The Baltimore Ravens always seem to “steal” a Pittsburgh Steelers draft target or two. At least that’s the way it feels with both teams looking for a similar archetype of AFC North-style player. It would be nice to return the favor for a change. That’s exactly what Steelers.com’s panel of Max Starks, Mike Prisuta, and Matt Williamson has them doing in their latest predictive mock draft.

“I think the target number is 11, Miami, a team that I think is interested more in players and the future than the now,” Prisuta said. “And also conveniently, that gets you ahead of somebody else in the AFC North division that might have an offensive lineman in mind at 14.”

All three agreed to trade up from No. 21 to No. 11 to select Penn State OG Vega Ioane. Here’s what they gave up to make the trade happen.

Steelers trade: No. 21 (R1), No. 76 (R3), No. 85 (R3)
Dolphins trade: No. 11 (R1)

The Steelers’ side of the trade is worth 1,175, with the Dolphins’ first-round pick being worth 1,250, according to Jimmy Johnson’s trade value chart. That would be a slight win for the Steelers, unusual for the team trading up. But teams are said to value Day 2 picks in a draft class missing blue-chip talent at the top.

Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan already told the world that they are more likely to trade down than up, signaling that he’s open for business. If the Steelers want to pick before the Ravens at No. 14, the Dolphins may be their best opportunity. And if they want Ioane, they are probably going to need to make that happen. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said this week that Ioane is “straight out of central casting” at guard, a clear sign they like him at a position of need in Baltimore.

Ioane would fill the Steelers’ biggest immediate need as the best pure guard in the class. They wouldn’t flip his side from college, as most of his Penn State experience was on the left. He could slot into Isaac Seumalo’s vacated spot, solidifying Pittsburgh’s interior offensive line for years to come alongside Zach Frazier and Mason McCormick.

If Pittsburgh selects a guard in the first round and trades its first two third-round picks in the process, the second-round choice becomes critical. There’s a long wait between pick No. 53 and No. 99. Here’s how the panel decided the rest of the three-round mock.

Three-Round Mock Draft

– No. 11 OG Vega Ioane/Penn State
– No. 53 WR Ted Hurst/Georgia State
– No. 99 DT Chris McClellan/Missouri

No inside linebacker. No tackle. No tight end. No safety. No cornerback.

The Steelers would have seven more selections, but only two in the top 150 and three in the top 200. The chances of getting difference-makers at other positions of moderate need would be extremely slim. That’s the cost of trading up. Is that really what Pittsburgh should be doing for a guard when it’s in the middle of a youth movement into the next era?

Ted Hurst is an intriguing pick and a steady riser throughout the process. However, No. 53 is almost a full round higher than he’s projected to go. He was excellent at the Senior Bowl, and his combination of college production and strong workout numbers states a strong case, but he didn’t face top competition in the Sun Belt Conference.

The Steelers haven’t been linked to many defensive tackles in the pre-draft process. But they have placed a clear emphasis on building from the inside out. Cameron Heyward won’t last forever, and McClellan is an interesting candidate at 6036, 313 pounds, with 34-inch arms. He’s a bit shorter than most DL the Steelers pursue, but he makes up for it with great length.

I like all three players, but this haul after the first two days wouldn’t thrill me. If all three players turn into long-term starters with Pro Bowl upside, great. But it shrinks the margin for error significantly and limits the number of positions the Steelers can address.