddox Wildcard Comeback in the 2nd round with 78% of the vote. In the Sweet 16, it upset Stallworth’s Super Bowl 14 TD with 54% of the vote.

The play: The Division title and a 1st round bye were on the line. Baltimore was winning 10-6 and had 3 and change left on the clock. They just needed a couple first downs to end the game. With a 2nd and 5 at their own 43, Pittsburgh blitzed Timmons and Troy. Ray Rice could only pick one.

Bonus commentary: Wow. I didn’t see the Troy play going this far. At this point, maybe even Franco should watch his back.

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BANANA SPLIT BRACKET

1 – Harrison’s Hundred-Yard INT – 2/1/09 Super Bowl XLIII

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 95.6% of the twitter vote and 97% of the website vote. Won round two with 96% of the vote. Won the Sweet 16 round with 96% of the vote.

The play: 1st and goal at the 1 with 18 seconds left in the first half. James Harrison steps in front of Anquan Boldin and makes his way 100 yards for a touchdown. Instead of trailing at the half, the Steelers lead 17-7.

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2 – Troy’s Pick 6 – 1/18/09 AFC Championship

Tourney recap: Won round 1 with 95.2% of the twitter vote and 94% of the website vote. Defeated Lambert’s shove of Cliff Harris in the 2nd round by a 60%-40% margin. Won the Sweet 16 round with 88% of the vote.

The play: The Steelers had a 16-14 lead in the 4th, but Flacco 4:38 to drive down the field. Instead, Deebo applied the pressure, and Troy took it to the house.

Bonus Commentary: Deebo is gonna have to defeat arguably the best moment ever from Heinz Field to move on.

We’ll unveil the Final Four next week!

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Kyle Chrise is the host of the Steel Curtain Network podcast “What Yinz Talkin’ Bout.” New episodes are released every Thursday.

One of the top remaining offensive linemen in this year’s free agent class is set for an intra-state move. Isaac Seumalo has agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Steelers, per Jordan Schultz of The Score (Twitter link).

The 28-year-old had spent all seven years of his NFL career with the Eagles, seeing 60 starts amongst his 80 games played. A full-time starter since the 2019 campaign, Seumalo had primarily seen action at left guard prior to this past season. In 2022, he played on the right side for the first time in four years, logging over 1,100 snaps as the Eagles’ right guard.

The former third-rounder earned himself a three-year, $15.92MM second contract with Philadelphia thanks to his consistency. Seumalo’s strong play has been reflected by positive year-over-year PFF grades ranking him amongst the best interior linemen in the league. In 2022, his overall grade of 72.7 placed him in the top 10 for all qualifying guards.

While that will make his departure a notable one for the NFC champions, it is not an unexpected one. The Eagles were thought to be set for a number of losses in free agency, and they have indeed seen several contributors to this year’s run to the Super Bowl depart. Seumalo will become the latest to do so, though Philadelphia has Cam Jurgens in place as a succession candidate. The 2022 second-rounder was drafted to one day replace Jason Kelce at the center spot, but the latter’s decision to keep playing at least one more year will allow Jurgens to get playing time at right guard.

Seumalo has an injury history, including 14 games missed in 2021 and seven in 2020. However, his addition is a significant one for a Steelers team which has made several moves up front in recent years. Improving along the interior will give a big boost to Pittsburgh’s o-line, and likely pave the way for a bounce-back season on the ground after they ranked mid-pack in rushing yardage in 2022.

The addition of Seumalo comes not long after Pittsburgh signed another former Eagles lineman in Nate Herbig. The latter inked a modest two-year deal, but a starting role was not thought to be out of the question. Regarldess of what happens with him, an upgrade at one guard spot has now been secured with Seumalo, who will look to replicate his personal and team success from his Eagles tenure in his new NFL home.

The Steelers’ Cole Holcomb addition will not round out their linebacker moves in free agency. They have also reached an agreement to bring in Elandon Roberts, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets.

Roberts agreed to a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. Brian Flores brought Roberts from New England to Miami in 2020. Though Flores is no longer with the Steelers, the team is bringing in a player the new Vikings DC coached in two cities. Roberts has 76 starts on his resume, including 32 over the past two seasons in Miami.

Pittsburgh’s additions of Roberts and Holcomb will precede a release of Myles Jack, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets. Jack signed a two-year , $16MM deal with the Steelers in 2022, but the team is moving to other options a year later. This marks the second straight March that a team has made Jack a cap casualty. A year after the Jaguars cut the longtime starter, the Steelers will save $8MM by making this move.

Although Roberts’ Miami tenure included a late-December knee injury in his first year with the team (2020), he bounced back and became a regular starter — both with Flores and following his firing. Roberts started every game for the Dolphins last year, totaling a career-high 107 tackles (10 for loss) and registering 4.5 sacks. That interesting combination is a bit of an outlier for Roberts, who had never produced more than two sacks in a season during his time with the Pats or Dolphins. But the versatile defender did enough to earn a multiyear commitment.

While Pro Football Focus rated Roberts just outside the top 60 at linebacker last year, he graded as the advanced metrics site’s No. 1 pass-rushing linebacker (among off-ball ‘backers). The Patriots used Roberts as a starter throughout their late-2010s run of Super Bowl appearances; he made 33 starts with the Pats from 2016-19.

Jack, who is still just 27 despite having played seven NFL seasons, made 104 tackles last season. PFF graded the former second-round pick just below Roberts — a 2016 sixth-rounder — at linebacker. The seven-year starter, who now has four 100-tackle seasons on his resume, will look for a third NFL team. He should not be expected to command a contract in the $8MM-AAV range, however.

The Steelers are making wholesale changes at linebacker. Robert Spillane, who played 59% of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps last season, signed with the Raiders this week. Devin Bush has long been viewed as a one-contract Steeler; the former top-10 pick is visiting the Seahawks today.

In on the Leighton Vander Esch market, the Steelers will instead end up with another linebacker who spent his rookie-contract years in the NFC East. They are signing former Commanders linebacker Cole Holcomb, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

The Commanders wanted to bring back the former fifth-round pick, John Keim of ESPN.com adds (on Twitter), but the sides were too far apart on value. Holcomb, 26, is heading to Pittsburgh on a three-year deal.

Although Holcomb is coming off an injury-abbreviated contract year, he started throughout his four-year Washington tenure. He finished the 2021 season with 142 tackles, two interceptions — one of them a pick-six — and seven pass deflections, and Pro Football Focus graded the ex-North Carolina Tar Heel as a top-25 off-ball linebacker that year. He will join a Steelers team that ultimately did not see enough from former first-round pick Devin Bush, who is now a free agent.

Last year, Holcomb suffered a foot injury that ultimately required surgery. He underwent the procedure in December, but that did not impede a multiyear contract. The Commanders have already agreed to terms with ex-Seahawks linebacker Cody Barton, though Keim notes the team is still aiming to add another piece at that position.

Many ILBs have come off the board already, though a few options remain. Lavonte David and Bobby Wagner may be eyeing roles with surefire Super Bowl contenders, but Bush, Deion Jones, Zach Cunningham, Denzel Perryman and Rashaan Evans are available heading into the 2023 league year.

Pittsburgh still rosters 2022 free agency pickup Myles Jack, who is going into the second season of his two-year deal, but lost Robert Spillane to the Raiders on Tuesday. Spillane started 15 games over the past three seasons with Pittsburgh, which did not pick up Bush’s fifth-year option in 2022.