The Pittsburgh Steelers are still (barely) fighting for a playoff spot, but with the way things are going it’s no surprise that Steelers fans are starting to look toward the 2024 NFL Draft. The Kenny Pickett injury and subsequent play of backups Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph are a big reason the team is in this predicament, which is why it isn’t a shock that in the latest Steelers mock draft, the team takes Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy.

A Steelers mock draft with JJ McCarthy at the top of it seems a little strange since the franchise just took Kenny Pickett in the first round two drafts ago. However, what makes Curt Popejoy of USA Today’s mock draft so interesting is that he has McCarthy sliding to Round 2.

“Seeing J.J. McCarthy on the board in the second round makes him too good to pass up,” Popejoy writes. “McCarthy has all the tools to be a top starter in the NFL and would be a perfect player to push Kenny Pickett or replace him.”

Going QB in the middle of Round 1 again would be a tough pill to swallow for Steelers fans, especially since Pickett has shown some signs of improvement over the last two seasons. Selecting a high-end developmental backup in Round 2, though, does seem like a smart move after this season’s QB debacle.

What the Steelers do in Round 1 of this mock draft

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So, if the Steelers don’t go QB in Round 1 of of this mock draft, where do they go? With Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, according to Popejoy.

“The Steelers have one starting cornerback in Joey Porter Jr., but adding Cooper DeJean would give Pittsburgh a pair of No. 1 cornerbacks, which they haven’t had in a long time,” the author gives as his reason.

This also makes some sense for the Steelers, as the secondary is a primary concern, and finding two long-time starting CBs in back-to-back NFL drafts would be a coup. That said, the team has issues at other spots, too, with offensive and defensive line being tops among them.

At 7-7, Pittsburgh is currently 10th in the AFC and has just a 6% chance of making the postseason. If things stay as they are now, that would give the Steelers the No. 16 pick in April’s draft.